Help Protect Wildlife From Rat Traps - sign the petition!

Sign the petition now, HERE.

This week we had 5 calls from the Santa Cruz County area about skunks caught in rat traps.

Over the years we've seen an increase in the number of incidents involving larger animals caught in the newer rat traps - the ones with serrated jaws. HERE is news coverage from couple of years ago.

These traps are especially dangerous because the interlocking teeth make "escape virtually impossible" for rodents, as well as larger animals. 

While snap traps are not meant to be placed outdoors, unprotected, where they pose a serious risk to other animals, the labeling and directions on use are not clear enough. We're hoping to change that.

Back in 2014, WES reached out to Bell Laboratories, the manufacturer of the brand of traps we were finding. We asked them to consider adding warning labels to help reduce the number of non-target wildlife injuries. They said they'd look into it.

That same year, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company acquired Tomcat, the consumer brand of rodent traps manufactured by Bell Laboratories.

Time went by and more and more animals were injured by these spring-loaded traps, including wild birds, and deer!

In March 2016, WES contacted Bell Laboratories again, and Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, asking them to add a distinct warning label to packaging and include safety precautions specific to wildlife, pets and children in marketing sell sheets, instructions, and in training material for industry professionals.

Bell Laboratories made changes to their products' web page and sell sheet, clarifying non-target exposure and how it can be prevented. See the changes, HERE. 

While we appreciate the steps taken by Bell Laboratories, we'd like to see them help protect pets and wildlife by doing more.

Join us in asking Bell Laboratories and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, leading manufacturers of these types of rat traps, to add warning labels and precautionary statements to product packaging, instructions on use and promotional material, including videos, and require distributors to also display warnings on outdoor use where these products are sold - in stores and online.

Please sign the petition and share:

Thank you!