written by Stacy Griffith and Rose Marie Senary

Purchasing a hermit crab from a pet store is not a rescue.

ANY purchase of wild caught hermit crabs feed the pet trade cycle and sentences more hermit crabs to the same terrible fate.

inappropriate in store habitat for hermit crabs
Why does a store like this deserve your business???

By ignoring the fact that a pet store neglects the animals they sell and giving them your hard earned dollars, you are feeding the cycle. Corporate offices at major chains ignore the demands for better care because it would affect their bottom line. So long as people continue to buy wild caught hermit crabs and other pets from them, they will continue doing what they have always done. The Pet Trade Industry is corrupted by greed. 

When the same hermit crabs sit in the store, unsold, for months at the time they will stop ordering more. This is a simple Supply and Demand scenario. When the demand (customers purchasing wild caught hermit crabs) stops, the supply will stop and the cycle will end.

So the next time you see hermit crabs dying in a pet store, instead of saying “Someone should do something about this!”, remember YOU are that someone. We are doing our part, please do your part. Adopt! Don’t Shop.

https://investigations.peta.org/hermit-crabs-shells-crushed-hundreds-dead/
 
 Part of the LHCOS mission is to change the way hermit crabs are viewed by shedding light on the cruel abuse that happens behind the scenes in the pet industry. We understand that this information may be difficult to read/hear and accept, but we feel it is an important truth to be shared if we are going to change the industry. 
 
If you disagree with this flow chart, we ask that you sit with it and investigate the pet trade further. Understanding the vicious cycle is key to understanding the truth of this graphic. Please consider the big picture and ask yourself what is truly best for wild hermit crabs as a whole. Is the decision to purchase one that will help the overall cause and create change or is it an emotional one that makes you feel good in the moment? We must end the demand in order to create change.