PETA to protest hermit crab pageant in Ocean City

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has announced plans to protest the Miss Crustacean Hermit Crab Beauty Pageant in Ocean City, New Jersey.

Before organizing the protest, PETA sent a letter to the Mayor of Ocean City requesting that the city replace live hermit crabs with robotic versions for the event. The organization offered to provide the robotic crabs themselves to ensure the animals are left “in peace.”

The pageant is a local tradition that has been held in Ocean City since the 1970s. Following the rejection of their proposal, PETA scheduled a protest for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on the boardwalk at 6th Street. The group intends to feature a “larger-than-life ‘hermit crab’ trapped in a tank” as part of the demonstration.