Rescuing an animal in need is incredibly satisfying, especially when they get healthy and happy right before our very eyes.
Videos by InspireMore
Holland is a college student who started rescuing neglected fish back in 2018. She simply can’t walk by a betta fish trapped in a tiny, dirty cup of water at a pet store! So far, she’s rescued about 80 fish, which she then rehabilitates and adopts out to trusted friends.
Recently, she found a little gray fish that nearly broke her heart. Bongo was in a bad state, and as soon as she saw him she knew he’d be her next rescue. She brought him home and put him in a temporary hospital tank with some aquarium salt and a heater.
“He was very pale, skinny,” she recalled. “He was missing his entire tail. It had rotted completely off. He probably had stopped eating because there was food on the bottom. You just could tell he’d been like that for multiple days.”
He immediately perked up in the warmer water, but he was still lying on the bottom, refusing to eat. She knew from experience that if she could get him to start eating, she could save his life. She began doing frequent water changes, and she even gave him some antibiotics.
Three days after he came home, his swimming issues finally cleared up. Not only that, but his color started returning! Instead of a pale, dull gray, he turned into a rusty red. Once he started eating, Holland was sure he was officially on the mend.
After two weeks of love and care, the change in Bongo was apparent.
“It was a little surprising to see him,” she said. “He was just a beautiful bright red. His tail started to heal pretty quickly.”
Bongo now lives in a permanent tank in Holland’s living room. She has become so attached to him that she decided to keep him!
“A lot of people don’t see fish as a companion, but they do recognize you, they do come out when they see you,” she said, adding, “Sometimes things need time and care to be beautiful. That’s definitely apparent with him.”
What a transformation! It’s so sweet that Holland goes out of her way to save these little forgotten bettas.
Share this story to thank her for helping even the tiniest of creatures live a comfortable life.
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