{"id":5391,"date":"2010-10-11T13:01:00","date_gmt":"2010-10-11T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/live-lobster-game-gets-the-hook-in-long-beach\/"},"modified":"2010-10-11T13:01:00","modified_gmt":"2010-10-11T13:01:00","slug":"live-lobster-game-gets-the-hook-in-long-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/live-lobster-game-gets-the-hook-in-long-beach","title":{"rendered":"Live Lobster Game Gets The Hook In Long Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"10:15am |<\/strong> A new game recently came to town and left faster than a lobster rolls. We use the term game loosely, because whether your canines get a carnivorous workout three times a day or you\u2019re so vegan that you hesitate to eat the bacteria in yogurt, we shrink at the thought of any human being taking joy in plugging money into a machine, grabbing a living creature by his or her claw with a plastic one, and maneuvering the poor thing toward the mouth of a chute and ignominiously dropping it down to death by boiling water, possibly compounded by fractures. Even more disturbing is the permitted use of the machines by children.<\/p>\n

One manufacturer\u2019s name of this machine is Lobster Zone. It\u2019s not the only company that cooks up this macabre form of entertainment, but most of the restaurants in L.A. and Orange counties that house such games use this brand. The Lobster Zone machines, according to the manufacturer\u2019s Web site, were carefully conceived and designed for the health and safety of the lobsters, allowing the animals to sit \u201ccontentedly\u201d in their tanks without food as they absorb \u201cnutrients\u201d from the water. There\u2019s also a \u201cpneumatic system that allows the claw to close beneath the water surface in the tank \u2014 not before the claw meets the water\u201d as opposed to an electrical system which could electrocute the poor beast \u2014 nice of them to think of that. The site offers a plethora of educational facts about our friend the lobster, whom we\u2019re about to send tumbling down a tunnel as it no doubt screams the way Cindy Wilson did in the near-eponymous \u201cRock Lobster.\u201d On a printed sheet from the company that\u2019s available near the machines, obviously hurried out to fend off the flak from protestors, there\u2019s a promise to install \u201ceducational signage near the games designed to help educate customers and restaurant staff about crustaceans and the environment in which they live.\u201d This is reminiscent of the feeling you might have when you exit the Aquarium of the Pacific and the company of all your marine-life buddies and face up with Bubba Gump\u2019s.<\/p>\n

On the same info sheet is the statement that the machines were designed in conjunction with marine biologists, but several weekday phone calls to company owner Ernie Pappas\u2019s number in Florida was answered with a message followed by a \u201cmailbox full\u201d announcement after the beep.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lobster Zone Information Sheet may be accurate, but it\u2019s irrelevant as to why the game is cruel and inhumane,\u201d said David Simon, director of campaigns for Orange County People for Animals (OCPA) http:\/\/ocpausa.org\/. \u201cThe fact that the tank is designed for lobsters\u2019 \u2018utmost safety and health\u2019 simply means the water\u2019s salinity, oxygen and temperature are at the right levels to ensure that the animals don\u2019t die before someone can \u2018win\u2019 them. However, lobsters prefer to be solitary and burrow under sand for protection and are known to travel large distances, so the tank completely frustrates their natural instincts. Further, the huge threatening claw is a constant source of stress for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here http:\/\/www.thelobsterzone.com\/ to read all about the machines and see a few photos of the folks who had such a good time getting their dinners from them and judge for yourself, not that we had any input about this, you understand. The site\u2019s button for media items reveals a page for a nationwide protest by PETA<\/a> and PETA has its own page for it<\/a>. On Oct. 2, about 30 protesters from OCPA parted the Orange Curtain and had a reportedly peaceful event in front of the Beach Club Sports Bar and Grill<\/a> at PCH and Channel Drive, with police in attendance and a couple of expected comments from tipsy restaurant patrons. Previously, OCPA had contacted the Beach Club and other businesses in and outside of Long Beach that housed lobster gaming machines. At least one eatery voluntarily removed its machine, but the Beach Club would not, stating that the lobsters in the machine were farm fed and bred to be eaten, and that OCPA had every right to protest but that they had the right to keep the machines in. After all, they reasoned, there are people who don\u2019t like sports or liquor, but they\u2019re not going to stop showing or serving them.<\/p>\n

\"\" Protestors gather at the Beach Club Sports Bar and Grill to protest live lobster \u201cgames.\u201d Courtesy Dave Simon<\/p>\n

Another protest was planned for Oct. 9, but during the week, the Beach Club suddenly removed its Lobster Zone machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically, we did this lobster thing as a quirky thing, but with the protestors, we thought it would be better to pull the machine,\u201d said Beach Club co-owner Ben Goldberg. \u201cWe didn\u2019t do anything wrong to have the machines, but people felt it was abusive. Cats and dogs we understand, and the excitement over lobster was seen as ridiculous to our customers, but I want to be clear that we\u2019re not anti-animal and we\u2019re not unmoved by their stance of trying to protect things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yeah, okay, we know\u2014it\u2019s just a lobster and they are farmed to be eaten, they\u2019ll get eaten anyway, and there are more problems in the world than worrying about a lobster. So, why devote all this verbiage to crustaceans? Because we support and call for humane treatment of animals in our column, whether they\u2019re eaten by people or left to roam the planet, and we think it\u2019s all connected to the way humans treat one another. This is no soapbox stand for vegetarianism\u2014what you eat is a matter of perception. But making a game out of any creature\u2019s death is unsettling and certainly the wrong message to send to children. This is not the path to humane education; it\u2019s the difference between swatting an annoying housefly and trapping him in your hands and slowly pulling his wings off. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard enough for me to explain to her why the lobsters are in a tank, but to take an animal and torture it even more\u2014that\u2019s not a game,\u201d said an acquaintance with a six-year-old daughter, both of whom wanted to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n

