Residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant have launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to raise money for a filtration system and plexiglass for the viral fire hydrant pond that houses goldfish, despite warnings from a veterinarian who called it “animal abuse.” The shallow habitat near Tompkins Avenue and Hancock Street has attracted attention in the neighborhood but also sparked debate over its appropriateness.
Veterinarian Benjamin Rosenbloom, founder of New York City-based Wet Pet Vet, expressed concern about the conditions in which the fish are living, stating that keeping them in a sidewalk puddle is cruelty and should be addressed as such. He explained that it would be difficult to predict how long the fish might survive under these conditions, given their hearty nature. The water flowing into the puddle would likely be chlorinated, which is toxic to fish, and if the city shuts off the hydrant, the goldfish will produce excessive waste without filtration.
Despite the backlash, some residents are planning to expand and improve the pond while city officials argue that the fish should be removed altogether. Hajj Malik-Lovick, a Bed-Stuy resident who purchased the goldfish from a nearby pet store earlier this month with co-creator Je Quan Irving, is crowdfunding $5,000 to protect the fish as winter approaches. Lovick describes the pond as a community beautification project that has brought locals together, including local schoolchildren and longtime residents.
However, Rosenbloom contends that even with an updated filtration system in place, the goldfish would still suffer from temperature changes, chemical runoff from NYC streets, and possible predation from rats. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection has reportedly shut off the leaking hydrant several times in recent weeks, but pond defenders have reopened it each time.
Beth DeFalco, the DEP’s Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs and Communications, emphasized that workers must be allowed to fix the damaged or leaking hydrants, as their availability is critical during fire emergencies and impacts water pressure and supply in the neighborhood. Rosenbloom of Wet Pet Vet is not the first person to raise concerns about the fish’s well-being; earlier this month, two Bed-Stuy residents attempted to “rescue” about 30 fish from the pond.
Lovick argues that a goldfish’s typical living conditions, such as in small tanks or being fed to other animals, are already cruel, and he is providing them with a better life at the Bed-Stuy pond. At least two animal abuse complaints and two water maintenance complaints have been made to the city’s 311 system on the block since August 1.
