This Boardwalk Is Hermit Crab Hell—Help Save the Animals

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Pop quiz! How do you turn an iconic New Jersey boardwalk into a death trap? 😶 The answer might surprise you: It’s all about hermit crabs.

A peta2 student activist let us know that the city of Wildwood, NJ, sells hermit crabs from its boardwalk. Hermit crabs are super-social individuals who love to burrow and explore the natural coastline where they’re from, but most humans only buy one and don’t really understand these animals’ complex needs, setting them up for a short, lonely life. 😟 They can live for 30+ years in nature, but most sold as “pets” don’t make it past a few months.

Hermit crabs aren’t protected under the federal Animal Welfare Act, so they can legally be denied humane care when they’re torn from their homes in nature, forced into painted shells by having their own shells violently cracked off their bodies, and sold like souvenirs to tourists along with saltwater taffy and novelty beach towels.

Help save hermit crabs—tell Wildwood officials to ban the sale of these animals on the boardwalk! 🦀🦀🦀

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Mayor

Ernie

Troiano, Jr.

The City of Wildwood

Deputy Mayor

Steve

Mikulski

The City of Wildwood

Commissioner

Krista

McConnell

The City of Wildwood

Confidential Assistant to

Susan

Maxwell

The City of Wildwood

City Administrator

Ed

Grant

The City of Wildwood

City Solicitor

Steve

Morris

The City of Wildwood

Message to {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName}:

I’m writing to urge you to ban the sale of hermit crabs on the Wildwood boardwalk. Selling hermit crabs as if they were toys sets them up for a short, miserable life.

Hermit crabs are social animals who love to burrow and explore the natural coastline where they’re from, but most people only buy one, leaving them unable to express basic natural behavior. They can live for over 30 years in their natural habitats, but most sold as “pets” don’t last longer than a few months. Many die from being slowly poisoned by tap water and the toxic paint on their shells, or lacking the space needed to molt. They require a very specific substrate, temperature, humidity level, and nutrient mix that most people are unaware of or unprepared to provide.

Hermit crab sellers being licensed doesn’t ensure that the animals are safe from suffering. These animals aren’t protected under the federal Animal Welfare Act, so they can legally be denied the humane, specialized care they need to thrive—even by someone who’s licensed.

The only way to ensure that hermit crabs don’t suffer is to leave them alone in their natural habitat. Please don’t let people sell or buy them on the boardwalk anymore!

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~EMail Address}

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This Boardwalk Is Hermit Crab Hell—Help Save the Animals

Take Action Now!

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hey, you could get peta2 points for this!