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Posted by Samcin on August 31, 2001 at 17:16:54:

Curb your hermit crab: Wildwood Boardwalk no place to buy pets
- August 30, 2001 - 12:02 AM
Curb your hermit crab: Wildwood Boardwalk no place to buy pets
The sale of iguanas on the city�s Boardwalk came to a halt Sept. 10, 2000. This spring, the city also moved to stop the sale of hermit crabs on the Boardwalk.

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN
Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716

WILDWOOD � Hermit crab owners who may be unsure if their tiny crustaceans are pets should wonder no more.

In his written opinion issued Wednesday, Superior Court Judge John Callinan said hermit crabs and iguanas are pets and as such cannot be sold on the city�s Boardwalk, where pet shops are not a permitted use.

Callinan, citing testimony by Dr. Faye Sorhage, found Boardwalk merchants were selling the hermit crabs as pets.

Two merchants testified they sold the animals along with accessories, such as food and cages, needed for their care.

Sorhage, a state public health veterinarian with the Department of Health and Senior Services, said the care that the animals require helped her define them as pets.

Callinan also noted the state�s definition of what constitutes a pet shop.

A pet shop, according to the state�s definition, is any place of business, not part of a kennel, where animals �including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, hamsters or gerbils� are displayed for sale to individuals for personal appreciation and companionship.

Public comments made in June by hermit-crab supplier Bill Huelsenbeck also carried some weight in Callinan�s decision.

Huelsenbeck, of Shell Shanty Inc., said hermit crabs are �the perfect pet for young children.�

Callinan found businesses that had been selling hermit crabs and iguanas could not be �grandfathered� in because there was no evidence pet shops were ever permitted on the Boardwalk.

Attorney Scott Becker, representing the Seaport Aquarium, Captain Deckans and other Boardwalk merchants, had argued that hermit crabs have been sold on the Boardwalk as a novelty item for years.

During Tuesday�s trial, City Solicitor Marcus Karavan provided Callinan with copies of the city�s ordinances going back to the late 1970s to demonstrate pet shops have not been a permitted use on the Boardwalk.

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: Curb your hermit crab: Wildwood Boardwalk no place to buy pets : - August 30, 2001 - 12:02 AM : Curb your hermit crab: Wildwood Boardwalk no place to buy pets : The sale of iguanas on the city�s Boardwalk came to a halt Sept. 10, 2000. This spring, the city also moved to stop the sale of hermit crabs on the Boardwalk. : By TRUDI GILFILLIAN : Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716 : WILDWOOD � Hermit crab owners who may be unsure if their tiny crustaceans are pets should wonder no more. : In his written opinion issued Wednesday, Superior Court Judge John Callinan said hermit crabs and iguanas are pets and as such cannot be sold on the city�s Boardwalk, where pet shops are not a permitted use. : Callinan, citing testimony by Dr. Faye Sorhage, found Boardwalk merchants were selling the hermit crabs as pets. : Two merchants testified they sold the animals along with accessories, such as food and cages, needed for their care. : Sorhage, a state public health veterinarian with the Department of Health and Senior Services, said the care that the animals require helped her define them as pets. : Callinan also noted the state�s definition of what constitutes a pet shop. : A pet shop, according to the state�s definition, is any place of business, not part of a kennel, where animals �including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, hamsters or gerbils� are displayed for sale to individuals for personal appreciation and companionship. : Public comments made in June by hermit-crab supplier Bill Huelsenbeck also carried some weight in Callinan�s decision. : Huelsenbeck, of Shell Shanty Inc., said hermit crabs are �the perfect pet for young children.� : Callinan found businesses that had been selling hermit crabs and iguanas could not be �grandfathered� in because there was no evidence pet shops were ever permitted on the Boardwalk. : Attorney Scott Becker, representing the Seaport Aquarium, Captain Deckans and other Boardwalk merchants, had argued that hermit crabs have been sold on the Boardwalk as a novelty item for years. : During Tuesday�s trial, City Solicitor Marcus Karavan provided Callinan with copies of the city�s ordinances going back to the late 1970s to demonstrate pet shops have not been a permitted use on the Boardwalk. : E-mail this story to a friend

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