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NOTE: The following is only a partial list (still in progress) of the nearly 300 animals and humans trapped. Because non-targets are not required to be reported there is no way to know how many animals are trapped, injured, and/or killed by body-gripping traps throughout the United States and Canada.
| Date | Victim(s) | Status | Details of Incident | Type of Trap | Source |
| c. 12/14/09 | Dog | Survived | Hurricane Creek, OR Mentioned in passing in a Letter to the Editor, "a friends dog got caught in a snare trap up Hurricane Creek" on public land. | Snare | The Observer (La Grande, OR), 12/16/09 |
| 12/03/09 | Cat | Died euthanized | Oshkosh, WI A cat caught in a steel-jaw trap on the city's west side was euthanized by the Oshkosh Area Humane Society to put it out of its misery from a badly broken back leg. "There was no salvaging that cat. He was in horrible, horrific pain," said Joni Geiger, director of the animal shelter. Police were called by a resident who found the cat in the trap in his yard. The trap did not belong to the person who called police. It was the type of trap someone would use to trap small game in the wild. Police have not cited anyone and they don't have any suspects. | Leghold | The Northwestern (Oshkosh, WI), 12/05/09 |
| 11/26/09 | Dog Norwegian Elkhound, male Rontu | Survived | Missoula, MT On Thanksgiving Day, a man and his nephew "were wandering along the riverbank just off the trail" that runs alongside the Big Flat irrigation ditch near the confluence of the Bitterroot and Clark Fork rivers. Their two dogs, a Norwegian Elkhound and a little Schnauzer, were nosing about nearby. "Suddenly there was an odd 'thump' followed by frantic yelping. My dog Rontu ... had gotten caught in a leg-hold trap." The dog, freed by the man, suffered no more than a serious sprain. The trap was apparently set illegally, and, incredibly, it was already re-set when the man, who had gone home to check up on the dog, returned to the scene to investigate. | Leghold | New West Blog, 11/27/09 |
| 11/25/09 | Barred Owl federally protected | Died euthanized | Moodus, CT The owl was found stuck in a rusty leghold trap in Moodus by a wildlife rehabilitators, who cared for the owl over Thanksgiving. The owl was emaciated, having been impaired for a long time and unable to hunt. The veterinarian the woman brought the owl to the morning after Thanksgiving determined that the owl's injury was so severe, its foot would have to be amputated and it would never be released. In keeping with federal law, the owl was euthanized. | Leghold | New Haven Register, 11/28/09 |
| 11/21/09 | Dog retired sled dog Lucy | Survived | Kenai Peninsula, AK A retired sled dog survived with minor injury the crushing jaws of a conibear trap set less than 10 feet off a trail near town. A woman who was training a second dog team for her kennel partner (signed up to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in March) noticed that Lucy had broken her chain and was following the team. The woman let the dog run loose and then, less than two miles from residential areas, heard Lucy start screaming. Lucy was roughly seven feet off the road, lying on her side still screaming, having stumbled into a trap set in the crook of a tree root. Slammed on her neck was a large conibear trap. The woman couldn't free Lucy from the trap and set off with the team to get help. Lucy spent more than an hour in the trap before the kennel partner and a third friend arrived with bolt cutters and released her. A Fish and Game technician said the trap was legally set but questioned the experience of the person who set it. | Conibear | Anchorage Daily News, 12/02/09; Peninsula Clarion, 12/02/09 |
| 11/00/09 | Dog 10-month-old male Buddy | Survived | Boulder Mountains, ID While a man was cutting firewood "earlier this month," he "heard the most bloodcurdling scream and howling of a hurt animal" over the sounds of his chainsaw. He looked down the hill and saw this 10-month-old shelter dog, Buddy, caught in a leghold trap. On his third try he was able to release Buddy, but not before suffering a number of dog bites. When he was finally free, "my poor little dog ran in circles for about a minute yelping in pain." The man added, "That night I thought how lucky I was to be able to find him and free him from the steel trap. It was a very awful experience. I thought of others who might not have had the strength to open the trap. I can't imagine leaving your dog in pain like that and driving to find help. I thought of wild animals that get caught in traps and suffer for hours until the trapper comes up and kills them. I thought this should not be legal." | Leghold | Idaho Mountain Express and Guide Letter to the Editor, 11/18/09 |
