Glue traps are sheets of incredibly strong adhesive designed to capture rodents. Rather than killing instantly, they trap animals alive. Unable to free themselves, they can remain stuck for hours or even days, suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, starvation, broken bones and severe stress as they desperately try to escape. Tragically, they don't just catch rats and mice. Birds, hedgehogs, bats, squirrels, reptiles, and even family pets have all fallen victim to these indiscriminate traps.

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The more I researched, the more shocked I became. Scientists, veterinarians and animal welfare organisations had long described glue traps as one of the cruellest forms of pest control, yet they were still legal and widely available.

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I knew I couldn't simply scroll past and forget what I'd seen.

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Looking for ways to help, I found an existing petition calling for a ban on glue traps. It had already been running for three months and had attracted fewer than 100 signatures, meaning there were only three months left before it closed. I had two options: wait for the petition to end and launch a new one from scratch, or throw my support behind the existing petition and do everything I could to give it a fighting chance. I chose the latter.

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I created an Instagram page dedicated to the campaign and began producing educational content to expose the cruelty of glue traps. What started as a small awareness campaign gradually gained momentum, with thousands of people joining the cause. Through social media, radio interviews, written articles, and countless messages encouraging people to get involved, the petition gathered extraordinary support. At one point, it became the fastest-growing petition in the UK, eventually receiving more than 41,000 signatures.

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In 2022, after years of campaigning by individuals, charities and parliamentarians, the Glue Traps (Offences) Actcompleted its passage through Parliament, making the use of glue traps illegal in England except under tightly controlled licensing exemptions.

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This campaign taught me something I'll never forget: meaningful change often starts with one person deciding not to scroll past. Sometimes all it takes is compassion, determination and thousands of people willing to act together.

This was Wild Youth's first mission—and it showed that ordinary people really can change the law.

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