Please sign our petition
VHS recently contacted Canadian Tire to ask the company to stop selling glue traps for rodents. We explained that many of our supporters have emailed and called us to express their concerns about this product after seeing them on Canadian Tire store shelves.
Glue traps cause extreme animal suffering because they trap mice or rats in a sticky substance from which they can’t escape. The result is that they die a long, slow, horrifying death of starvation, dehydration and exhaustion. One distraught caller related listening to a mouse scream as he tried to escape the glue.
The reply we received from Canadian Tire states: “As the leading seller of indoor pest control products, customers expect to find a complete selection of pest control alternatives at our stores. To this end we offer a complete selection of pest control products for our customers to choose from.” In other words, cruel glue traps will continue to be included in Canadian Tire’s “selection of pest control products.” That’s just not good enough.
We’ve launched an online petition to give people an opportunity to ask Canadian Tire to stop selling glue traps. New Zealand and the state of Victoria in Australia have banned the sale and use of glue traps due to concerns about cruelty. They just aren’t necessary. The BC SPCA and the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies are also opposed to glue traps.
The best way to deal with rodent infestations is to alter the habitat so it’s no longer attractive to them. This means carefully closing off every possible entry point (after you’ve safely removed the animals) so it’s inaccessible. A VHS staff member had to deal with mice in a small cottage. She waited until night when the mice were outside and used fine wire mesh to seal every hole in the crawl space and the entire house. She then installed an inexpensive sonic repeller on each level and hasn’t had mice inside since. These electronic devices are available in hardware stores everywhere.
Mice and rats are social, intelligent creatures and every bit as capable of experiencing pain as the dogs and cats we have in our homes. Excluding wildlife is the kindest way to live alongside them. But as an absolute last resort, a snap-trap is less inhumane than a glue trap or poison (which also causes an excruciatingly painful death). Snap-traps kill instantly. If you use them, you should always identify the species prior to undertaking any control. Mice and rats will require different sizes of trap to be effective, and identifying the species will help guide the appropriate trap to use.
Sign our petition here to let Canadian Tire know what you think.
