Ban the Sale and Use of Glue Traps in Calgary: Protect our Wildlife from Needless Suffering.

We, the undersigned residents of Calgary, Alberta, petition the City Council to enact a ban on the sale and use of rodent glue traps within city limits.

Why Ban Glue Traps?

• Cruelty to Animals: Glue traps inflict immense suffering on trapped animals, causing them to endure hours or even days of struggling, starvation, dehydration, and suffocation before dying. This is unacceptable and violates fundamental principles of animal welfare set forth in the Criminal Code of Canada.
  
  
• Indiscriminate Killing: These traps indiscriminately capture non-target animals like bats, birds, insects, and even pets, harming local wildlife.
  
  
• Ineffective Pest Control: Glue traps offer a temporary solution and often miss the root cause of pest problems. Effective pest control requires addressing entry points and eliminating conducive conditions such as food sources and shelter. 

• Humane Alternatives Exist: Safe and effective alternatives like exclusion, live traps, and snap traps (used responsibly) are readily available. They tackle pest problems humanely and sustainably.
  
  

Frantz & Padula (1983) wrote that “most animals struggled vigorously” when placed on the glue trap and mice “stretched, twisted, and pulled on body parts caught in the glue; some mice bit and chewed on strands of adhesive or on their hair embedded in the adhesive” (p.218). Tripathi et al. (1994) described rats as “exhausted” from struggling to escape (p.144). In addition, they observed rats trying to drink water, and being unable to do so as their mouths were glued shut (Tripathi et al. 1994).

Professional Associations which have spoken against the use of glue traps:

• Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• BC SPCA
• Humane Society of the United States
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature
• British Veterinary Medical Association

Countries, Regions, and Municipalities with Glue Trap Bans or Restrictions:

Complete Bans:

Germany (1998)
Austria (2005)
Slovenia (2015)
India (2016)
Victoria, Australia (2017)
New Zealand (2009)
Tasmania, Australia (2008)

Partial Bans or Restrictions:

Belgium (2015, for rodents, exceptions for professionals)
California, USA (2018, banned in schools and childcare facilities)
New York City, USA (banned in public parks and property)
England, UK (2022, restricted to licensed professionals)

By banning glue traps, Calgary can:

• Become a leader in animal welfare and environmental protection.
  
  
• Send a strong message against cruelty and promote responsible pest control.
  
  
• Protect our local wildlife and create a more humane and sustainable city.

We urge the City Council to prioritize the well-being of animals and our environment by enacting a ban on the sale and use of glue traps in Calgary.

Exemption for Pest Control Professionals:

We recognize that in specific situations, trained pest control professionals may require specialized tools to ensure the health and safety of Calgarians. We propose an exemption for licensed pest control companies under strict regulations, including:

• Limited use only when other approaches have failed.
  
  
• Detailed reporting requirements to ensure responsible deployment.

Exemption for insect monitor glue traps:

Glue traps are a valuable tool in monitoring and controlling insect issues. There are smaller, covered glue traps specifically designed for this which do not allow mice or other wildlife to be trapped on them. This petition does not seek to ban the use of this style of glue trap.

Sign this petition today and stand with us for a kinder, more sustainable Calgary!

This petition is backed by Grove Eco-friendly Pest Control who witness the horrors of wildlife stuck on glue traps frequently. 

Additional Resources:

• Evaluation of the Humaneness of Rodent Capture Using Glue Traps. Fenwick, N. (2013). https://www.caht.ca/evaluation-of-the-humaneness-of-rodent-capture-using-glue-traps/
• Welfare aspects of vertebrate pest control and culling: ranking control techniques for humaneness. Littin, K. (2014). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25000801/
  
  
• The Humaneness of Rodent Pest Control. Mason, G. and Littin, K. (2003). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253097632_The_humaneness_of_rodent_pest_control