Victory! West Hollywood City Council Unanimously Votes to Ban Glue Traps

PETA’s celebrating big news for small animals: After months of communication with us and local animal defenders, West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously on April 17 to ban the use and sale of all glue traps. That makes West Hollywood the first city in the U.S. to pass a full citywide ban on these vile devices.

Glue Traps Are Hell for All Animals

Glue traps—trays coated with a sticky adhesive that ensnare small animals—only make the world worse for everyone. Wildlife, including birds, snakes, mice, rats, and squirrels, who get stuck in the glue struggle desperately to escape, sometimes chewing off their own limbs before succumbing to shock, dehydration, asphyxiation, or blood loss. As long as food remains accessible, more animals will move in to take the place of those who have been killed. For situations in which a trap may be needed, humane and effective live traps are available at low cost.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the public not to use glue traps because they increase people’s exposure to disease. Animals stuck in the glue continue to produce urine and feces, through which pathogens, including hantavirus, salmonella, and the bacteria that cause leptospirosis, are transmitted.

West Hollywood Leads the Way, but the U.S. Is Still Stuck on Glue Traps

Glue traps have no place in the world: We’re hoping the city council’s decision in West Hollywood helps make that message stick. The city joined hundreds of companies and entities, along with England, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norwayplus two Australian states and nine Indian states, which have all banned glue traps.

With your help, we’re confident that we can end sales of glue traps altogether. Please take a moment of your time to defend all the small animals who are painfully mutilated and killed by glue traps.