I am glad that PETA has heard about these poor hermit crabs being killed by the Gosling (kids). I really enjoy Jon and Kate Pluse Eight, I think it's a great show and I fell in love with it in the first season. Seeing this family(unintentionally) killing animals was really hard for me, and I have definetly lost respect for the Gosling's in the way they treat other species. I hope that they hear about this and will not be buying hermit crabs in the future.

Posted by: Aneliese | September 3, 2008 04:14 PM

Any chance PETA can share information with Jon and Kate about spaying and neutering...each other? They should not be allowed to make babies anymore. 8 is more than anyone should have!

Just kidding...kinda

Posted by: ian | September 3, 2008 04:37 PM

I love this show so much and Kate seems very open-minded...why not shoot her a letter explaining that she is now in the public eye (Well, both of them) and are watched by millions and they should take this experience for only good...teach their kids about loving animals! Why not set up a trip to an animal rescue where the kids can get involved that way?! Im sure that would teach the viewers another idea on what to do with their kids !!!!! Can PETA do that ? Invite them to go to PETA and learn about animals in a KID FRIENDLY way ?!

Posted by: Amanda | September 3, 2008 05:24 PM

And don't forget about frogs, lizards, snakes, rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice, fish, birds, ect, ect, ect you get the picture!! They ALL do NOT belong in cages/tanks us humans designed for our "own" pleasure!!

Posted by: Carla | September 3, 2008 05:30 PM

In the news...CNN

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/09/03/dnt.tx.dogs.die.lunch.khou

Dogs die during lunch break 1:39
KHOU reports on an investigation into the deaths of eight dogs in an animal control officer's truck.

Posted by: Holly | September 3, 2008 06:23 PM

For Aneliese: I think your comments regarding the family was harsh and uncalled for. I think you should evaluate yourself instead of others. If you are ethical towards animals - that does include humans as well.

Posted by: Kit | September 3, 2008 07:07 PM

Whoever just wrote that comment about spaying and neutering the goslings is very RUDE! This is about peat not about peoples personal lives! So if your here for other reasons, you need to get checked!
I'm sure the Goslings learned their lesson.

Posted by: BEAUTIFULL | September 3, 2008 07:33 PM

Awww poor hermit crabs.:(

I agree with Ian . They so need to be spayed and neutered. lol:)

Posted by: Alicia | September 3, 2008 07:58 PM

I too have watched the show and no longer respect them. Did you see their episode on their movie night? 'let the kids watch a lion kill a monkey. The older one screamed and cried and her mom said,"thats just the circle of life." and the kid said, " I hate the circle of life." hopefully she will grow up to defy her mother and her views on animal slaughter. The episodes with the barn tours are also disturbing to say the least.

Posted by: Liz | September 3, 2008 10:51 PM

Never seen the show and now will never see it

Posted by: Roxanne Delgado | September 4, 2008 01:48 AM

I also took offense at an earlier Jon & Kate +8 show where Kate continually talked about using a "natural diet" for her children & yet took all of the children to a farm so that they could pick out cattle to slaughter & have it sliced into steak's for their meals.. That was the most horrific show for me & how could you teach young children it was fine to slaughter animal's ? That was the last show of Jon & Kate I watched .. As a grandmother I can say the children are adorable but their mother leaves something to be desired .. I agree she should be spayed.. If Jon & Kate want their children to grow up to be responsible adult's they need to know what animal cruelty is all about & how to stop it..

Posted by: NanaPat | September 4, 2008 09:17 AM

Jon & Kate are wonderful parents that made a careless mistake. As far as them watching the planet earth video, where the lion kills the monkey. Kate is right, it is the circle of life. I own the planet eart videos and they are extremely educational, other animals eat other animals, thats how its always been. We cannot teach a lio to be a vegetarian.

Posted by: Brittany | September 4, 2008 11:37 AM

Jon and Kate are most deff wonderful parents, everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure they will not be doing it again.

Posted by: Rachel Mendoza | September 4, 2008 12:11 PM

Kit, I'm sorry if I seemed overly harsh and mean. I have a great respect for all animals. And by that, I mean humans too, seeing as we are animals as well. I just wanted to make my opinion clear that I was saddened by seeing the episode of Jon and Kate Plus Eight with the hermit crabs and that I hope the family will not have pets in the future. With eight kids, I'm sure they already have their hands full and don't need to add a pet (which will need the same amout of care and love as a child) to their home. Again, sorry if I seemed uncalled for. I thought NanaPat's comment was a bit rude, but I agree with her as well.