Native Americans hunted, but a number of tribes honored and thanked each animal for giving its life. Though lobsters don\u2019t figure in the kosher slaughter ritual and although there has been debate over pain caused by the killing, the Old Testament contains a number of humane advisories, such as not cooking a calf in its mother\u2019s milk, emphasis on the sanctity of all animals, and the requirement of the kosher butcher to be a pious Jew who believes that the animal is laying down its life to serve the community. Noted animal science professor Temple Grandin said this about farm animals: \u201cI feel very strongly that we owe agricultural animals a decent life and I will be the first to admit that some agricultural practices need to be changed.\u201d (\u201cAnimals Are Not Things<\/a>,\u201d). There has been at least one study done that says that crustaceans do indeed feel pain and fear when their appendages are twisted off (gaah<\/a>), so why compound that pain with anxiety?<\/p>\n

You want a nice thermidor? Go ahead \u2014 we probably won\u2019t join you \u2014 but don\u2019t eat the animal\u2019s stress with the brandy sauce. We\u2019re grateful that organizations like OCPA will continue to make sure that the lowly lobster has a claw to stand on in the rest of the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now, Long Beach is Lobster Zone-free,\u201d Simon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe squirrel that you kill in jest, dies in earnest<\/em>.\u201d
~Henry David Thoreau<\/div>\n

Virtually Pets<\/strong>
No lobsters today, but there are some sweet little dogs available for adoption. These guys were all pulled from \u201cdeath row\u201d at another shelter along with several others and are available from small-dog rescue Hearts for Hounds<\/a> (562) 597-7137

\"\"
<\/strong>Black Terrier
This baby was so scared that it broke the rescuer\u2019s heart. He just sat there and looked at her with his big sad eyes as if she were going to bring him more misery! He has been groomed and is gaining enough weight so that you can\u2019t feel the bones in his body anymore. He will need a lot of love and attention to come out of his shell. He\u2019s about 3 years young, neutered and current on shots. He would do best without small children.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Beagle\/Chi mix
This girl is a doll! She is so friendly and just wants to kiss all day. She gets along with dogs and loves people. According to the shelter, she is 1 year old but we think she’s around 2. She must have already had a litter or two. She has been spayed, is current on shots and weights about 14 pounds.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Poodles
These guys were in terrible shape when they were rescued, but you should see them now. The shelter said one of them is 1 and the other 3 years old. We believe they are a little older, though. Their teeth have been cleaned, since it looks like this has never been done. With their makeovers, these little dudes won’t have a hard time being adopted out. Very cute faces and sexy under-bites!<\/p>\n

Pet Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n

Miss Pearl Invites You to Yappy Hour, Oct. 14
Come join Baubles\u2019 Miss Pearl and her mama, Debora Van Duren, up there at the District Wine, 144 Linden Ave., Long Beach, Thursday night from 4\u20137 p.m. for the first Hearts for Hounds Yappy Hour! Happy hour prices start at $4. Click here<\/a> to see happy hour menu. Debora and friend Debbie Khajavi will be furnishing Doggy bags and water from Baubles Jewelry. Proceeds benefit Hearts for Hounds (doggies up for adoption on this post will all benefit). All humans accompanying dogs must be on leash.<\/p>\n

Haute Dogs Howl\u2019oween Parade and Adoption Fair, Oct. 31
Fortuitously, Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, and what better way for a whole-family celebration than a pet parade, with animals in costumes rivaling anything that Lady Gaga could come up with (meat is discouraged, for obvious reasons)? This year, costumed kids will lead the parade, so make sure they\u2019re in costume as well. Bring your family to Livingston Park, 4900 E. Livingston Dr. at Park Ave. at noon for fun and some great prizes in categories of costume (dog and people!), float, and several others. Volunteers needed as well. Click here<\/a> for details!<\/p>\n

Volunteer Dog Stars Needed for Belmont Shore Christmas Parade
Cover Me Green Roofing (formerly Recover Roofing) is sponsoring Hearts for Hounds in the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade again this year. This year\u2019s float theme is \u201cTwinkle with the Stars,\u201d and volunteers are needed to march in the parade and ride on the float with their dogs. All participants must wear their own \u201cmovie star\u201d costumes. Specially designed “star” attire for the dogs is available, so float reps need to hear from all who wish to attend ASAP! Please call (562) 755-7926 or e-mail moodswingsev@aol.com<\/a> before Nov. 1 if you wish to attend.<\/p>\n

VPI K9K Pet Cancer Awareness Walk, Nov. 14
For the third consecutive year, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) is leading the charge in raising awareness of the nation\u2019s number-one disease-related killer of dogs and cats. Join in on a fun-filled 3K (1.8 miles) walk for both people and their pets along a picturesque trail through the Rainbow Harbor boardwalk and Shoreline Village Lighthouse peninsula area in Downtown Long Beach, California. $25 before Nov. 1, $30 after. Registration fees benefit the nonprofit Animal Cancer Foundation<\/a> (ACF). Click here<\/a> for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Protestors target local restaurants using Lobster Zone machines, and all the local pet adoptions and events that you can shake a Doggie Bone at.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":70156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-5391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5391"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=5391"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=5391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}