Age restrictions for buying fish

[Barrie]

for those that dont like the idea of an age restriction.

Just think if there was a lion for sale at the shop and your 16yo brother wanted it without needing the OK from mum or dad

Your brother gets sick of feeding it and cleaning up the mess...............................

Almost every parent has ended up adopting one of their kids pets that they promised they would always look after and they would love it for always.... Its all they've ever wanted since they were like 5 years old

[Ira]

for those that dont like the idea of an age restriction.

Just think if there was a lion for sale at the shop and your 16yo brother wanted it without needing the OK from mum or dad

Your brother gets sick of feeding it and cleaning up the mess...............................

Then it eats him, everybody wins. What's the problem?

[Sunbird73]

Hmm, bag up half a dozen fancy plecs, write the code for bristlenose on the bag, find ignorant looking staff.......

:lol: Reminds me - my mother went into her LFS last week and was checking out their blood parrot fish tank, that were labelled as $15 each. She asked about them and saleperson said "what parrot fish?" 3 salespeople later (none who knew what a parrotfish was) and then the manager came out... who agreed that yes they were parrotfish and raised the price to $75 :roll:

I used to work with animals in australia, and constantly saw foreign students living in one bedroom apartments buying large breed puppies with no idea how to care for them or train them, and then left them behind when they went home So I think its great that pet shops in NZ are a bit more responsible. It isn't hard for a well informed kid to show up with a parent, tho I agree that 16yrs would be more reasonable.

[Mad Whip]

Crazy by 16 you will have a firearms license and be able to drive but not buy gold fish. I do hope LFS exercise common sense when selling any animal to any person. I sure they would.

[alanmin4304]

By the way some kids drive up my street I think 16 is possibly too young for a drivers or firearms licence.

[Barrie]

Crazy by 16 you will have a firearms license and be able to drive but not buy gold fish. I do hope LFS exercise common sense when selling any animal to any person. I sure they would.

I agree

firearms and drivers license's are dished out at a far to young age

Pet stores have more sence that government regulations

[Caryl]

We had Joe (aged 12) with us on a club trip to lfs in ChCh and none of them asked his age when he was buying fish. Perhaps they assumed one of us was his parent :-?

[diver21]

yes the firearms licence is dished out at a young age but you dont get it overnight. it takes a few interviews of yourself and others. and it took me about 6 months to get mine when i was 16.

but then again it all depends all on the kid

[trav]

i am 12 turning 13 and if this applied at my lfs i would not have any fish :lol: :lol: lol

i think it is good but if you know what you are doing with the fish and you can prove that you know a fair bit then i think it is alright

[SamH]

i think it is good but if you know what you are doing with the fish and you can prove that you know a fair bit then i think it is alright

I could quite easily prove I know about fish and still be denied the right to purchase a fish. Yet I have seen many people well over the age of 16 that know little about fish being allowed to purchase fish, even the more rare and difficult to keep ones. But as I have said before, I still stand by the law but have still not been refused the right to buy.

[Barrie]

its not about what you know, its more about if your parents want you to have them

Several things come into it like finance, life style (your parents may be wanting to travel for months at a time over seas), room, dampness to your home as well as experiance and Im sure plenty of other things.

My 18yo daughter wants (and is getting) a turtle. We go to Coromandel at Christmas for 3 weeks. She normally sleeps in a tent down there. Where am I going to fit the turtle in as my bach is 2 bedroom and my older two daughters are married with children so there simply wont be enough room.

Im sure that you young ones will look after the fish but you can see a lot of other things are an important part of the decision.

Young people wont have thought of a lot of these things which is why your parents need to be informed and agreeable. The example of my daughter is a good example. She wont be able to take the turtle away and will either have to come back to feed and care for it or she wont be able to come on holliday with us

Hopefully, those of you that dont like needing permission will understand a little more as to why I applaud the pet shops stand

[Manda]

how old are you?

My 13 year old daughter tried to buy a goldfish at LFS and they turned her down too. I think it's good to exclude under 16 .. but over that age is working age! 18 is certainly old enough IMO. At 18 I bought my first cockatiel with no adult about.

People are having babies at that age... so way not fish...

[sharn]

The shop was most likely biding by the PIA (pet industry association) rules. These are voluntry but have age restrictions/suggestions for all animals. You wouldnt believe how many kids come into a shop wanting to buy a 1L small animal transport cage to put three comets in, and some adults are just as bad. I have had kids wanting to buy a finch to keep in an icecream container and they werent little tackers, they were 12-14 years old!

IMO these restrictions help people working in pet stores who are not as confident at assessing a young persons capability of care (and the thought put into keeping it) for an animal and it stops comeback from parents. I wont enforce an age restriction on fish if the young person can prove they know what they are talking about and can provide adequate care.