Posted by: Aneliese | September 4, 2008 12:49 PM

To the people who say they need to be spay and neutered themselves, Kate was only pregnant TWICE. It's not like she was pregnant 8 times. Plus, do you really think they want to have more children?

Posted by: Lola | September 4, 2008 12:58 PM

To Aneliese :

Sorry if you found my comment rude but I took your lead with the "spay" comment although I thought it was a little strong.. However, I defend my position about the episode where they took the little one's to the farm to pick out a cow to slaughter for their meal's that was and is a little strong for me and where children that age are concerned.. Children need to be taught respect for all animals and people as well but if you don't respect animals will you ever respect people ? I adore Kate's little one's but I see a picture with two sides in their show's so for myself and myself only I no longer watch.. Apologies to all that were offended by my comment as well..

Posted by: nanapat | September 4, 2008 05:43 PM

There are freaking hermit crabs people, get a life, its just a freakin hermit crab, you act like they are committing third first degree murder

Posted by: Bob | September 4, 2008 10:02 PM

I'm a big fan of the show and was too surprised by the hermit crabs dying. But for those of you who did not see the episode, after Kate said that the animal rights activists might go after them because of the dying crabs, Jon mentioned that "They (animal activists) should go after them". So basically, they were somewhat prepared for this. They seemed to be a pretty open minded couple that I'm sure that they wouldn't refuse any education on animal rights...I mean after all, they are raising kids that loves animals.

Posted by: tazzytess | September 5, 2008 04:14 AM

OK, PETA, THANK YOU! I used to watch Jon and Kate +8, because I fell in love with the family unit they were trying to develop. About a month ago, I stopped watching entirely. Not only did the Hermit Crab situation piss me off, but when Kate said to a live crab on the beach that she couldn't wait for it to get older so she could dip it's legs in butter, and when Jon actually commended his one daughter who stabbed a spider walking on the table, I was DISGUSTED!!! Oh, also, do you remember when they took Aiden, the most animal loving Gosslin, to the Dairy farm??? They couldn't understand why he was so down and out, I DO, he was probably horrified that these magnificant animals were in jammed on conveyors and being watched like fish in fish bowls. It's really a shame that 8 wonderful children are being raised as uncompassionate, meat eating, animal abusing individuals in society. Jon and Kate, BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!

Posted by: Laura Sauve | September 5, 2008 10:27 AM

This is a fine show. There is NOTHING wrong with eating other animals, it is the circle of life. We eat animals and so do other animals. Since I have a Wolfdog who is a high presentage, she must have meat to survive. Thats just the way it goes. You cant teach the whole world to be veg. What about bears, wolves tigers, lions ect? People too are naturaly supposed to eat meat along with vegs.

Posted by: Alicia | September 5, 2008 11:30 AM

Jon talked about the difference in the life span of hermit crabs during captivity versus being in their natural habitat. I can't remember the difference, but it was alot of years! Anyway, the point is they are somewhat aware that owning a hermit crab is wrong. I think they just wanted to appease the older girls with some sort of pet.

Posted by: karen | September 5, 2008 01:09 PM

Alicia, there is something wrong with humans eating other animals. Why should things have to suffer so terribly just so I can enjoy the taste of their flesh? Humans do not need meat to be healthy. In fact, meat is unhealthy for humans.

It is different for dogs and other carnivores who need meat to survive. Humans don't.

As for meat eating to be natural for humans, this is debatable. Our long digestive organs and dull teeth suggest our ancestors survived mostly (if not entirely) on vegetables. Sure, there was some hunting, but it seems that eating meat did not provide an evolutionary advantage.

Posted by: Brad | September 5, 2008 03:00 PM

Great discussion. My two cents--nobody is suggesting that animals in their natural habitats not do what it is they were designed to do. Eat and flourish, whether they be carnivores or veg. We-humans-are not natural carnivores. One look at our teeth compared with those of a wolf, dog, lion,etc....will prove that to you. We also have the distinction of having conscience decison making abilities. The ability to choose what we eat based on reasoning. It's one thing that, yes, tell the child there is a circle of life, but quite a different thing to let them watch death. Sorry, but I agree that eight children is MORE than enough and the goslings need to be more worried about raising their kids than trying to keep pets (unsucessfuly, obviously).

