A fish abandoned in a pickle jar in the dark gets a happy ending in California

When officers at Turlock Animal Services get a call for rescue, it is usually for a four-legged, furry friend. Sometimes, even birds and other wildlife.

On July 3, the agency received a call for help for a fish.

“It was a first for us, it’s definitely not our most common thing we deal with around here,” said Animal Services supervisor Officer Kelly Walthrop.

A storage unit business in Turlock opened a unit in preparation for a nonpayment sale when staff came upon an unsettling discovery: a red Siamese fighting fish, more commonly known as a betta fish, in an open pickle jar.

It may not seem shocking, given that betta fish are typically sold at pet stores in smaller containers, solitary and with no plants or rocks. Add in over a month of neglect with no food or light, though, and the scenario becomes a little more grim.

“When we arrived, you could see the water line had dropped,” Walthrop said. “You see each ring on the pickle jar as the water was evaporating in the jar, so this poor thing had, maybe, I don’t know, two to three inches of water left in the pickle jar before it was going to run out.”

When officers came to claim the fish, it was swimming rapidly and agitatedly due to the adjustment to the light. They took the fish back to Animal Services in the jar, which was filled with colored rocks and a tilted Tiki head halfway exposed out of the water, where the fish made its home in the mouth.

Walthrop said the agency tried to contact the storage unit renter but was unsuccessful. Records from the storage facility indicated that the last entry into the unit was about 30 days before the discovery.

Walthrop said there may be a case for criminal charges. “At this point, they’re looking at animal cruelty charges for the way they left the fish in the conditions that they did, without food, and the confined space that it was in. So we are forwarding charges to the DA for animal cruelty,” she said.

Because this was a first for the agency, staff were unprepared for how to best care for the fish. They consulted another officer who previously worked for Petco and set off to create a healthy habitat.

Walthrop said they first had an interest in keeping the fish at Animal Services, so they named him Cherrybomb. Since he was found on the Fourth of July weekend, the fireworks matched his explosive energy and his deep red color. The 1976 hit song “Cherry Bomb,” by The Runaways, also played into his naming.

Unfortunately, the resident office cat posed a risk to Cherrybomb’s safety, so they posted on Facebook to find him a home.

Hobby aquarist Maddy Haflich was at a pet store, looking for the most pathetic betta fish she could find, when she saw Turlock Animal Services’ post. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Haflich and her boyfriend, Brandon Butler, became serious about acquiring and caring for fish.

“It was just too perfect,” Haflich said. “I was kind of leaning toward a red one, and he was in Turlock, which is right next to where I live in Hughson,” she said. The next morning, Haflich arrived bright and early to adopt Cherrybomb.

“I think he went to probably the best home he could have ever wished for,” Walthrop said. “She showed us pictures of her other fish, and she was like the first person in line that morning.”

Haflich arrived with her fish transport gear and brought Cherrybomb home to a spacious tank filled with plants, places to hide and even a perching hammock fashioned from an aquatic leaf.

Haflich said that fish like goldfish and bettas are commonly not properly cared for. Tanks must be a minimum of 5 gallons, and have an enriching habitat for the fish to thrive. The reason so many pet fish die is that they are kept in small fishbowls and have no space to grow and prosper.

Within days, as he was still adjusting to proper light and care, Cherrybomb’s personality started to show. Haflich said he likes to scurry out of his cave when she enters the room and follows her around.

“He’s just so full of life. He is very reactive to us,” she said. “And he’s kind of a glutton. If you put food in there, he wants to just eat all the food, which I kind of let him, because the man was starving for so long.”

Cherrybomb also has a new friend. Haflich said bettas have to be kept separate from other fish because they can be aggressive and fight, hence their formal name.

In some cases, though, they can cohabitate with a snail. Haflich added a small yellow-shelled snail to keep the tank clean and be a companion for Cherrybomb. She observed them closely to ensure he would not attack the snail, which poses no real risk for the snail since it can seek refuge in its shell. Instead, she found Cherrybomb taking a cruise. “I have seen him riding on the snail; he seems to like having a friend around,” she said.

While maybe not as cute as a dog, cat or other furry pet, fish deserve just as much love and attention, Haflich and Walthrop agree. “Fish are animals, too, and they deserve great care. They have feelings, they can feel pain,” Walthrop said.

She added that if a fish needs to be rehomed for whatever reason, just like a dog or a cat, the agency can help with suggestions. Even a pet store may help to find a good home.

As for Cherrybomb, Haflich said he is joyful and recovering well. She added that he is even starting to develop different colors of blue, which can indicate health and happiness. She started an Instagram account to document his new life at www.instagram.com/mr.cherryybomb

“I was just so inspired that he had survived,” Haflich said. “I don’t want him to just survive. I want him to be able to thrive. I didn’t want him to ever have to be in the dark ever again.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 9:36 AM with the headline "A fish abandoned in a pickle jar in the dark gets a happy ending in California."

Maria Luisa Figueroa

The Modesto Bee

Reporter Maria Luisa Figueroa covers the local economy, including trends in retail, employment and local spending. She is a Modesto native and attended San Francisco State University.