I watched in deep sadness as I recently witnessed a tiny mouse suffering unduly, struggling against the adhesive of a sticky mousetrap at our school. An innocent creature, barely of the world, faced an untimely and inhumane end that broke my heart, and I am certain it will disturb you too. This cruel method our school is using is not the only, nor the most effective way to tackle a rodent issue. 

There are humane mouse traps that catch the mouse without causing harm or fear, giving us the opportunity to release them safely back into the wild. According to Humane Society’s stance on rodent control, these traps are a more ethical alternative and contribute towards fostering compassion in students, underpinning an integral lesson we are taught in school every day.

Countless institutions across the country have already committed to more ethical practices. Indianapolis City Public Schools, for instance, enforced a policy utilizing exclusively humane capture-and-release traps in 2015 as part of their commitment towards promoting kindness to wildlife (Humane Education Coalition, 2015).

It is imperative that our school rises to this occasion and replaces inhumane mousetraps with their humane counterparts. Let us notify our administration that we do not support cruel practices and advocate for the respect of all lives. Sign this petition and voice your support for the implementation of humane mouse trapping practices at our school.