Posted by: Michelle | September 5, 2008 03:01 PM

If you know anything about this show, you know the parents are all about hypocrisy. They are exploiting their children on national television, while the children have no child labor laws protecting them. They are the little money makers for Jon and Kate Gosselin, who are both unemployed, living solely on the income of this "reality" show. Thank goodness advocates have gotten wind of this show and are trying to do something. Child advocate and former child star Paul Petersen is very concerned about these children and I check his blog frequently for updates on his actions concerning this show. If they have no regard to their children's well-being, what would make you thing they would care about a hermit crab?

Posted by: Kassandra | September 5, 2008 05:07 PM

I think that it is VERY wrong to keep hermit crabs as pets, my best friend got one once and I practically screamed at her cause I was so upset!

Posted by: luv4allanimals | September 5, 2008 07:48 PM

Thanks for the message!i have seen horrible things at our local beaches.Real alligator heads.dried sea horses.Dead hermit crabs mixed in with live ones.Even poor baby turtles in poop filled,tiny aquariums and live,malnourished sharks .DO.NOT.BUY.FROM.THEM.
Even if you are not buying one of those products,you are still giving them money to keep doing it.Avoid Myrtle Beach Shops that say "LIVE SHARKS!"the poor things are dying in their own poo

Posted by: Claire Highsmith | September 5, 2008 09:22 PM

I live in Florida and I went in to a store in the mall, I think it was Spencers. They had about 100 hermit crabs all painted with dayglo paint on their shells for sale. I could not believe my eyes. Is this against the law?

Posted by: Dawn | September 5, 2008 11:24 PM

I love the Jon and Kate Plus Eight show!!! For those of you who obviously don't know, they were trying for only a third child- it wasn't their plan to have SIX more!! They seem like they try to do their best as parents, and I personally think that they do a pretty good job. Of course most of us who are posting on PETA's website are opposed to eating meat, but we all know people who do eat meat, dairy, etc. I certainly hope that you guys don't go to your meat- eating friend's homes and tell them what horrible people they are for it. Some people don't know about the horrors of the meat, dairy, and egg industries! It's wrong to judge them for it- most of us all ate meat at one point in our lives, right? Give them a break...

Posted by: MichelleTX | September 6, 2008 12:08 AM

being a veg. is a personal choice. one that many people hold in high regaurd. personally i am not. however i don't look down on those people that are. so, in perspective, have 8 children is a personal choice too. who are you people to say that 8 is too many? are you God? no. so don't act like it. who cares, do you have to take care of 8 kids? not unless you want to. so why does it matter to you?
it shouldn't. so worry about yourself, not others.

Posted by: Katherine Burkhardt | September 6, 2008 02:03 AM

The blog just went up on a cruel and mean blog, so don't be suprised when your swamped with mean posters that hate the Gosselins. I do not think they mean any cruelty to the crabs. They girls both loved their crabs, but Cara's just so happened to die, which is sad. Mady was so cute telling her crab to "come to mama!"

Laura...I would hardly call them "animal abusing individuals in society." It would be one thing if they bought a hermit crab then stomped on it and fried it up for dinner. They bought them as pets because the girls wanted them. Surely they didn't know the animal would die so fast. Let's not make such a big deal out of something, just because you don't like jon and kate.

Posted by: sara | September 6, 2008 12:40 PM

While I don't condemn having pets, I was agitated towards the Gosselin parents about buying the hermit crabs. After the first one died, they immediately went out and bought one of the twins another one. They basically showed their kids that lives are expendable and can be easily replaced by another. Even if hermit crabs are very small, the situation shouldn't have been treated any differently than if they had accidently killed their pet kitten. Would they have immediately went out and bought a new kitten? Also, they mentioned that the second 'replacement' hermit crab died also.

Posted by: Sara | September 6, 2008 04:29 PM

i love the show, and being that they seem to be very open to suggestion I think that PETA should tell them that.

Posted by: erika | September 6, 2008 08:25 PM

Advocacy for many animals has improved a bit, but several underdog animals are being exploited in terrible ways. Hermit crabs are one of the best examples.

These special creatures can live a long time and often die in terrible ways if people don't know they need salt water and a host of other special accomidations. People who don't like their 30 year life span often dump them. I even know someone who illegally takes them right from the beaches so they don't have to pay for them at pet stores.

Wild animals are not pets. I don't care how "small" they are, it is no more acceptable than poaching a wild ocelot. Hermit crabs suffer in captivity and this practice of selling them is unacceptable. They are complex creatures and do not ever, ever belong in living rooms.

Please, if anyone out there cares for animals, help me protest pet stores and educate people as to why they need to be left in the wild and never bred as pets!!