Manda, people do have children at 16/18 but it doesnt mean they should be having children, many can barely cook spag on toast let alone look after an animal- and often people of that age get turned away too if they are not able/willing to provide proper care for whatever animal they have/choose.

[Barrie]

People are having babies at that age... so way not fish...

some at 12 and 13 have babys.

Are you honestly suggesting that this is a good thing?

Im picking that you are younger as when you are a bit older you will see how much these kids miss out on and how they have made their life very hard before they have even started to live life.

[alanmin4304]

I knew everything when I was young but have been learning every day since and have just turned 65. Perhaps I didn't then. I consider myself lucky to have not killed myself or someone else while driving and to still have all my extremities after making a lot of things that went bang.

[BikBok]

People are having babies at that age... so way not fish...

i hope you're not suggesting that it's ok for 13 year olds to be having babys . They are legally under age anyway but besides that , they haven't' even finished growing themselves! .. either have a 16 year old for that matter. Very few girls under 18 have enough maturity to raise a baby well. Some are thrown into it and have no choice and they do their best, some with support , some without but it certainly should not be seen as the societal norm.

I was shocked to read your comment.. no way would it be ok or normal for my 13 year old to be having a baby.

I think children do well to have some responsibility for a PET but only with their parents knowledge and permission.

[purplecatfish]

I like the idea of applying firearms license rules to pet ownership.

You'd have to make an application; the authorites would visit your home to see where the pet is going to be kept; they'd interview your partner/flatmate/spouse/referee etc without you being present; you'd have to do a course and pass an exam; they'd do a background check. And the process would take time.

And if at any stage you fail you couldn't get a pet.

[Nymox]

I like the idea of applying firearms license rules to pet ownership.

You'd have to make an application; the authorites would visit your home to see where the pet is going to be kept; they'd interview your partner/flatmate/spouse/referee etc without you being present; you'd have to do a course and pass an exam; they'd do a background check. And the process would take time.

And if at any stage you fail you couldn't get a pet.

I think its going a bit far IMO. Heres what I think on the subject.

A person/s under the age of 18 are not likely to live on their own, pay their own bills ect. That means that it would be up to their parent or guardian to cover a good portion of the cost involved in keeping a pet. That being the case, the parent or guardian should be there at the time of purchase. I dont think you need to go into full or partial background checks on anyone considering the purchase of a pet, the only cases may be where its difficult to provide care for, rare or exotic species, or something that the seller would prefer the potential buyer to have intention of breeding.

You cant deny a child the chance to keep a pet, its very benificial to their learning and understanding of the world we live in and all its precious living things. Dont outright deny kids the sale of a pet, educate them and ask them to return with their parents or guardians.

[alanmin4304]

It was not about selling pets to under age children but about selling pets to under age children without their parent being there to say OK.

[DennisP]

It was not about selling pets to under age children but about selling pets to under age children without their parent being there to say OK.

This is true, Some people (idiots) at school decided it would be fun to buy some mice. They weren't allowed them at home, and as they were boarders at school, not allowed them there either.

Guess what they did?

Kept the mice in their locker. Eventually the dean found out and took them back to the shop, for free.

This would be why some of the shops have this law. I guess its also a good way to get your parents to give you a ride there, and you probably wont have to pay for petrol etc.

[gagaforfish]

i am 14 and i got refused to buy a goldfish last year without my parents, which was understandable. For all they knew i could have been wanting to keep it in a glass under my bed hidden from parents. I mean, selling something living to a child is a bit 'dodgy'? Wrong word... unsafe? hmmm you get what i mean anyway.

i think 16 s a good age. At16 you can drive, so why not buy a fish?

[REEVESTA]

Im 13 and have never had that problem with buying fish.

But i go to organism about 3 times a week :roll: I dont think they think im going to smash expensive tropicals on the side walk

[Cricketman]

It is up to the individual LFS IMHO. They have a responsibility to look after their animals and make sure they are homed appropriately. if you go to a LFS and get I.d'd be happy that they are doing a great job and are doing their best for their animals. If you are common to a LFS, get your parents to come down with you the first time and ask if they can put your name down so you can but fish on your own in future perhaps? That way they are doing their part and you can keep going back?

[mac]

I have never ever heard it. But think it is great idea. But should not get to much of a fuss with in reason.

[Barrie]

i am 14 and i got refused to buy a goldfish last year without my parents, which was understandable. For all they knew i could have been wanting to keep it in a glass under my bed hidden from parents. I mean, selling something living to a child is a bit 'dodgy'? Wrong word... unsafe? hmmm you get what i mean anyway.

i think 16 s a good age. At16 you can drive, so why not buy a fish?

I love your attitude

You will go a long way in life

congratulations