A North Carolina man is facing charges of animal cruelty for allegedly abandoning his pet fish after being evicted from his home last month, according to multiple reports.
Michael Ray Hinson, 53, was arrested and taken into custody on Wednesday, April 3, and was charged with three counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals and one count of abandonment of an animal, reported WRAL. He was released from jail on a $4,000 unsecured bond.
Michael Hinson is charged with animal cruelty for allegedly leaving his pet fish behind when he was evicted from his home.https://t.co/elJ9mGUtYU
— WWAY News (@WWAY) April 3, 2019
Spokesperson for the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Lt. Jerry Brewer, said Hinson was evicted on March 22, reported WECT. A few days later when deputies went to the home, they found a malnourished Oscar fish swimming in a dirty tank. The fish was also suffering from a Hole-in-the-Head disease—a dangerous condition that is caused by dirty water and lack of quality food.
“It came in with a disease, hole in the head, which is a parasite that is caused by poor water quality and malnutrition,” Ethan Lane, an employee at The Fish Room in Wilmington, where the fish is currently recovering, told The State. “It was a pretty severe case of the disease, [with] opens sores and lesions on the fish’s head. It is an infection that can be fatal.”
Lane said the Oscar fish had apparently been eating cockroaches that fell into its tank. He also told the local newspaper when he tried to feed the fish food pellets, the fish didn’t seem to know what to do with them, apparently having never experienced good food before. He added that it was days before the fish ate anything.
Lane noted that Oscar fish aren’t cheap, fetching up to $40 to $50 to purchase and can grow up to 16 inches long.
A man who abandoned his sick pet fish in an empty home has been charged with animal cruelty. The fish is being treated and is said to be on the mend.
https://t.co/ti3FK3R1t6— Arin Greenwood (@arin_twit) April 4, 2019
“They are great pets, we call them wet pets. They are very trainable, they have huge personalities, some of them can be aggressive,” he told The State.
Oscar fish are also known as “water dogs” because they “shake their tail and head just like dogs do,” according to The Aquarium Guide. According to Fishkeeping World, Oscar fish are intelligent and temperamental fish “that should only be looked after by experienced fish keepers.” Oscar fish can live up to 20 years, according to the site.
Oscar fish are omnivorous and will eat anything, including small insects and crustaceans. However, too many live foods can cause the fish to get parasites, which can lead to Hole-in-the-Head disease, according to The Aquarium Guide.
Because of their size, Oscar fish eat a lot and produce quite a lot of mess, meaning they need their tanks cleaned out once or twice a week, or else the dirty water conditions can also lead to the Hole-in-the-Head disease, according to Fishkeeper World.
Lane told The State that it’s quite common for pet owners to bring sick fish into the aquatic store, saying, “People don’t know how to care for their fish, so we take them in.” The store helps fish recover like an animal hospital does for dogs and cats.
The rescued fish is continuing its recovery with medicine and good food, Lane said, adding it may be put up for adoption later or even gifted to the sheriff’s office.
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Police office Lt. Brewer told WECT this is the first time someone in the county was charged with cruelty over a pet fish.
“But this is a life just like any dog or cat,” Brewer said. “If you harm or neglect an animal in New Hanover County, we are coming for you.”
NC man accused of abandoning pet fish faces animal cruelty charges — https://t.co/aLYJT0DoWf #Abandonment #Abuse pic.twitter.com/h501NdzYvv
— KTVE – KARD (@MyArkLaMiss) April 4, 2019
