Group reminds owners not to flush pets after 14-inch goldfish found in river flowing from Lake Erie
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A water conservation group has made a request to all pet owners: Don’t flush your fish!
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting water resources in the Buffalo area, shared a photo of a 14-inch goldfish that was caught in the Niagara River.
“This is why you should never flush your fish!,” the group captioned the photo.
Canadian researchers say up to 50 million invasive goldfish could inhabit the Great Lakes.
Heavy rainfall combined with waste water in the sewer systems is one cause of overflows into the lakes.
“If you cannot keep your pet, please return it to the store instead of flushing or releasing it,” the group wrote on Facebook.
The Niagara River flows northward from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
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