| 03/15/09 | Dog Jack Russell/dachsund, adult female Rosie | Died | unincorporated county, NH A couple of kids were hiking with their dog near the Metacomet Trail when the dog went close to the water, stuck her nose in a box to smell it, and got caught in a Conibear trap. Other traps nearby were just lying in the water. The 17-year-old boy managed to get Rosie out of the trap with the help of a cousin to pull the trap apart, but it was too late. The incident was reported to Fish & Game. In the past the same trapper has killed beavers and blue heron, and all local wildlife is gone; Rosie's caregiver complained last year but got nowhere. It is not yet known if the trap owner was in violation of local permits. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps incident report form |
| 02/14/09 | Dog beagle, 20-month-old female Bella | Died | near Kanopolis Lake, KS Out hunting rabbits just south of Thompson Creek on public hunting land owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a deputy Salina police chief heard his dog yelp. "At first, I thought she was in a fight," he said. But Bella was caught in the rectangular steel jaws of a conibear trap. He struggled frantically to free her. "I had read how to get them off. I'm afraid all my efforts did was prolong the agony of her death," he said. "It was incredibly devastating." Bella became weaker, and then fell unconscious. Within six minutes, she was gone. The trap was set in a plastic bucket to entice the curiosity of a raccoon, coyote or bobcat. When an animal sticks its head in the bucket, the trap is tripped. So it was that Bella, curious as she patrolled for rabbits, was captured by the powerful jaws. The trap was legal. | Conibear | Salina Journal, 03/13/09 |
| 01/25/09 | Dog Siberian Husky, female Kisses | Survived surgical removal of two broken premolars | Healy, AK 25 feet off a plowed access road (owned by the Alaska Railroad) in a popular dog-walking area near residences, the trap was chained to a tree. When the dog was caught in the trap, she screamed and writhed. Her caregiver writes: "I figured out a way to detach the trap from the tree it was chained to. We got our dog to the car still in the trap [and] drove her to a trapper's house who cut the conibear off her head with a pneumatic power saw." Luckily, after 90 minutes in the trap Kisses survived, losing only a couple of broken teeth. The incident was reported to and Alaaka State Wildlife Trooper and an Alaska Railroad Safety officer. The owner of the trap was not found. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps incident report form |
| c. 12/26/08 | Human adult male | Survived | Malcolm, NE A bill before the Nebraska state legislature earned a uniquely qualified witness when a Lancaster County Commissioner stepped into a Conibear trap placed in a ditch near his farm. He was wearing good boots and wasn't seriously hurt. But the trap was large enough to catch a coyote or a beaver even a farmer and the commissioner couldn't open it with his hands. So he hobbled to his truck for a crowbar. He reported the incident to the state Game and Parks Commission. The trap's owner could not be traced because the trap did not have an ID number. The commissioner, of course, testified against the bill, which sought to eliminate restrictions and penalties for trapping wildlife in county road rights-of-way. [The ban went into effect on 05/05/09: Lincoln Journal Star, 05/05/09] | Conibear | Lincoln Journal Star, 01/16/09 |
| c. 12/17/08 | Dog Black Labrador, 2 years old, male | Survived bruising | Joseph, OR A local woman's dog was caught in a leghold trap about 90 feet off a popular trail. Although warning signs were posted, the woman ignored them or did not see them. The dog suffered bruising but no lasting damage to the foot. The woman has been served with a violation for taking the trap and plans to take it to court, but the charge will likely be dropped because it would bring unwelcome publicity. The trap was legal, the trapper reported to be a 20-year-old local boy. | Leghold | Personal communication |