Thank you ') And especially thanks to PETA for caring like few others do.

Posted by: Maya, C.V.T. | September 6, 2008 08:29 PM

I hope Jon & Kate don't do it again. They, like many probably didn't realize how sensitive Hermit Crabs are.

Also - we need to do something about the BETA Fish that Walmart keeps in tiny jars. I have seen them in Canada and in the USA. They are half dead, and it is not right.

Posted by: Amy | September 7, 2008 12:53 AM

to amanda's comment about other various reptile and fish not being kept in captivity.

i see no problem in keeping a captive bred "exotic" species..after all it has no impact on the wild population and in some cases if a species that was once wild caught and is now captive bred can restore wild populations via a captive breeding program

just my two cents

Posted by: Daniel Williams | September 7, 2008 01:28 PM

People are strange that's for sure. i don't normally watch television at all and this is one good reason why. All this hoopla over a "faked" reality show is kind of strange and indeed sickening, there is no such thing as an average family anyway. So of course the values are missing. What Brad and Michelle said, humans are not natural carnivores that is a complete myth.

Posted by: vegancoin | September 7, 2008 03:56 PM

They treat their own kids badly, do you think they care about hermit crabs?

Posted by: jsg58 | September 8, 2008 10:16 AM

After reading the posts here, I've no desire to see this show. I've known enough people like Jon&Kate+8 to last me a lifetime.
Great post, Maya.

Posted by: lynda downie | September 8, 2008 10:48 PM

I agree with you guys about a lot of things, really I do (my senior research paper/speach is on opposing animal experimentation) but sometimes I think you guys do go a little overboard. Liz guess what, that is the circle of life. Animals kill other animals in the wild all the time!!!!! What do you plan on doing? Locking every animal in a cage because good luck with that. Also in their defense they didn't know that was on the video otherwise I'm sure they would not have watched it with the little kids. Everyone who keeps saying that they need spayed and nuetered are rediculous! They had a the twins first and then were trying for one more when they got 6. What do you want them to have done? Aborted the other 5? You people are sick and twisted. In my oppinion I don't see anything really wrong with keeping a pet hermit crab - my cousin use to have one. It's not like the kids were ripping them apart or anything (that's why Jon and Kate said they WOULD NEVER get crabs for the smaller kids. If anything they were learning from the crabs. Like I said, I agree with you guys on a lot of things but right now I think you're all over reacting.

Posted by: Aniela | September 10, 2008 01:55 PM

First of all for all of you who have lost respect for jon and kate,you need to rethink that,it is NOT like they killed the hermit crabs intentionally they just did not KNOW!We all have at one time or other had pets that were not best suited as family pets,like iguanas,farrots,etc so quit trying to be so harsh with jon and kate,AND no THE GOSLIN KIDS DID NOT KILL THE POOR HERMIT CRAB.

Posted by: pamela | September 11, 2008 06:57 PM

I own 5 Hermit Crabs.

What they have:
Sea Water
Natural Sand
Natural shells
Natural food
10 Gallon tank
2 Hermit houses
A Log to climb on
A tree for Natural habit keeping
3 extra shells for each crab so each crab can have a choice.

I have kept mine alive for 5 years... I think I do just fine owning hermit crabs! 9.9

And I will probably own more later on.

I take very good care of my crabs and I will continue to give them they love they need <3

Kitty.

Posted by: Kitty. | September 11, 2008 11:45 PM

Jon and Kate have just as much right to feed their kids meat as you or I have to choose to not eat meat. Kate, at the very least, uses a local farmer who treats their animals far more humanly than the mass market meat you find in the super market. What you eat is a personal choice, and if a time comes that a child doesnt want to eat meat, I hope the parents respect that position. Until then, judging people you don't even know is a sad, sad state to be in. I hope you are living the most perfect and righteous life that affords you such time and energy to judge strangers.

Posted by: Kim | September 14, 2008 12:47 PM

I am sorry but who knows that it is not right to own a hermit crab. Unless they have time to look up every thing about hermit crabs which I don't think a person with 8 children has time to do, how are you supposed to know if hermit crabs aren't supposed to be pets. Don't get me wrong I DO NOT think it is okay to keep an animal in captivity if it isn't supposed to be. We should be blaming the people who market and sell hermit crabs as pets. It is truly their fault for the many deaths of hermit crabs.

Posted by: Chelsea | September 15, 2008 09:10 PM

Now they are talking about getting a dog. Oy veh. Can you imagine the RAGE if the poor puppy has an accident? Or if the kids start fighting over the puppy. PLEASE, no pets!

