Green Bay Aquarium Society to Help Exotic Pet Owners, PIJAC

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Do you have a fish, reptile or bird that you are no longer able to care for? If so, bring your pet to the Habitattitude Pet Surrender Event on March 10 between noon and 5 p.m. at Wisconsin’s 1000 Islands Environmental Center. Area organizations will be accepting fish, reptiles, pet birds, and aquarium plants–no questions asked.

The Habitattitude Rehoming Network is a collection of area rehoming partners that provide responsible alternatives to release for exotic pet owners who are no longer able to care for their pets. The Network and Green Bay Aquarium Society (GBAS) are hosting the event with help from several other area organizations including: University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Kingdom Animalia Exotic Animal Rescue, Madison Area Herpetological Society (Fox Valley Chapter), Fox Valley Ferret Shelter and RoseBerry Bird Rescue.

In some areas, there are no rehoming options for animals such as fish, birds and reptiles. Pet owners that are unable to care for their pet may think that releasing the animal is the right thing to do, however, releasing a pet is harmful for the animal and the environment.

There will be live animal demonstrations, arts and crafts and expert advice on hand so all are welcome, even if you don’t have a pet to rehome.

Questions regarding the Habitattitude Surrender Event can be directed to John Moyles of GBAS. He can be reached at [email protected].

“We are happy to provide a safe place for aquarium pet owners to surrender their pets, no questions asked,” GBAS President John Moyles said. “Having the surrender event the day before the auction helps us to rehome fish quickly without having to worry about long-term foster care and storage.”

Following the surrender event, GBAS will be hosting a fish auction on March 11 at the Starlite Club in Kaukauna. Any fresh or saltwater fish surrendered will be included in the auction.

GBAS will be fundraising this year for Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council’s (PIJAC) work promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, fostering environmental stewardship, and ensuring the availability of pets. All money by auctioning certain designated auction lots by GBAS will go towards this fund.

“This is such a great opportunity,” Moyles said. “We, as a club, feel that is important to give back to the aquatic community both locally and on the national level. PIJAC is doing really great work advocating for the pet industry and the pets themselves.”

Seller set up begins at 9 am and the bidding starts at 10:30 a.m. The event is free, open to the public, and everyone is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be available on site.

GBAS is a non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to further the study of all forms of aquatic life, to promote interest, exchange ideas, distribute information concerning the aquarium hobby and encourage the display of aquatic life. The auction supports this purpose by providing an outlet for area hobbyists to rehome the fish and corals they have propagated and/or to find varieties of corals and other aquatic life not readily available at area stores. New and used equipment will also be available as well as door prizes and raffles.

For more information on attending the auction or registering as a seller, visit here.