| 12/01/08 | Dog German Shepherd, female | Survived Badly swollen muzzle | Saint John, NB, Canada A German Shepherd was discovered by the assistant conservation supervisor of the provincial Department of Natural Resources in the Loch Lomond watershed area with her head stuck in a Conibear trap. After freeing the large German shepherd mix, the man quickly took her to the Animal Rescue League shelter. The shelter's executive diretor said she was surprised the dog survived the ordeal. "The dog's head went into the trap on an angle," she said. "This dog should be dead, it's just fortunate that the head didn't go in straight." The dog has a badly swollen muzzle and seems to be traumatized, but should be able to recover. A veterinarian inspected the dog, and said she should be kept quiet and calm while she heals. The trap was set legally. | Conibear | Telegraph-Journal, 12/02/08 |
| 12/01/08 | Cat female Dixie | Survived swelling, cut, bruising and broken bones | Cedar Rapids, IA A neighbor lady had someone set traps to try to catch a fox that had been killing her chickens. This was near homes, within city limits. Dixie was caught in the trap overnight. Veterinarian treatment consisted of x-rays, setting of bones, and a special bandage to draw out an infection, at an cost of $1,000. Dixie's guardian wrote, "This lady knows there are a lot of outside cats around this area. She's an old lady, good neighbor, I don't know what she was thinking." As of report time, the woman had not been charged. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/26/08 | Dog 4-year-old Rottweiler, male Grizzly | Died | Anchorage, AK Grizzly was playing with another dog in front of his house while his caregiver was shoveling his driver. Grizzly apparently smelled meat used as bait in a bucket on a neighbor's porch. He was gone just moments, but, all bloody and crazed with pain, came running back with a Conibear 220 trap on his head. Two animal control officers took Grizzly to Pet Emergency but he died in transit. It took four people to get the trap off the dead dog's head. The trap was set illegally. Police are investigating. | Conibear | Anchorage Daily News, 11/29/08 |
| 11/17/08 | Lynx | Died | Aroostook County, ME A lynx was found dead in a trap that had been set for other species. The lynx had apparently climbed a tree that was standing inches away from the trap and became ensnared when it reached into the trap. | Conibear | Bangor Daily News, 12/05/08 |
| 11/15/08 | Dog Chinook, 55 pounds, male Rupert | Died | Vernon Hills, IL A man walked his dog beside the greens of a golf course when he let the dog off his leash. Rupert suddenly darted into the woods. Then the man heard an excruciating howl, and found Rupert "flopping around" with his head in the trap. The trap was tethered to the ground and the man could not get it free. The trap was baited with fish oil. Police responded quickly, but the dog was dead. It took three men to pry the springs open to release Rupert. A police investigation has been inconclusive. | Conibear | Lake County News-Sun, 12/05/08 |
| 11/01/08 | Dog | Died | Nuns' Island, Montreal, PQ, Canada Efforts by the borough of Verdun to eradicate troublesome beavers on Nuns' Island have resulted in one dead dog and several angry residents. A Borough spokesperson confirmed that the dog died after getting its head caught in a trap that had been set at the water's edge near two condo buildings. The borough had contracted Nature Action, a group specializing in managing wildlife, which in turn had hired a professional trapper to set four beaver traps. The rodents have been destroying trees along the shoreline at an alarming rate, it was claimed. One resident said that the beavers are not the main threat to the island's trees. "It's fine for the developers to cut down all the trees on the island, but not the beavers. I wish somebody would set a trap for developers," she said. | Conibear | The Gazette (Montreal), 11/07/08 |
| 08/22/08 (found) | Dog 3-1/2-year-old German shepherd-husky mix, male Elliot | Died | Mitchell, SD A family dog was found dead in a Conibear 220 trap about a week after he died. Elliot had managed to uproot the stake securing the trap and struggled about 75 feet before he died. Elliot's caregivers turned the trap over to a Conservation Officer, who submitted the results of his investigation to the state's attorney's office. Writing to Elliot's caregivers, the owner of the trap said his intent in setting the trap was to protect his garden from scavenging raccoons and that he had no intention of trapping the dog. He also wrote that "allowing a dog to run repeatedly at-large is irresponsible and dangerous" and that the dog "should have been locked up that night." The Conibear trap used had jaws above 8 inches, illegal for use on land in South Dakota. The fine for using the illegal trap is $126. No court appearance will be required. | Conibear | Worthington Daily Globe, 09/08/08 |
| 06/17/08 | Dog Dachshund | Survived swelling, bruising, and "probably some nerve damage" | Newburgh, NY A dachshund was caught in a steel-jaw leghold trap before being released. The trap was on private property, within a hundred feet of roughly ten dwellings, in a Historical District on Grand Street, a residential section of the city where many children and pets live. No neighbors were notified about the trap, nor was information about the trap posted. The trap was not tagged with identification. In a stroke of irony, the trap was set by the dachshund's guardians, took custody of the dog and never gave feedback. It was reported that the individuals responsible for the trapping were within their legal rights. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 05/17/08 | Dog 11-year-old American Eskimo Rosie | Died | Kitchener, BC, Canada A man took his dog, Rosie, out for a hike in the Goat River area, an old logging site north of Kitchener, when Rosie stumbled into a leghold trap. The trap, with its tension set to hold a much larger wolf, snapped shut, crushing the dog's leg. The pain-wracked animal then stepped into another trap, which crushed another leg. Unable to pry either of the traps open, even aided by the adrenaline rush brought on by his companion's frantic response to the pain, the man unwound the attached chains from clumps of bushes and carried Rosie to his vehicle. The dog sunk its teeth into both of his hands on the way. When he arrived at the veterinary clinic his worst fears were confirmed - the legs were so badly damaged that the only compassionate recourse was to have Rosie euthanized. Even the veterinarian couldn't get the traps completely open. The traps had been set as a Ministry of Environment initiative to save the small - there are only 15 left - herd of mountain caribou. A trapper had set "up to a half dozen traps" in the area. A pack of three or four wolves was his target. The traps were all removed immediately after reports were received, and ministry personnel are reassessing the situation. One wolf from the single known pack in the area was trapped and killed before Rosie's tragic death. | Leghold | Creston Valley Advance |
| 04/30/08 (reported) | Dog basset hound Bubba | Died | Juneau, AK Several dogs were being walked on the Eagle River Trail in Juneau as part of a Doggie Day Care outing. Bubba, who was in the care of the Gastineau Humane Society, and another dog went missing initially during a game of fetch. One came back when called, but Bubba didn't respond. The dog was found the next day right off the trail in a conibear trap. | Conibear | Channel 2 News |
| 04/23/08 | Cat Castor | Died euthanized | Saanich, BC, Canada When Castor disappeared Wednesday evening, his caregiver and others tracked the meowing cat to the backyard of a nearby home. They found Castor seriously injured in a Conibear trap, caught by the belly. were no fractures but there were extensive internal injuries to the organs. After nearly a week in intensive care at the veterinary clinic, Castor was put to sleep on 04/27/08. His caregivers intend to sue the trap owner for Castor's medical expenses of almost $3,300. The cat died a few days after being taken to a veterinary clinic for treatment. The man was later charged with animal cruelty. An animal protection officer said, "Our constable reported to a cat in a conibear trap last year in the same block. The cat survived." | Conibear | Times Colonist (Victoria), 04/26/08; Times Colonist (Victoria), 04/28/08 |
| 04/07/08 (reported) | Dog Golden retriever, female Ava | Survived | Southern UT A woman hiker looking for Native American artifacts found a dog caught in a coyote trap. The dog had been there about a day, caught by the left front leg. She freed the dog from the trap and then spent a week and a half trying to track down the dogs family. The dog wasnt wearing a collar, and no one responded to fliers and newspaper ads. Meanwhile, the vets taking care of the dog, now named Ava, thought she would need to lose the injured leg. The woman was not in a position to care for Ava long-term. When it became obvious that nobody would claim Ava, she was taken to Best Friends Animal Society of Kanab, UT, to heal and for later adoption. | Leghold | Best Friends News, 04/07/08 |
