16 Apr ‘No animal deserves to suffer like this’: Photo shows sad reality of glue traps
The RSPCA is releasing an image of a mouse on a glue trap to highlight the sad reality of the inhumane devices and to encourage people not to use them.
The mouse was found struggling to free themselves from the glue trap which had been discarded on a West London street. The member of the public who found the animal contacted the RSPCA, but sadly the mouse died shortly after.
Glue traps – also known as ‘glue boards’ or ‘sticky boards’ – consist of a sheet of plastic, cardboard or wood coated with non-drying adhesive designed to trap rodents such as mice and rats as they cross the board.
The Glue Traps (Offences) Act was passed in 2022 and was expected to come into force in England in April this year; this has now been delayed until July. However, the RSPCA is urging people to stop using the devices immediately.
There are some exemptions to the ban under licence, with pest controllers still able to use them.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Jade Guthrie, who attended the mouse, said: “It is shocking that glue traps are currently still legal to use, though thankfully this will soon change. But we are sure nobody wants to see the sort of pain this mouse endured, so we would ask people to not even think about using one even while they are still legal. There are humane ways of deterring rodents instead.
“Glue traps can impact wildlife and pets who come across them while out and about. They are extremely difficult to remove and can cause the animal a lot of suffering and distress. In their increasing panic and desperation to escape, rats and mice have been found to tear patches of their fur out, break bones, and even gnaw their own limbs off in a bid to be free.
“The best advice we can give is to not use a glue trap at all. No animal deserves to suffer like this.”
The mouse was found on Thursday (4th April) in Townsend Road, Southall, West London.
This year the RSPCA celebrates its 200th birthday. To mark this special anniversary the animal welfare charity wants to inspire one million people to join their movement to improve animals’ lives. To find out how you can join their million-strong movement for animals visit www.rspca.org.uk/200.
