In short:
Tegan Warren runs a “no questions asked” adoption service for goldfish from her country Victorian plant store.
She started the service after customers would frequently consider flushing or starving fish.
What's next?
Ms Warren says she is hoping to help educate fish owners about ethical ways of looking after fish.
Few things make Tegan Warren as upset as the idea of a goldfish about to be flushed down the toilet.
Admittedly, it's an unusual quirk.
But the self-described obsessive animal-lover can't stand it.
“It hurts,” Ms Warren said.
“Every time there's a fish death, it's hard for me.”
Ms Warren runs an indoor plant store in the regional Victorian town of Horsham, about three-and-a-half hours' drive north-west of Melbourne.
Her monstera and fiddle leaf plants take centre stage in her shopping centre store.
But of late, a small row of tanks in the top corner of her shop has been stealing the show.
It's where she runs her goldfish adoption agency.
Flush with fish
For Ms Warren, the idea of anyone sending a fish drain-ward makes her sick to the stomach.
So she's done something about it.
“We have about one customer a week come in telling us they were looking to flush their goldfish or let it starve,” she said.
“We've had a few horror stories.
“Sometimes it was because they wanted a tropical tank, or they just wanted to get rid of it to start a new tank.”
To stop more fish from getting the flush, Ms Warren has set up her own adoption service.
In her mind, it's the least she can do.
“I just thought, well, I might as well take them,” she said.
“There's always [other] people out there that will take them.”
The animal-lover carefully vets all potential adoptees and has a no questions asked drop-off policy.
She is also pretty lenient when it comes to what type of fish she will take.
In short, if it lives in water — she will take it.
“They bring them in — no questions asked,” she said.
“We've got a lot of people that come into the store but they mainly come in just to look at the fish.”
Something fishy
It probably doesn't come as a surprise that there isn't a national goldfish adoption agency competing with Ms Warren's efforts.
Some aquariums will take on unwanted fish and there are also social media groups boasting thousands of members all looking to either give away or adopt fish.
Goldfish generally live for 10–15 years with some varieties able to reach upwards of 30 years when looked after properly.
Larger abandoned goldfish have recently been removed from Western Australian waterways in an attempt to improve the quality of the waterway.
The RSPCA wants prospective fish owners to have a long think before buying a new fish.
“Fish are social and intelligent animals, capable of feeling pain and distress, who can live a long time,” a spokesperson said.
“Goldfish in particular have a life span on average of 10 to 15 years and need care that meets their physical and mental needs.
“Under no circumstances should fish be killed if they are unwanted.”
Some states, such as New South Wales, have laws against abandoning fish in waterways.
Ms Warren said it was a measure and mission of compassion.
She has adopted a handful of fish herself, including three goldfish, a silver dollar fish and a yabby.
“For me, they're still a living animal, a living creature,” she said.
“It's all free — I don't get anything out of it.
“It's just somewhere for people to give their fish away rather than putting it in the toilet.”
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