| c. 03/24/08 | Dog Hound dog, female | Survived? left rear leg amputated at hip | Carthage, IL A dog was found caught in a trap by the local Animal Control warden on 04/07/08. The dog had been in the trap about two weeks, and apparenlty had tried to chew off her left rear leg to get free. Photos at the pound where she was taken show her leg hanging by just a couple of bones. She was extremely emaciated, dehydrated, with a low heart rate. Surgery was scheduled for the same day to remove her leg at the hip. | Leghold | Personal communication from caregiver |
| c. 03/19/08 | Cat | Died? | Upper Askam, PA A feral cat with a leghold trap on his front paw wandered into a woman's yard. The cat wandered off before an SPCA responder arrived to take care of the animal. The woman's only recourse was to use a humane cat trap and return the cat to the SPCA for euthanasia. Since the cat wandered off, presumably it "die[d] a slow agonizing death." | Leghold | Wilkes-Barre CitizensVoice.com, 03/22/08 |
| 03/13/08 | Dog female, pregnant Sahara | Survived | St. Louis, MO A dog was found in an old warehouse off north Union near Interstate 70 in north St. Louis. A woman called Stray Rescue after some coworkers spotted the injured dog limping. The pregnant dog, named Sahara by the rescue worker, was sedated and the trap removed from her leg. X-rays revealed that there were no broken bones, but Sahara had also been shot. Stray Rescue is now offering a reward to find out who may be responsible for mistreating the animal. | Leghold | KTVI Fox 2, St. Louis, MO, 03/13/08 |
| c. 03/12/08 | Cat Lenny | Survived | Saskatoon, SK, Canada A family was surprised to see their cat Lenny coming home caught in a leghold trap and dragging a large wooden stake. The jaws of the trap were clamped firmly around the abdomen of their cat, who was in obvious pain and gasping for air. A veterinarian removed the trap and within a few days Lenny was back to normal. The family said they're still upset and angry, and wonder who could have put out such a dangerous device in a neighborhood where numerous children and pets run around. The trap is now with the Saskatoon SPCA, which is investigating the incident. | Leghold | CBC News, 03/17/08 |
| c. 02/12/08 | Dog 6-year-old St. Bernard mix Griz | Survived | Alberton, MT A woman walking along a road in the woods with her dog was frightened when a small Conibear trap snapped shut on her dog's foot. After pulling the trap loose she became angry. The trap had no owner's tag, so she followed the ATV tracks to a neighbor's house and confronted the trapper. Except for lacking an identification tag, the trap, set for rabbits, was legal. | Conibear | The Missoulian, 02/26/08 |
| 02/12/08 | Dog bluetick coonhound Bulger | Died - killed with shotgun | Sperryville, VA A man found his dog, Bulger, dead in a leghold trap, killed by a shotgun. His neighbor, who had set the traps for coyotes, found Bulger and another dog (see 02/07/08 incident below) and, thinking they were strays, shot them. The neighbor was charged with two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. | Leghold | Rappahannock News, 02/28/08 |
| 02/08/08 (reported) |
Dog Airedale, female Kona | Survived injured right front paw | Bend, OR Kona's caregiver writes, "Leaving the truck just off China Hat Road, we walked up a side road along a low ridge. Not more than 10 minutes from the truck, I heard my Airedale vocalize, followed by several coyote howls. I whistled to bring the dog back to me, but she didnt come in like she usually does when coyotes are around. I kept walking and whistling, and in a few minutes circled back to the area I had heard her call from. She was sitting under a small tree with her right front paw caught in a leg hold trap. As I got up to her, I could see the area was trampled, blood-stained and littered with bird feathers." It took him several minutes to get the trap on Kona's toes, and three vet visits have so far cost $485. Not only was the trap perfectly legal, but if Kona's caregiver had damaged the trap in anyway, he would have broken the law. Nor is the trapper liable for vet bills for Kona's injuries. The incident changed the man's opinion about leghold traps. | Leghold | The Bend Bulletin, 02/08/08 |
| 02/07/08 | Dog 11-month-old Labrador-Rottweiler mix | Died - killed with shotgun | Sperryville, VA A woman thought it was strange when her dog, Jeezy, went missing. The 11-month-old puppy usually did not wander far from her home. He mostly remained around the house, playing with his older brother. "Most of the time they stayed in the yard, they really didn't go anywhere," she said. "But one day they were gone." The next day the family went looking for the lost dog. They trudged through the woods as far as a half-mile from home, but found no sign of him. A week later her neighbor told her why. Her dog was dead. And so was his bluetick coonhound. The two dogs had been caught in leghold traps on the property of a neighbor, who later shot them, thinking they were strays. The neighbor was charged with two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. | Leghold | Rappahannock News, 02/28/08 |
