Giant 'Rat' Has Her Tail in a Bind Over Lowe's Sale of Glue Traps in New Port Richey

PETA Members to Converge on Lowe's Store in New Port Richey--Where the Cruel Devices Are Illegal to Use

For Immediate Release:
July 9, 2010

Contact:
David Perle 757-622-7382 

New Port Richey, Fla. -- Accompanied by a giant "furry rodent" and holding signs reading, "Glue Traps: Illegal in New Port Richey, Inhumane Everywhere," PETA members will hold a lively protest outside a Lowe's store in New Port Richey on Thursday. Glue traps, which are used to kill small animals, are so cruel that their use has been outlawed in the city. But that doesn't mean that Lowe's can't still sell them. PETA is asking consumers to stick to pressuring Lowe's until the home-improvement chain stops selling glue traps.

When:   Thursday, June 10, 12 noon 

Where:  Outside Lowe's, 8312 Little Rd., New Port Richey

Here's what glue traps are and what they do: They are pieces of plastic or cardboard coated with an adhesive designed to ensnare any small animal who comes into contact with it. Glue traps are particularly destructive at this time of year because of the influx of baby birds, baby squirrels, and other young animals. Animals who get stuck on the traps may suffer for days before dying of starvation or dehydration. Trapped animals struggle to escape--often ripping fur, patches of skin, and feathers off their own bodies in the process--and some even chew off their own limbs in an effort to free themselves. Many major retailers--including Albertsons, CVS, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid, Safeway, and Walgreens--refuse to sell glue traps. 

"Sticky traps are illegal to use in New Port Richey--as they should be everywhere," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "If so many of the nation's leading retailers can ban the sale of glue traps and thereby stop the animal suffering that these devices cause, so can Lowe's."

For more information about PETA, please visit PETA.org.