The San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted unanimously Thursday to recommend a citywide ban on the sale and use of glue traps, according to the wildlife rescue group WildCare.
Glue traps are trays coated with sticky adhesive. These traps indiscriminately catch and immobilize small animals, leading to slow and painful deaths, WildCare said.
The nonprofit said it has treated nearly 50 glue-trapped animals in the past two years, including songbirds, squirrels and lizards.
WildCare applauded the commission’s vote, which sends the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors and Mayor Daniel Lurie for final action.
“The suffering caused by these devices cannot be overstated, and we applaud the commission for this move to make San Francisco the largest city in the United States to ban glue traps,” said Alison Hermance, WildCare’s communications director.
If approved by the board, San Francisco would join California communities West Hollywood and Ojai as the third and largest U.S. cities with glue trap bans.