Despite a public outcry, the city of Springdale, Ohio’s Parks and Recreation Department has reportedly scheduled another “Goldfish Swim” on August 8, in which 1,000 goldfish will be dumped into a swimming pool with children who will be instructed to scramble to catch them with their bare hands.

Please urge the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and mayor to cancel this cruel event permanently.

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Urge City in Ohio to Cancel Cruel ‘Goldfish Swim’! | PETA

Despite a public outcry in 2019 and a hiatus last year because of COVID-19, the Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Springdale, Ohio, apparently yet again plans to host a “Goldfish Swim,” on August 8.

During this chaotic event, approximately 1,000 goldfish will be poured into a community swimming pool, where children 12 and under “must catch them with their bare hands, no nets, no buckets or help from Mom and Dad” in the hope of taking them home. Being dumped into a pool filled with frantic children grabbing at them would obviously be a horrific ordeal for these tiny animals, who view nearly everything as a predator—and exposure to even trace amounts of chlorine can cause them to experience respiratory distress. Furthermore, because fish can transmit bacteria such as E. coli, such events pose a risk to the children, too. These animals need your help now!

Please urge Springdale’s Parks and Recreation Department and the city’s mayor to cancel this cruel event permanently—then, forward this alert to everyone you know.

Polite comments can be sent to the following individuals:

Charlie Wilson
Director
Springdale Parks and Recreation Department
GoPlay@springdale.org
513-346-3910