Over several days in November, the Washington Humane Society (WHS) Humane Law Enforcement team, headed by Officer Michael Triebwasser, responded to the first case of its kind. The officers sought to rescue close to 1,000 fish – originally thought to be koi, but later determined to be primarily goldfish – who were dropped into a “pond” at Meridian Hill Park in Northwest Washington by a local resident this summer.
These fish were brought to the pond by a man who wanted to beautify his neighborhood; however, over the months, the fish multiplied tremendously and eventually, the pond needed to be drained for the winter season. There was no plan in place for the fish who were living there. The community was concerned, and when our officers learned that these fish might not survive, they immediately sprang into action. WHS contacted groups across the region to help ensure these fish could be safely removed from the pond and given a new home.
The rescue began on a chilly and wet Thursday morning in mid-November. Two officers geared up in waterproof attire and dove right into the pond with nets of all shapes and sizes. With so many fish covering two very large separate fountain areas, they quickly realized they had their work cut out for them. After a long day’s efforts, they were able to rescue a small portion of the population by very slowly and carefully gathering the fish and placing them into large buckets filled with water. The following day, they came back to the park prepared with a larger team, including WHS Animal Care & Control Officers, dressed in dry suits kindly supplied by DC Fire/EMS. However, even with the aid of additional officers, hundreds of fish still remained.
The pond was to be drained without exception on November 30. With that in mind, WHS put out a plea to our friends and neighbors; and almost immediately, the community who had expressed concern for these fish came to the rescue – quite literally. After reading our calls for support on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and on local blogs like Prince of Petworth, volunteers quickly began contacting our officers to see how they could help save the remaining fish. On Wednesday morning, the WHS team led a group of over 20 volunteers of all ages to collect the remaining fish. Sifting through cold, wet algae piece by piece, the final fish were recovered. Shouts of joy came from the youngest of volunteers with each fish found.
The fish have found homes in the ponds of caring neighbors and organizations throughout the community. A special thanks goes out to the National Aquarium for loaning us multiple nets, which helped us complete a successful rescue, and for connecting us with G and G Aquatics, a trusted group that is helping to find homes for these fish. We would also like to thank Raymond Yee Jr. with Aquamarine Systems LLC, who aided with the rescue and personally helped to place these fish in new home environments, and DC Fire for allowing us to use the dry suits they supplied for much longer than anticipated.
The Washington Humane Society provides comfort and care to nearly 30,000 animals each year. Our doors are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without exception. While serving an urban area means we see a lot of dogs, cats and companion animals, we believe that every animal matters, regardless of species, breed or any other factor; we never say “no” to an animal. This assignment – though different from our usual duties – proves once again that when we partner with a caring community, together we can develop real solutions to all types of animal-related issues.
Watch the team in action on FOX 5: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/local-group-rescues-fish-from-dc-park-12111
we see a lot of dogs, cats and companion animals, we believe that every animal matters, regardless of species, breed or any other factor; we never say “no” to an animal. This assignment – though different from our usual duties – proves once again that when we partner with a caring community, together we can develop real solutions to all types of animal-related issues.
Posted by: Uggs on Sale | December 07, 2011 at 03:06 AM