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Andrea Cimino, of FFA affiliate The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS), explains why even companion animals like dogs and cats are at risk of severe injury and death in traps and snares. A sampling of HSUS case history reports reveals just how traumatic the experience can be, both for pets and their owners.
Pets and Traps
Traps, be it steel-jawed leghold traps, conibear traps, or snares, are inherently indiscriminate. Each year, traps in the United States injure and kill millions of "nontarget" animals—domestic dogs and cats, rabbits, deer, songbirds, raptors, livestock, and even endangered species. Referred to as "trash" animals, nontarget wildlife often are simply thrown away. Injuries from leghold traps are often so severe that the injured limb of a trapped companion animal must be amputated. Conibear traps, however, kill many of their unintended victims.
Conibear traps frequently clamp down on the chest or pelvis of an animal, crushing bones, blood vessels, and nerves and causing excruciating pain.
"Companion animals have been trapped along the edges of railroad tracks, running and hiking trails, streams, airport fences, and campgrounds. They’ve been caught under porches, in backyards, agricultural fields, and the middle of cities. They are caught on private property and on public lands, including national forests and municipal parks."
Trappers are rarely prosecuted when a pet is caught by a trap. Trapping is a largely unregulated activity, and where restrictions do apply, they are poorly enforced. In most cases, trappers do not leave identification on their traps, so trappers cannot be traced or fined for neglecting their traps.
This cat in Maryland lost its hind leg to a steel-jawed leghold trap (Photo courtesy HSUS).
The following examples of companion animals caught in traps show the inherent indiscriminateness of traps. Companion animals of all breeds, ages, sizes, and states of health can be caught. Companion animals have been trapped along the edges of railroad tracks, running and hiking trails, streams, airport fences, and campgrounds. They’ve been caught under porches, in backyards, agricultural fields, and the middle of cities. They are caught on private property and on public lands, including national forests and municipal parks. Some traps that have caught companion animals were set in blatant violation of the law; while other traps were set legally, but still managed to trap a companion animal. Sometimes the animals can be saved and adopted out to a loving home; other times the animal dies or must be euthanized. However, regardless of the outcome, all of these examples prove that traps are inhumane devices that inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on animals.
How you can help: report nontarget trapping incidents to The HSUS
The Humane Society of the United States documents cases in which domestic and nontarget animals are injured or killed as a result of trapping. The information we collect from our Trapping Case Report form helps us to enact trapping bans and educate the public about the danger of traps. If your companion animal was the unfortunate victim of a cruel and indiscriminate trap, please fill out the form and send it back to us. We would appreciate hearing your story.
Each year traps in the US injure and kill millions of "nontarget" animals, including domestic dogs and cats.
Case histories from the HSUS files
Little Rock, Arkansas, 1986—A female athlete and a friend routinely ran with their three dogs on a commonly used trail along the Arkansas River. One day, as they approached a small creek that ran through the woods along the trail, the two women heard one of the dogs, Tina, utter a bloodcurdling yelp. When they rushed over to the creek, they saw Tina sitting on her haunches in shallow water yelping in pain. When Tina’s owner saw that Tina's rear foot was caught in a steel-jawed leghold trap that was concealed beneath the water of the creek, she tried to free Tina. As she attempted to get the trap loose from a sapling to which it had been wired, Tina, maddened by pain, attacked her owner. Tina bit through her owner's forearm to the bone, then bit her on the hand, and then on her lower leg. The woman was taken to the emergency room, and eventually had to have stitches to close her wounds. Her friend's husband eventually was able to free Tina’s foot from the trap's jaws. Tina suffered from swelling, bruising, and cuts. When Tina's owner reported the incident to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, they reportedly told her that she was a fool for trying to free her dog from the trap and that her wounds were her own fault. They informed her that Arkansas at the time had no state or city law against setting unattended animal traps in an incorporated area or in an area frequented by humans and domestic animals.
San Diego, California, 1988—This case shows that even areas frequented by adults, children and pets are not always necessarily safe from the danger of traps. In a forested area near a campground in Cleveland National Forest, a Doberman Pinscher stepped in a steel-jawed leghold trap. Luckily, its owners were nearby and rescued the dog from the trap in about 5 minutes. The dog suffered many bruises, but was not seriously injured. California has since passed a ballot initiative (1998) banning the use of leghold traps, conibear traps, and snares for recreation and commerce in fur.
