A pet shop owner from Greater Manchester, England, has been prosecuted for selling a goldfish to a 15-year-old boy.
Council officials have defended their decision to place an electronic tag on shop owner Joan Higgins, 66, who, along with her son, 47, pleaded guilty to selling an animal to someone underaged and mistreating a cockatiel.
She was also fined £1000, while her son was fined £750 and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid community service. However, due to Mrs Higgins condition she was unable to do community service and so was placed under curfew in her home between 6pm and 7am with an electronic tag securing her whereabouts.
The punishment seems incredibly excessive, but the council have explained there is more to the story, although equally weird. The shop owner was previously found to have sold a gerbil to a 14-year-old with learning difficulties, who went on to drown the animal in a cup of coffee.
However, despite this surely this is a case of the world going mad?
