Research suggests that lobsters (along with other decapod crustaceans such as crabs) have the capacity to feel pain. While some believe the science is inconclusive, others consider the evidence as strong as the evidence for pain in fish.
The BC SPCA believes that it is best to err on the side of caution by avoiding potentially painful practices such as boiling these animals alive. Instead, we recommend that lobsters be humanely killed by trained and competent personnel before purchase. Humanely killing a lobster is typically a two-step process: the animal is first rendered insensible (incapable of feeling pain) before being killed.