Gadsden, Alabama, 1990—In a rare case in which a trapper was prosecuted and punished for catching a domestic animal, a homeowner was found guilty in a municipal court of cruelty to animals for placing a steel-jawed leghold trap on his property. Neighbors reported to Gadsden Animal Control officers that they had seen a grey male shorthaired cat caught with one of its hind legs in the trap on the porch of the man’s home. Thought to be in the trap for at least 24 hours, the cat first lost its toe, then lost its leg as result of the incident. The man claimed he placed the trap under his porch to catch squirrels. With many humane alternatives to common nuisance wildlife problems, there was simply no excuse for the danger the actions of this man posed to wildlife, companion animals, and even small neighborhood children. As cruelty to animals was only a misdemeanor in Alabama at the time, the man was simply fined $25 and assessed $44 court fees.
North Pole, Alaska, 1990—Shiloh, a 3-year-old husky, stepped in a steel-jawed leghold trap in a rural residential area. The animal control officer who examined her estimated that Shiloh had been in the trap anywhere between 3-6 weeks. Shiloh managed to escape when her left front paw rotted off. During the time she was caught in the trap, her weight plummeted from 60 pounds to 20 pounds. Fortunately, once Shiloh was taken to a vet’s office, she began to eat healthily, put on weight, and improve her temperament. The vet amputated Shiloh’s paw up to its wrist. Shiloh, now a three footed dog, was eventually adopted by the animal control officer.
The jaws of a Conibear trap snap shut on the head and face of a domestic dog.
Lebanon, Connecticut, 1992—From a letter sent to HSUS from a pet owner whose cat was a victim of a steel-jawed leghold trap: "Our cat 'Murray' that we have owned and loved very much for 11 years was missing for ten days. We spent many sleepless nights thinking we would never see him again. We were worried sick not knowing what could have happened to him. After 10 days, our cat finally made it home at 10:30 at night, dragging a steel-jawed leghold trap. We immediately brought him to the local veterinarian hospital, where he was treated and lost part of his paw. Just the very thought of him suffering and dragging that trap all the way home makes us wonder how could anyone be so cruel to set traps for any animal!" —Sharon Pineault
Unity, Maine, 1993—A shepherd puppy was following a path through a pasture with its owner and smelled a skunk scent on a steel-jawed leghold trap. The trap was set out of season and had no identification on it. The puppy’s owner had to call an animal warden to release it. The puppy suffered from swelling and bruising.
Valparaiso, Indiana, 1994—A dog became trapped in a rusty steel-jawed leghold trap set in a trailer park. The owner was bitten as he attempted to release the dog, who suffered from swelling, cuts, bruising, and broken bones. The neighbor of the dog’s owner said he had set the trap to catch cats in the park. Of hundreds of trapping case reports received by HSUS, this case was one of the only ones in which the trapper paid the pet owner’s veterinarian and medical bills. Thus, the owner decided not to press charges.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1996—Companion animals can even be caught in some of the largest cities in the U.S. A cat spent 24 hours in a steel-jawed leghold trap on public property in Minneapolis before being rescued and taken to a veterinarian. The cat suffered from swelling, cuts, bruising, and broken bones, and had to have its digits amputated.
Leghold traps can tear flesh, cut tendons, and ligaments, and break bones.
West Wyoming, Pennsylvania, 1996—A pregnant short haired female cat lost her five kittens and sustained cuts to the ear and neck while attempting to free herself from a conibear trap. The cat was found in the trap and taken to a local animal shelter where a veterinarian discovered the dead kitten fetuses while treating the cat.
Hinesburg, Vermont, 1997—Drivers spotted a small black and white cat limping along a road dragging a steel-jawed leghold trap. The drivers reported that the terrified cat’s leg was almost falling off. They managed to remove the trap and took it to a veterinary clinic. The attending veterinarian reported that she could smell the rotting flesh as the cat came through the door. The cat, who was estimated to have been in the trap for at least 5 days, had 2 broken bones protruding through its putrified flesh, a left hind leg that had almost rotted off, and was extremely thin, weak, and dehydrated. The veterinarian was forced to amputate the cat’s leg to save her life.
