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Protect Pets And Wildlife From Agonizing Death in Heavy-Duty Rat Traps

19,463 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal

64.88% Complete

Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

Heavy-duty rat traps are traps with interlocking teeth make escape virtually impossible for rodents, and painful for pets and non-target wildlife. Take a stand!

Heavy-duty rat traps are traps with interlocking teeth make escape virtually impossible for rodents, and painful for pets and non-target wildlife. Take a stand!

Heavy-duty snapping rat traps with interlocking teeth, while very effective at killing rats, pose great threats to other non-pest animals and pets.

These traps are not meant to be placed outdoors where other animals can reach them, but the package labeling and directions are not clear enough, and some animals are difficult to deter even from small areas1.

These traps are especially dangerous because the interlocking teeth make "escape virtually impossible" for rodents, as well as larger animals2.

Rescuers on the Central Coast of California have responded to multiple emergencies involving skunks caught in rat traps.3,4.

Wildlife Emergency Services originally contacted the original manufacturer, Bell Laboratories in 2014, in response to an increasing number of animals injured or killed in these types of traps. In this letter, warning labels were suggested to help reduce the number of non-target wildlife injuries5.

Tomcat, the consumer brand of rodent traps manufactured by Bell Laboratories, was acquired by Scotts Miracle-Gro the following year6.

Bell Laboratories has been asked on multiple occasions to add a distinct warning label to retail packaging and include safety precautions specific to wildlife, pets and children in marketing sell sheets, wherever instructions for consumers are advertised, and in training material for industry professionals7.

Bell Laboratories previously made small changes to their products' web page and sell sheet, clarifying non-target exposure and how it can be prevented, but that hasn't been enough to stop pets and non-pets wildlife from being killed and seriously injured8.

More and more animals are being found caught in these spring-loaded traps. Even large animals like foxes and deer are at risk9, 10.

It is time to demand better warning labels on these products!

Sign the petition and join us in asking Bell Laboratories and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, leading manufacturers of these types of rat traps, to add warning labels on packaging and wherever these products are sold, in stores and online.

More on this issue:

  1. A.H David, Pest Control Weekly (2 July 2022), "How To Get Rid Of Rats Outside Without Harming Other Animals [19 Tips]."
  2. Bell Laboratories, "TRAPPER T-Rex Superior Rat Trap."
  3. Vince Cestone, KRON4 (21 July 2015), "3 skunks found recently in rat traps in Monterey, Santa Cruz counties."
  4. Alix Martichoux, SFGate (12 September 2017), "New rat traps may be causing rise in skunk injuries around Bay Area."
  5. Wildlife Emergency Services (28 July 2014), "The shapely skunk."
  6. Tomcat, "Tomcat® Rat Traps."
  7. Bell Laboratories, "TRAPPER® T-REX RAT SNAP TRAP."
  8. Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun (31 October 2021), "Animals being injured, dying due to snap traps for rats: B.C. animal welfare groups."
  9. Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Wisconsin Humane Society, Facebook (3 September 2016), "Facebook post."
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The Petition:

To the CEOs of Bell Laboratories and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company,

Heavy-duty snapping rat traps with interlocking teeth manufactured under the name "T-Rex" and "Tomcat," while very effective at killing rats, pose great threats to other non-pest animals and pets.

More and more animals are being found caught in these spring-loaded traps. Even large animals like foxes and deer are at risk. These traps are especially dangerous because the interlocking teeth make escape virtually impossible for rodents, as well as larger animals.

These traps are not meant to be placed outdoors where other animals can reach them, but the package labeling and directions are not clear enough, and some animals are difficult to deter even from small areas.

Bell Laboratories previously made small changes to their products' web page and sell sheet, clarifying non-target exposure and how it can be prevented, but that hasn't been enough to stop pets and non-pets wildlife from being killed and seriously injured

I implore you to add warning labels on packaging and wherever these products are sold, in stores and online, that warn of the danger to pets and non-target animals.

Sincerely,

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Signatures: