Watch CBS News

Animal Welfare Group Wants Lobster Game Removed From LA County Fair

POMONA (CBSLA.com) — An anti-animal cruelty group wants a lobster-catching game to be eliminated from the Los Angeles County Fair.

In "The Lobster Claw," participants use a crane to try to get a lobster out of a tank.

The L.A. chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals urged fairgoers to denounce the game.

"An exhibit like this conveys a message to adults and children alike that it is okay to torment food animals before they are eaten and, in fact, that it is okay to torment animals for amusement and entertainment," said spcaLA president Madeline Bernstein.

"Tolerating and participating in casual cruelty and behavior that desensitizes us all to the plight of other living things is the fastest way to kill our sense of compassion and empathy," she said.

According to spcaLA, a similar type of situation happened at an eatery in 2008 before the game was removed.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.