Glue Trap Activism - At Home and Beyond

The bill-to-law process for the proposed Glue Trap Prohibition Act, H.R. 7018 (which would ban the use and sale of glue traps nationally) is not without trials and tribulations. photo: AdobeStock, IFAW

If you’re old enough, you may remember the catchy "I'm Just a Bill" tune from Schoolhouse Rock!, a series of animated music videos which debuted in 1973. The song documents the process - and ultimate triumph - of a bill becoming a law. It takes time and work to get there, but its supporters press on, knowing that each effort is part of a collective action toward change.

The bill-to-law process brings me to the proposed Glue Trap Prohibition Act, H.R. 7018, which would ban the use and sale of glue traps nationally. But first, what are glue traps and what role does the Animal Commission play in supporting this ban?

The Truth About Glue Traps

Glue traps are readily available and sold to consumers as a quick fix for a pest issue. In reality, they are an appalling agent of cruelty, often trapping non-targeted animals. Yet even when a targeted animal is caught, the truth of how these traps work is appalling. Glue doesn't kill the animal. Instead, the trapped animal dies of exposure, dehydration, or self-inflicted injuries trying to free itself. Death takes days and is a gruesome and inhumane way to go. There are far more humane solutions to getting rid of unwanted animals.

Activism Activated!

Commission Vice Chair Irina Ozernoy’s first introduction to the problem came back in August 2020 before her appointment to the commission when a San Francisco Animal Control Officer shared some horrifying examples of animals caught on glue traps. As an active animal care and rehabilitation volunteer, Ms. Ozernoy set out to end the cruelty and suffering inflicted on animals by glue traps.

Appointed to the Animal Commission in May 2021, Ms. Ozernoy dove right in, using the time saved by not commuting during the pandemic to explore animal welfare issues more deeply, including the glue trap ban. She has since become the commission’s leading voice on this issue.

How a bill becomes a US law. image: ifaw.org.

Ms. Ozernoy was joined by other advocates such as Alison Hermance, Director of Communications and Marketing at WildCare, who has shared evidence against these traps with the commission since 2020. WildCare has admitted 40 glue trap patients in recent years, raising the overall number to 140. Over 65% of mammals survived the traps and those were the lucky ones. Most of the injured animals admitted were not the intended target animals.

In a July 2020 commission meeting, Ms. Hermance suggested that the most effective way to stop glue trap use would be a top-down approach: prohibit the sale of glue traps at the city, state, and national levels. Her rationale was that it would be simpler to ban the sale of these inhumane traps rather than embark on a bottom-up approach to educate the public about pest alternatives. Make no mistake - education is essential, too, but eliminating the traps from store shelves is the only way to make sure they won’t be used.

How the Animal Commission Works for Change

San Francisco’s Animal Commission is an advisory body on animal welfare issues. As such, the commissioners cannot draft and pass legislation; instead, as Board of Supervisors’ appointees, commissioners weigh in on animal issues in our community and share our recommendations with the supervisors.

How the commission works helps formulate the way we advise. Commissioners first develop an annual work plan or designate areas of interest to explore, as Ms. Ozernoy did with glue traps. Examining an issue can take several months of research, including requesting input from Animal Commission advisors, identifying and meeting with stakeholders, and soliciting input from the public.

Commissioners provide monthly progress updates on any issue under consideration and may outline next steps or make recommendations. If a recommendation is to create new legislation or amend an existing law, the fiscal impact and rationale for change are included in a report supporting this change.

Good News/Bad News

Last year, West Hollywood became the first city in the U.S. to ban glue traps, followed last month by the city of Ojai in California’s Ventura County. These actions have garnered prominent support and helped gain momentum for the national glue trap bill, authored by U.S. Representative Ted Lieu and co-sponsored by U.S. Representative Adam Schiff.

The Animal Commission has drafted a letter of support for the bill and forwarded our recommendation to the office of U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi. Yet our research on this issue revealed an unfortunate truth. The City of San Francisco uses glue traps in its Integrated Pest Management Plan. Although used infrequently and only for monitoring, it's hard to mandate a ban on glue traps when our own city continues to use them.

Ongoing Discussions

I’m happy to report that our most recent Animal Commission meeting exemplified civil discussion and problem-solving in action. Alison Hermance of WildCare; Jakob Shaw, Special Projects Manager at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA); and Christopher Campbell, an Animal Commission Advisor from Recreation and Parks, highlighted alternatives to glue traps while being mindful that large cities manage thousands of properties and that pest control is a matter of public safety. Such discussions are part of the commission’s process to fully understand an issue and are continuing. No matter what, we are the City of St. Francis, the patron saint of the environment and animals.

Controlling Pests At Home

If you're wondering how to control pests in your home without glue traps, the best way is prevention. Animals are attracted to human environments because of their easy access to food, water, and shelter. Please don't make it easy!

• Secure food and garbage to contain or eliminate food sources.

• Remove shelter. Clean debris, ground cover, ivy, etc., and seal vent covers and home entry points with metal, concrete, or ½" metal mesh.

• Encourage natural predators by using catch-and-release traps.

• Use humane traps such as snap traps and electrical current traps, but only use them indoors and secure them so they are not accessible to unintended targets.

Lastly, be an advocate. Share this information with friends and family. Politely inform store managers to stop selling glue traps and sticky tape. Write or call your elected representatives.

Support the glue trap ban.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11. Meetings are held in Room 408 at City Hall (1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102). Information concerning remote access to meetings is on our website. Agendas are published 72 hours prior to the meeting.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Commissioner Tobin and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare.