The MagazineCanada

At a sewage treatment facility in East Kilbride, Scotland, a front-line worker spotted a goldfish clinging to the edge of a filtering screen. With calm, practiced hands, the worker retrieved the fish and carried it into the treatment building, placing it in a shallow basin of clean water as a precaution while the team assessed the best way to help. Staff members watched as the creature settled, its gills flickering and its fins easing in the cooler air after a perilous voyage through the city’s wastewater system. The worker later reflected that someone likely thought their pet was near the end and flushed it down the toilet. “Obviously, someone thought their pet was on its last legs and flushed it down the toilet,” the worker said. “The fish has rallied as it made its way through the waste water network underneath the streets of East Kilbride and popped up in our screens totally revived. This is one lucky little fish.” A plan to rehome the goldfish began to form as the team named him Pooh, a nickname that stuck because the fish seemed to carry a touch of whimsy despite the rough start to life. Local press coverage noted the quick response of the plant crew, whose care helped Pooh recover in a safe environment away from the flow of the plant’s aggressive machinery. The fish has remained in the plant office area, where staff set up a small, monitored tank that keeps the water clean and at a comfortable temperature, with regular feeding and observation to ensure continued recovery. Pooh’s journey from the city’s underground channels to the surface reminded the team of the many unseen lives that pass through urban infrastructure every day, each with its own story of survival. The rescue demonstrates how efficiency and compassion can go hand in hand, even in a facility dedicated to processing waste. The staff are actively seeking a loving home for Pooh, ideally in an aquarium that matches his needs and provides a calm, stable habitat. Until a forever home is found, Pooh remains a bright, endearing presence around the office, a tiny symbol of resilience that has touched everyone who heard the tale. Stories like Pooh’s spread beyond the plant walls, inviting people to consider the unexpected creatures that can live within a city’s plumbing network and to appreciate the people who keep those systems running smoothly. In sharing Pooh’s story, the plant emphasizes careful care for small animals and the importance of finding a safe environment where a rescued pet can thrive.