I went to a carnival yesterday, and as usual, came across the pushy carnies who want my money to play their probably rigged games. Two of the games they had there kind of bothered me. They had the usual game where people can win goldfish and carry them around for hours in a small plastic bag. They had another one where people could win some unidentified lizard.

A nice chunk of the people who win these animals might not know how to take care of them properly. The people running the games are probably not experts on these animals, and probably can't tell the winners what to do with their new pets. It's possible that the people who run these games are more concerned with getting money in their pockets instead of the well-being of the animals.

Does anyone know what could be done about this?

do what america does best-sue

Unfortunately all you can do is not patronize them. :-/

You might want to try contacting the company who supplies the animals, if you can find it out. I doubt talking to the actual game operators will do any good.

I've see that before too, it's sickening. :/ I've never seen the lizard one but the fish is bad enough.

I'm sure many die before they end up in their little bowl, and try to convinve someone that a goldfish has any value and should be respected.

I don't think the fish they use are very healthy at all. When I was younger I played once and left the fair with 8 fish. It wasn't one of those stands where they put the fish in the bowl that people are trying to throw balls into though, they were just empty bowls and they got the fish out of a tank when someone made a ball go into a bowl. Anyhoo.. by the end of the first week, all but two of my fish had died, and by the end of two months, they were all gone. :( I won't be playing that again. This year I noticed they didn't have the fishy game, or the game where you try to win a lizard. Hopefully enough people complained that they decided not to bring those games back!

I'm shocked that they still have those games. I thought that they had gone the way of the freak show.

" I thought that they had gone the way of the freak show."

What way, gain control of the White House?

They had the usual game where people can win goldfish and carry them around for hours in a small plastic bag. They had another one where people could win some unidentified lizard.


Ive never even heard of winning a lizard, and I agree on how awfull this is I love goldfish i have many and their realy cool not some boreing thing that don't remember anything after 5 seconds their a lot smarter then people think. Those poor fish in those bags they can only servive in for 2 hours at the most and even less in this case becuz of the heat and tossing about of walking.
one thing that is vary odd is that the oldest goldfish (age 42 or 43 years) was won at these things in the 1950s.

" I thought that they had gone the way of the freak show."

What way, gain control of the White House?


lmao lol

I saw one where people could win a baby green iguana and it really really pissed me off. If people can't keep a goldfish alive the sure as hell can't care for an iguana. Mine is a rescue whos growth is stunted and he still 9 lbs and very difficult to handle. Its pure irresponsibility.

I saw one where people could win a baby green iguana and it really really pissed me off. If people can't keep a goldfish alive the sure as hell can't care for an iguana.

I agree. Most fairs that I've been to take place in mid-July, when the temperature can be in the 100's. I've noticed that they put the iguana cages where the sun will hit them.. maybe not intentionally, but still.. I know iguanas live in hot weather naturally (right?) but being in a glass cage in the sun isn't just hot, it'd be like an oven inside. :sick: That's reason enough not to use them as prizes.

I agree. Most fairs that I've been to take place in mid-July, when the temperature can be in the 100's. I've noticed that they put the iguana cages where the sun will hit them.. maybe not intentionally, but still.. I know iguanas live in hot weather naturally (right?) but being in a glass cage in the sun isn't just hot, it'd be like an oven inside. :sick: That's reason enough not to use them as prizes.

They do live in hot weather naturally, but to keep themselves at the correct temp they need to able to move around in an environment that has a temp gradients from around 80 to the high 90's. Heat like what they're exposed to in the situation you described could easily kill them. Add to that the stress of being low to the ground, surrounded by what they consider to be predators, with improper food, water, humidity and no place to hide and I'm amazed they have enough left alive to give as prizes. :cry:

I would ask questions, stealthily take pictures, and do some research. Then bring it up with the city council members where the carnival is and try to get some restrictions on games with animals. Shouldn't be too hard, actually. Once the carnival is out of town, I'm not sure who would really oppose the measure.

Also, some game are run by non-profits trying to raise money. You can bring up the issue with the organization.

Also one can write the local newspaper or start a letter writing campaign.

ETA- I found some links that could be useful or interesting to you:

http://www.circuses.com/pdfs/AnimalFreeFun_FS.pdf#xml=http://www.petasearch.org/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=goldfish&pr=default&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=42e6deb9cc

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/content_objectid=13537522_method=full_siteid=50061 _headline=-A%2Dgoldfish%2Dis%2Dfor%2Dlife%2D%2D%2Dnot%2Djust% 2Dfor%2Dfunfairs-name_page.html

http://www.fishinghurts.com/feat-hiddenfish.asp

Write a letter to the fair directors' board or other organization sponsoring the carnival, as well as your local humane society.
Explain to them the health hazards associated with handing live reptiles off to inexperienced children: http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlife/wildlife_trade/live_reptile_trade/the_trade_in_live_reptiles_a_human_health_threat.h tml
And the fact that these children are probably very unprepared to deal with such a pet: http://www.baskingspot.com/iguanas/should/index.html
These games can be shut down. It has happened. http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=1411454&nav=0RZFHaJL

Did you know that people can order fish tank fish online and have them sent through the mail???

My former roommate did that and had about a dozen fish shipped via USPS in some sort of water box. Half of them were dead, and some ill. She complained to the sender about not getting her money's worth in shipping and handling....

I thought that was sad and absurd

Did you know that people can order fish tank fish online and have them sent through the mail???

My former roommate did that and had about a dozen fish shipped via USPS in some sort of water box. Half of them were dead, and some ill. She complained to the sender about not getting her money's worth in shipping and handling....

I thought that was sad and absurd

that is how almost all if not all fish get to the stores, sad but true

The fish games always bothered me. I never did understand why they had those. I've never seen the lizard one, but that it totally irresponsible. Being big into "lizards" I can't believe they would have these. Different types need different types of habitats, food, climates, handling, etc. Not knowing what they are or what they need is sure death for these poor little guys. That makes me so sad. :(

The fish games always bothered me. I never did understand why they had those. I've never seen the lizard one, but that it totally irresponsible. Being big into "lizards" I can't believe they would have these. Different types need different types of habitats, food, climates, handling, etc. Not knowing what they are or what they need is sure death for these poor little guys. That makes me so sad. :(

yeah, I don't know how to take care of a lizard, and I only know one person who has owned one before, you can't just give away animal to just whoever,

goldfish need much more space then most people know, their avrige size is 7-10 inchs or larger, they can get up to 2 feet, they need at least 10 gallons of water per fish or more(depending on the size of the fish). not those tiny little torture traps they market as "goldfish bowls", goldfish can vary easily live into at least their 20s or longer but the way most people take care of them they are lucky to live even a month.

I'm shocked that they still have those games. I thought that they had gone the way of the freak show.

They seem so careless about the lives of these creatues. :( It's sad really.

This pains me because I'm a lizard lover and this is a step towards making my little loves illegal but it will work and seeing the sweet babies at a carnival is appaling.
If you see reptiles being given away at carnivals contact the local health departmant. Express your concern that they are giving animals that may harbor salmonella(sp?) to people who may be under the age of five, over the age of sixty-five or have immune system problems. They will probably enjoy forcing the carnival to switch over to stuffed toys. It really only works for the time that they are in your city but it still saves all the lives that would have been lost during that time