Authorities have charged a North Carolina man with three misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty for allegedly abandoning his pet fish, the Washington Post reports.
Police in New Hanover County say Michael Ray Hinson was evicted from his Wilmington home and left his oscar fish behind.
The pet was reportedly in poor health, living in a tank that was in a “deplorable” condition.
Police took the fish to the Fish Room, an aquarium, according to the Post. It’s being nursed back to health.
The fish, believed to be a year old, was suffering from hole-in-the-head disease, a condition caused by a parasite.
Oscar fish can grow up to a foot in length and live for up to two decades.
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