BUFFALO, N.Y. (WHDH) — A nonprofit organization is urging pet owners to never flush their fish down the toilet after a 14-inch goldfish was caught off the coast of Upstate New York.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper captured the giant pet fish in the Niagara River, just downstream from a wastewater treatment plant.
Goldfish can survive year-round in their watershed and can destroy the habitats of native fish, the organization warned.
Scientists have reportedly estimated that tens of millions of goldfish now live in the Great Lakes.
People who can no longer take care of their pets are asked to return them to the store.
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