People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is demanding a city change its name because “Slaughter Beach” sounds mean.
PETA has asked Slaughter Beach to change its name to something “kinder” and more “positive.”
The mayor of the small Delaware town received a letter from the group asking them to rename the town to the “kinder, positive, and more appropriate ‘Sanctuary Beach,” according to the AP. The AP reports that the request is tied to the beach’s status as a horseshoe crab sanctuary.
“The letter asks the mayor to make the change before the end of horseshoecrab spawning season, which ends around mid-June. The group says the suggested name would better reflect the beach’s status as an official horseshoe crab sanctuary.”
The mayor of the town says that the city will not be changing it’s name and the town was confused by the request.
“Seems to me they just rolled out a map and were looking for names they didn’t like,” Mayor Harry Ward told Delaware State News, “It’s one thing to have someone write us a letter to make a suggestion, but it seemed rather self-serving to send out a press release and public announcement at the same time.”
The mayor went on to say that the origins of the town name are unknown, but it was most likely named “slaughter” to honor the original postmaster, William Slaughter.
“It’s been named Slaughter Beach for as long as anyone can remember,” Mayor Ward says, “It was founded in the 1640s and incorporated as a municipality in the 1900s.”