News – Sheridan Media
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports they are strongly urging the public to refrain from releasing pet fish, such as goldfish, into local waterways. Floyd Whiting has more.
Recently, Game and Fish fisheries biologists in the Jackson Region discovered goldfish in the pond at May Park after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen.
Game and Fish Sheridan Region Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist Reed Moore, told Sheridan Media News that releasing unwanted pets can have detrimental impacts on the local environment.
According to Moore, some nonnative animals that residents have as pets and release can outcompete regional local wildlife and overrun those populations. One example is goldfish – when released into a pond, they reproduce quickly and can become the dominant species in a water.
Releasing unwanted pets could also potentially spread disease from pets to wild animal populations.
In other cases, a nonnative animal may not survive in the wild – unable to find food, shelter, protection from predators. This is cruel to the individual animal, Moore said.
In most cases, when a nonnative animal becomes established in an area, it is usually impossible to entirely eliminate the population.
According to Moore, in other parts of Wyoming where goldfish have been found in public waters, Game and Fish has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to eradicate them and then restock waters. In some instances eradication has been unsuccessful, other times the efforts only reduced their population.
Moore also noted an established population of bullfrogs in some parts of Sheridan County. He said the probability of eradicating them is extremely low if not impossible now that they are established. It is unknown how they came to be in the Sheridan area, but it is possible that someone released them intentionally.
The Game and Fish Department advises all pet owners to be aware of laws that make certain species illegal to possess and to never release any plants or animals into the wild. If a pet becomes difficult to care for or if aquarium plants need to be discarded, Game and Fish recommends following the C.A.R.E. guidelines.
Contact the place where you purchased the pet to see if they will take it back. Act responsibly by never letting animals or plants loose into the wild.
Research other places that may be able to provide a new home for your pet. Pet stores, zoos, aquariums, science centers, animal shelters, and humane societies may be able to help.
If one must, then euthanize the animal in a humane way. It may be hard to consider, but this option is far kinder than letting it starve to death in the wild or destroy the homes of native animals. Always freeze unwanted plants and throw them out in the trash.
For more information about exotic species that should not be released into the wild, the environmental consequences of doing so, and how to properly dispose of these species, please visit the Game and Fish “Don’t Let it Loose” webpage.
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Last modified: August 19, 2025