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, 2002—A six-year-old Labrador-shepherd cross named Jake was caught in an illegally set conibear trap baited with steak and duck meat along the Pitt River. Jake and his owner had been walking along a gravel pathway along the river when Jake’s owner heard a sudden yelp. When she followed the noise to the edge of the river, she found Jake with his head caught in the conibear, which had no identification tag on it. Though legal if set underwater, this conibear trap was illegal, as it had been set above ground. A district conservation officer guessed that a local farmer may have set the trap to catch a coyote that was preying upon his sheep or chickens, while activists believed the trap was professionally set by someone hoping to sell a coyote's skin.
Cornerbrook, Newfloundland, 2003—A seven year old black Labrador retriever, Coal, was rescued after three days spent caught in a fox snare in woods. The dog became trapped as it walked in an area of woods near a salmon hatchery that he routinely frequented with his owner. When Coal didn’t come back when called, his heartbroken owner searched unsuccessfully for him for three days. Then a friend with a trained search dog named Brandy was brought out to the woods where Coal was last seen. Within 45 minutes, Brandy found Coal, who was caught around the mouth in the baited fox snare just off the regular road from which he had been walking with his owner. Coal’s owner was not able to find him because Coal could not make any noises since the snare was pulled tight around his mouth. After a search, three more baited fox snares were found in the area. The snare had torn through the dog's mouth and nose, and Coal was worn and feeble. His weight had dropped from 100-plus pounds to 77 pounds by the time he arrived at the veterinary clinic. Coal avoided the possibility of blood poisoning and gangrene through intravenous and antibiotic treatment. After several days, Coal recovered and went home from the veterinary clinic with his owner.
The 2003 Phoenix victim. Photo courtesy Arizona Humane Society.
Phoenix, Arizona, 2003—A male tabby cat found in a steel-jaw leghold trap was taken to an animal shelter after a Phoenix resident reported that an injured cat was dragging a large metal trap through his front yard. The cat, who remained in the trap for an estimated 24-48 hours, suffered four severe breaks to his front left leg, which was badly dislocated as a result of the animal struggling to free himself. The veterinarians amputated his front left leg. Tragically, the cat did not recover well and the shelter was forced to euthanize him. It is unlikely the cat covered a lot of ground with his leg stuck in a metal trap, leading hospital managers to believe that the trap had been illegally set somewhere in the residential area. When traps are set in densely populated residential areas, they pose serious dangers not only to pets and wildlife, but also to small children.
Port Byron, Illinois, 2004—A week before the winter holidays, a boxer named Libby was killed by a conibear trap set in a ditch on the side of the road near the owners' home. The family's daughter let Libby outside and when she did not return within the next 20 minutes, the father went looking for Libby and found her dead in the trap. The family estimated that the trap was set about 10 feet from the road.
Chugach State Park, Alaska, 2005— 15 month-old black Labrador and border collie mix dog named Oreo was killed in March when he had his head caught in an illegal conibear baited with moose innards set close to a public trailhead at Chugach State Park. The illegal trap had been set a week after the trapping season expired. The trap was set less than 15 yards off the trail and less than 150 yards from the trail head, yet these distances were legal.
Sunderland, Ontario, 2006—An eight month-old cocker spaniel puppy named Daisy was killed by a conibear trap set on the banks of a neighbor's pond. The couple who owned Daisy claimed to have had an arrangement with the neighbors that they could each use the trails on each other's property. Despite the obvious risks, adjoining property owners are not legally required to notify neighbors of any traps that could potentially kill or severely injure an animal or young child.
Palmer, Alaska, 2007— "On Jan. 6, I was walking on the riverbed, enjoying a peaceful morning with my dog Nelly K nosing around me. All of a sudden I heard this gut-wrenching scream. (It still haunts me.) I found my dog in total distress, her right front leg caught in a leg-hold trap. I was not able to free her. I had to call and wait for a friend (thank God for cell phones) to come and free my trembling dog. It is a miracle that she did not break her leg, or worse. This did not happen anywhere in the wilderness, but in full view from the new subdivision: Rivers Bend, just a few yards off the power line."
Source: Krug-Kranz, Hilde. Letter to the Editor: "Leg-hold traps are a danger to more than wildlife." Anchorage Daily News. January 31, 2007.
Further Information:
To learn more about trapping, visit Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute's trapping campaign website at www.BanCruelTraps.com.
The following section links may serve as a useful navigation guide:
U.S. Trapping Statistics: 1986-2003 (listed by state).
Trapping on National Wildlife Refuges (pdf download). API’s in-depth report.
To download the Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute's Organizing an Anti-Trapping Campaign (A Step-by-Step Workbook) (2002), visit the InFURmation Library.
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