The State Doesn't Want Fish Nibbling Your Toes

If you wanted a fish pedicure, you had about one week to visit Peridot Nail Salon in Kent for your chance to let tiny toothless fish nibble the dead flesh from your feet. Note the "had": The Department of Licensing investigated and decided to shut the practice down in Kent and throughout the state.

"We do not believe you can properly sanitize a live fish," noted Liz Luce, Director of the DOL. State law requires all tools--including garra rufa--to be sanitized, disinfected, or disposed of after each use. (We imagine flushing them down the toilet after a single use is not only cruel to animals, but expensive.)

Regardless, the DOL is "greatly concerned about the safety of salon customers who choose to put their feet in a tank of live fish to eat away dead skin." Emery boards it is!

Our day really needed a dancing fish photo. Luckily there was one swimming around the Seattlest Flickr pool. Thanks, EdgarDiazRocks--it's so true!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By James in News on October 2, 2008 3:30 PM

Comments [rss]

Garra Sutra

Hey all. My name is Jeremy and I own Garra Sutra (garrasutra.com). We import Garra Rufa and have designed and patented a turn key tank system that we sell to salons and spas nationwide.

Needless to say, I am very disappointed at the states "kneejerk" reation to this wonderful treatment that has been around HUNDREDS of years, without one single documented issue of disease transfer or illness.

We will be petitioning the state for further review and have also consulted our attorney in regards to legal action against the state. This may very well be a constitutional case in which the state has denied our right to earn a living without due legal process.

Troy Morris

Isn't that why there are spikes in lakes?

MvB

I gotta say, you have to wonder if any lobbying was being done by non-fish-owning competitors. What a weird issue to move so quickly on. Are they aware that fish and people sometimes end up in lakes together, too?

Troy Morris

Oh wow. This is the biggest waste I have seen. How... just..... are you fucking shitting me?

But let's go ahead and use pesticides in our parks, please.

LarryB

I wonder if fish sanitizer will be the hallmark job of the early 21st Century!

Patrick

It seems like the health and safety of this procedure could be proved or disproved without depending on some nonsense reason like the fish needing to be sanitized.