| 02/03/08 | Dog cattle dog, male Indy | Died | Flint Township, MI A man took his dogs for a walk in the garden of his local synagogue. Indy ran off to sniff around the edge of the small pond just north of the gazebo. "That's when I heard a noise I'll never forget," said Indy's guardian. "I don't even know how to describe it something between a snap and a scream and a grunting sound. Indy was only maybe 20 feet away from me. I ran to him and looked down to see this thing like four pieces of U-shaped metal closed around his head and neck and into his mouth." The trap was placed in a 5-gallon plastic bucket baited with an open can of tuna fish, on private property intended for family use. Indy's guardian called 911, and for the next half-hour, he fought against the heavy metal springs while Indy slowly suffocated in his arms. "He was trying to stay calm, and I was trying to keep the trap open, waiting for the police to arrive," he said. "I looked into that dog's eyes for however long it was and watched him stare back at me. About five minutes before the police came, he died." The trap was illegally set, the trap's owner has been identified, and faces arraignment on pending charges. | Conibear | The Flint Journal, 03/02/08 |
| 02/03/08 | Dog golden retriever Toby | Died decapitated | Dunlap, TN A man and his 11-year-old son were walking their golden retriever, Toby, when the dog wandered off their property and put his head inside a box that contained the trap. The trap snapped shut and decapitated the dog. The unmarked trap was baited with bacon and illegally placed only 2 inches inside the box; state law requires the traps to be set back at least 12 inches. Another dog was killed by the same trap and its carcass was discarded nearby. The owner of the second dog hasn't been located. The trapper could face up to eight misdemeanor charges for various violations. | Conibear | Chattanooga Times Free Press, 02/05/08; Chattanooga Times Free Press, 02/06/08 |
| 02/02/08 | Cat Cynthia | Survived left front leg amputated | Addison, NY Cynthia may have been in the trap for as long as two days. "By the time she made it home the leg was cold, oozing, and had a terrible smell. She also had a raging infection and fever. The foot was horribly swollen and had an obvious crush across the paw." The left front leg had to be amputated. The incident was reported but the trap owner was not charged with a violation. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/27/08 | Dog husky | Survived injured leg, canine teeth broken off trying to chew out of the trap | Seward Highway, AK A couple were hiking with a friend's husky in Chugach National Forest near Mile 86 of the Seward Highway. They parked at the large national forest sign south of Girdwood. The dog ran ahead and was caught in a leghold trap. They managed to release the dog, whose leg was injured but not broken. The dog broke several teeth biting at the trap. | Leghold | Anchorage Daily News, 03/09/08 |
| 01/26/08 | Dog adult male Rufus | Died | Silver City, NM A dog on his usual trail was caught in a leghold trap. The dog died quickly after being trapped as the ground was undisturbed, with a minimal mark on leg from the trap. Rufus died from head trauma either hit his own head (unlikely) or was hit in the head by someone. The trapper had placed 75 traps around a subdivision in the Gila National Forest. The incident was reported to Game & Fish and to local law enforcement. The trap owner was found and charged with failure to check traps in 24 hours. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/20/08 | Dog 6-year-old Labrador retriever, Midnight | Survived | Chugach State Park, AK A woman's retriever was caught in a 330 Conibear about 20-30 yards off the Penguin Creek Trail in Chugach State Park. The trap was baited with salmon filets. After about 20 minutes, the woman and her friends figured out the spring mechanism and released the dog, which was uninjured. | Conibear | Anchorage Daily News, 03/09/08 |
