Last night while performing the “feed the dog” ritual I discovered the dog was out of food. I knew this day was coming, I feed him everyday and see the food bin getting low, but I always forget until the day of. So like all other times, I rush down to Petco a few minutes before they close.
While standing in line with the other Dads and their bags of pet food, this one Dad and his little girl come walking in just before the doors are locked. The little girl is holding a zip-lock bag with an upside-down goldfish to the cashier:
“Cindy-Brady” 5 year old: Uh, Uh, my wittle goldfish ‘Princess Weetah’ …(whimper, whimper, whisper)….my waddy bought her westerday and she won’t wake wup.
Petco worker hippie-surfer guy: (to Dad) Do you want your $1.07 back…
Blonde “Mike Brady” Dad: Can we get another one?
Petco worker hippie-surfer guy: That’s cool. You could have flushed it down the toilet or thrown it in the trash and just brought the receipt. (Beavis and Butthead chuckle)
“Cindy-Brady” 5 year old: (gasped with horror and tears) Wha?! Wha?! Nooooooo!!
Dad covers little girls’ ears and then hugs her.
This Petco guy is on crack, I'm totally convinced. Everytime I go there his hand is in the reptile cage - that's why I know. Only people on crack do that kind of thing. As for the kid and her Dad, I was thinking -- would you really go through the trouble of scooping up and sticking $.99 dead goldfish in a zip-lock bag and taking it back? Probably not me.
I thought about how I would have approached this situation, because I’ll likely be in the same position one day. To me it’s a learning moment.
My approach: flush the dead fish before my daughter sees it and run to buy a new one. OR tell her the fish is taking a really long nap OR getting a suntan and the reason why the bowl is turning brown - because of all the suntan lotion.