Cutchogue Family Raises Money to Free Lobster

A Cutchogue family has started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to raise money to save a local lobster named Freddy.

On Tuesday, Rachel Sterling Johnson and her two children went to a local seafood market and noticed that there was a rather large lobster in the tank.

After asking around, the family found out the lobster was 13.7 pounds and 75 years old.

“We were heartbroken to think that he would end up on someone’s plate,” Johnson wrote on the GoFundMe page. “We decided to do a little lesson in compassion and crowdfunding and try to raise enough to let Freddy go.”

The original goal on the page of $110 in order to purchase and release the oversize crustacean, was reached in less than a day.

“Since we have raised the money needed to set him free the kids have decided to raise or donation goal to try to raise money for North Fork Animal Welfare League and S.P.A.T which is Southold Project in Aquaculture Training. The SPAT program was created to encourage community members to become stewards of their environment and to restore shellfish to the bays,” Johnson wrote on the page.

The new goal in order to raise money for these organizations is $500. So far, $150 has been raised.

The family will be releasing Freddy into the Long Island Sound on Wednesday and will be making a video of his release.

To donate, visit their GoFundMe page.