| 01/19/08 | Golden eagle adult male | Died euthanized after suffering an irreparable leg injury | Missoula, MT A golden eagle was found with a conibear trap on one of its legs in a grove of trees in Clinton, near Missoula, on Friday afternoon. The raptor apparently carried it for several days over an unknown distance before it was grounded with a mangled leg. The trap also did not have a tag with the trapper's name, which is required by law. State authorities said the trap appeared to have been set by an inexperienced trapper, a poacher or someone trying to trap a nuisance dog or cat, which also is illegal. The bird was a healthy adult male weighing about 8 pounds, but its leg was injured beyond repair by the weight of the 3-pound trap. | Conibear | www.missoulian.com, 01/22/08 |
| 01/19/08 | Wolf gray male pup | Survived but found dead 2 days later | East Fork of the Bitterroot, MT "A wolf was reported caught in a coyote snare in the East Fork of the Bitterroot in MT. MFWP warden and wolf staff responded and found a male gray pup from the East Fork pack with its right front leg entwined in the snare. The rest of the pack was howling nearby and based on the condition of the animal it was not thought to have been in the snare very long. The pup was collared and released. Upon recovery the pup moved off quickly and seemed to be regaining feeling and use of the injured leg. On a monitoring flight on the 21st the collar was on mortality. Holder (MFWP) followed up on the morning of the 22nd and found the dead wolf. It will be sent to the lab for necropsy." | snare | Fish and Wildlife Service Gray Wolf Recovery Status Report, 01/25/08 |
| 01/17/08 | Dog 3-year-old pitbull and Labrador retriever mix, chocolate in color | Died | Indian Valley, AK A woman's chocolate Lab/pit bull mix was caught in a 330 Conibear during a walk on the Powerline Trail, about a quarter mile from the Upper Indian Creek trail head in Chugach State Park. The trap was baited with a large chunk of meat and set about 10 feet off the trail. The dog was crushed to death. | Conibear | Anchorage Daily News, 03/09/08 |
| mid-01/00/08 | Dog injured | Survived | Chugiak, AK A woman walking her dog along the railroad tracks south of Powder Ridge Subdivision and the Beach Lake ski trails had her dog caught in a leghold trap while it investigated a pile of railroad ties. The dog was injured but not killed. | Leghold | Anchorage Daily News, 03/09/08 |
| 01/14/08 | Cat ginger-colored, short-haired, adult male Rascal | Survived snare wire in abdomen, severe frostbite, "life-threatening" injuries | Holstein, ON, Canada Rascal was last seen by family members walking down the driveway on January 8. When he returned nearly a week later, he had a wire embedded in his abdomen and was suffering from exposure and severe frostbite to his paws. Authorities believe the wire is part of a snare and that Rascal survived by chewing the wire apart. It will take another 68 weeks of care and rest before Rascal's wounds heal completely. The legality of the snare trap is unknown. | Snare | The Sun Times (Owen Sound), 01/18/08 |
| 01/03/08 | Dog 75-pound, 5-year-old chow-shepherd cross, female Fi | Died | Kincardine, ON, Canada A woman was walking her dog, Fi, near the rail trail by the Ainsdale Golf Course in the middle of the afternoon. She let Fi loose to run free in a field near a wooded area, about 100 meters from the trail. "The next thing I heard was her screaming and jumping around with a trap on her head," she said. She ran over to Fi, who was flailing in pain with the trap crushing her muzzle and throat. "Her eyes were bulging and her tongue was out," she said. "It was the worst thing I've ever seen." Unable to open the trap she cut herself trying the woman flagged down a passing snowmobiler who was also unable to free the dog. Fi died while still in the trap, so the woman took her to Kincardine Veterinary Clinic to have them remove it. "She died right in front of me. They had to use bolt cutters to get it off of her neck." She suspects Fi was led to the trap by bait hidden under a white bucket that was found nearby. | Conibear | The Sun Times (Owen Sound), 01/09/08 |
| 01/02/08 | Cat Jim | Survived broken bones, right front leg amputated | Leechburg, PA Traps were set illegally on the grounds of a gun club, close to a woman's house. The head of the gun club puportedly set the traps to harass the woman into giving up her cats. She says that "There are carcasses of wild animals strewn everywhere near my house." The game warden has refused to help, and no charges have been filed. Vet costs so far are approaching $2,000. | Unspecified, probably leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/02/08 | Dog 7-month-old black Labrador puppy | Survived | Kincardine, ON, Canada A man was walking his dog near the Ainsdale Golf Course when the puppy caught a foreleg in a trap while running free. The man said he was able to get the trap off "after a very major struggle" and that luckily, none of his dog's bones were broken. | Unspecified, probably leghold | The Sun Times (Owen Sound), 01/09/08 |
