Janie Groeling has a simple, yet very meaningful mission in her life – to save as many hermit crabs as possible.
You might be wondering why hermit crabs need saving.
Well, in this cruel world full of humans who find new ways to exploit wildlife, hermit crabs have become victims of something heartwrenching.
Every year, millions of hermit crabs are captured from their natural habitat and sold at pet stores and souvenir shops at the beach.
These crabs became a popular pet choice for kids because their capturers crack their natural shells and then force them to choose a new, colorful one!
Yes, you read that right! If you’ve ever encountered hermit crabs with colorful shells being sold in souvenir shops, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Many believed that their shells were just painted over, but sadly this was not the case. As Janie explained in her video:
“They’re put into nut-cracker-like devices to crack open their natural shells, so they’re forced to pick a painted shell, which are toxic to them. Naturally, many [pass away] in this process, but the ones that do survive, are stuffed into sacks and shipped out.”
Imagine how stressful this is for a tiny animal that suddenly finds itself in the hands of cruel people. Many even lose their limbs from the stress!
After they are shipped out to pet stores and souvenir shops, they are sold as ‘easy to care for’ pets, which is not the case.
Hermit crabs require special care, a special diet, and an aquarium that resembles their natural habitat. This requires constant care from their owners and many aren’t able to provide all of that.
This results in thousands of hermit crabs being surrendered to shelters every year, hoping to find a better home.
Janie hopes to change all of that. She advocates for these helpless creatures and hopes to put an end to the cruel industry. As she also mentioned:
“It’s important to advocate to adopt and not shop, so we don’t fund and perpetuate the industry. These are living creatures and these babies deserve better.”
If you want to learn more about hermit crabs and Janie’s mission, make sure to follow her over on Instagram!