Family Pays Hundreds to Remove Tumor From $30 Pet Fish

How far would you go to save your pet's life?

The Dare family in Australia has had Bubbles, their pet koi fish, for about five years. He swims in the pond at the family acupuncture business, according to the Townsville Bulletin.

But six months ago, dad Michael Dare noticed the bright orange fish had a small tumor on its back. As the mass continued to grow, he called the vet, who decided to operate on Bubbles because of how large the tumor had become.

In order to save the life of their pet fish, which the family only paid $30 for, the Dares shelled out around $300 for the 10-minute surgery earlier this month.

The koi was anesthetized in the water and then placed on the operating table for the quick procedure. Sterile water was run through its gills the entire time.

The vet reportedly said she does surgeries on fish a few times a year.

Little Carter Dare, 4, is happy to have Bubbles back in the family pond. Koi fish are believed to bring good fortune to its owners, and their life expectancy is upwards of 35 years.

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