Santa Barbara resident Renee Papadopoulos received the Compassionate Action Award from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for persuading the Gelson’s grocery store chain to remove all glue traps from its shelves. These products are designed to immobilize rats and mice by adhering their feet to the sticky trap. Animal rights activists have objected the traps are inhuman because mice and rats will rip their limbs off trying to escape. Papadopoulos offered to buy all 123 glue traps stocked at the chain’s 18 locations. Gelson’s gave Papadopoulos a slight discount and agreed not to stock the traps any more.
Although Papadopoulos does not like standard snap-traps – she preferring prevention and live-catch traps – she said they are more humane than the glue traps. Papadopoulos added that her love of animals motivated her to get these products off shelves.