Posted by: Steph | September 16, 2008 05:00 PM

I too was very upset about the hermit crabs on Jon & Kate Plus 8. It was really ashame, but I guess we can chalk it up to ignorance. The parents can't take proper care of their kids, muchless animals. There is no way they should be allowed to adopt a dog, that dog will be beat, punished and abused. Not a guess, look at how they treat their kids, and they will undoubtedly treat a dog worse.

Posted by: AnimalsForLife | September 17, 2008 08:19 AM

You folks did see on the last show they are thinking about getting a "standard" Poodly and maybe a Pot Belly Pig!

Boy,PETA's goinna have a field day with that!

Posted by: Finny | September 20, 2008 05:26 AM

I love that family.It is ok if it dies.It's not the end of the world.They have EIGHTTTTTTTTTTT KIDS!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Meme | September 27, 2008 11:25 AM

I beg Jon and Kate not to even consider getting a dog or a cat. Neither of you has the love or compassion that the care of these animals calls for - in the meantime, try to instill in your children to be kind to all animals so that, perhaps, when they grow up, they can have one or more in his or her own home. No animal should be subjected to the traumas that your boys and girls would inflict on them now nor for many, many years! Please, please just work on teaching your little ones to stop hitting each other.

Posted by: Joan | September 30, 2008 03:02 PM

jon and kate I love your snow

Posted by: kasey lowery | October 10, 2008 05:58 PM

Wow, now they have snow? Talk about freebies!

Posted by: Fiona | October 20, 2008 12:31 AM

No, it isn't okay for the Gosselins to own animals. Either one of their staff will end up taking care of them or the pet will be neglected. They don't have time for anything else in their life. Kate is EXHAUSTED.

Posted by: Tucker | October 20, 2008 05:14 PM

First let me say that I am a hardcore vegetarian, but here's my problem with what you are saying. Yes, ripping any animal away from its family is wrong. But since pet stores and the like are already do it, why not give them a good home? I love my hermit crab; he is about five years old now and going strong. Sure, the Gosselins having a or multiple hermit crabs (I haven't seen the episode) is probably a bad idea because that is just one more kid to take care of, but I am proud to say that I saved my hermit crab from a mall pet store.

Posted by: Tori | November 14, 2008 06:53 PM

First of all how can you put people down because they have 8 kids? They didnt ask for 8 kids they wanted a baby and had twins. Then they thought one more makng a total of three would round out there family. GOD chose to give them 6 making eight. God made them now do you think it would have been right to abort some? NO that is worse then killing animals. It is ok if you believe in not eating and killing animals but dont put people down because God blessed them with a big family. I could tell you my comments on what I think of PETA people but I will not as I am not here to bash anyone. Stick with you animal rights stop putting others down all the time. You catch more bees with honey so to speak so maybe if yall went about your feelings in a nice way you could change more people. If anyone has anything they feel they need to say to me here is my email tammyt92065@yahoo.com

Posted by: Tammy | November 17, 2008 10:32 AM

hey i love your show i want to see if you can find out if you can have a premiere of back to back episodes of Jon and Kate Plus Eight.because i missed season 1 and 2 and i want to see all of the episodes. write me back a.s.a.p ,P.S. please try to put it on saturday at 12:00 pm. lunch and tell every child i said hi and that i think each and everyone of them is special to get them to say hi to me tosay hi" 12 year old meranda "ok bye,your #1 fan!!!!

Posted by: meranda(12yrs.) | November 17, 2008 09:35 PM

The crabs dying was sad, but it is even sadder how those children are being exploited. We got to see them bathed and toilet trained on TV (over and over). They are millionaires from all the freebies and the show, just bought a $4M house BTW, and strangers send the kids presents on Christmas. All because they CHOSE to have a litter of kids. Don't believe Kate's BS. There were other fertility options. She probably killed the crabs for messing up the sand. Or, more likely, the crabs committed suicide.

Posted by: Pam | December 3, 2008 01:14 AM

I watched the show for the first time and man are these kids unruly. I also watch the Dugers with 17 lids and they are so much more behaved and from the parents to the youngest child grateful to God for ALL that they have. Jon and Kate take lessons from the Dugers.

Posted by: tina | December 15, 2008 09:53 PM

i love your show i watch it everyday when its on i hope we can watch te kids grow up and see who they will become never stop your show we love it

Posted by: jenny | December 29, 2008 10:08 PM