| Winter 2007-08 | Dog Andre | Survived lower parts of left front leg and left rear leg cut off by trap | Palmer, AK Andre was caught in an animal trap or snare. A woman found him when she noticed him trailing blood across a country road. The woman nursed him back to health, although she initially didn't think he would make it. "No one had seen a dog with two legs cut off like that," she said. "The bone was sticking out on both of them. It was horrible." Now, Andre bounces around her back yard like a Pogo-Stick. When tired, he leans against the house or the fence. The plan is to fit him with artificial legs. | Unknown | Associated Press, 07/13/08 |
| 12/26/07 | Cat Belle | Survived swelling, cut, bruising, broken bones "Left distal tibia and tibiotarsal joint. Open fracture of the lateral malleolus, complete rupture of the medial collateral ligament and joint capusle, and lateral-caudal luxation of the tibiotarsal joint." | Wynantskill, NY Belle was caught in a leghold trap set in a rural populated area with many houses and children. The trap was set legally. Veterinary bills have so far totalled $3,000.00. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/22/07 | Cougar 2-1/2-year-old male | Died | Fairfield, ND The 150-pound mountain lion was caught in a neck snare meant for bobcats. North Dakota Game and Fish Department personnel said the cougar "pretty much died immediately." | Snare | The Bismarck Tribune, 01/09/08 |
| 12/12/07 | 2 Cougars 4- to 5-year-old female and 1- to 2-year-old offspring | Died | Grassy Butte, ND The 102-pound mother mountain lion and her 78-pound offspring were caught in neck snares about 100 yards apart. The snares were meant for bobcats. North Dakota Game and Fish Department personnel said the cougars "pretty much died immediately." Four mountain lions were accidentally trapped last season. Three died, and one, caught in a foot-hold trap, was tranquilized and fitted with a radio collar. | Snare | The Bismarck Tribune, 01/09/08 |
| 12/05/07 | 2 Dogs injured | Survived | Outside Chugach State Park, AK The Alaska Department of Fish and Game received an anonymous complaint of two dogs caught in traps on trails near Mile 5 and Mile 9 of the Knik River Road. Both dogs were injured, but the extent and the types of traps are not known. | Unknown | Anchorage Daily News, 03/09/08 |
| 12/00/07 | Dog 100-lb mixed breed Bo Diddley | Survived | Palmer, AK Bo Diddley stepped on a trap about 10 feet off a trail near Palmer in December. His caregiver got Bo Diddley out of the trap. She then took the trap, left the trapper a nasty note and reported the incident to the Alaska Board of Fish and Game. She also organized a letter-writing campaign. Then she was charged with stealing the trap, hindering lawful trapping and criminal mischief. The charges were later dropped. | Unknown | Associated Press, 07/13/08 |
| 11/27/07 (reported) | Bobcats one a yearling, the other full-grown | Survived | Fountain City, WI When two boys checked their traps "earlier this month," they found a 10- to 15-pound bobcat. The boys' fathercalled a local game warden to free the yearling cat. Then the father also found a full-grown bobcat when he checked the traps a few days later. | Unknown | WKBT-TV |
| 11/26/07 | Dog akbash guard dog, female Buddy | Survived toes amputated | Frenchtown, MT Buddy was caught in a snare trap. "The circulation was completely cut off in her front paw, and they waited until 10 days to try to get the circulation going before making the decision to remove the leg. At the last minute, there was blood in the pad and one toe, the other toes had to be amputated." | Snare | Footloose Montana |
| 11/23/07 | Dog female Belle | Died | Bellevue, IA Belle was killed by a Conibear trap. The trap was placed alongside a gravel road about 400 to 800 yards from homes, where people ride horses and she frequently walks with children and dogs. Horrified that people are allowed to set traps that can kill family pets, Belle's guardian contacted the state Department of Natural Resources about the situation but no one has been charged with a violation. How do you explain to a 3-year-old that her best friend won't be here to play with her any more? | Conibear | Personal communication |
| c. 11/14/07 | Cat Colleen | Died | Van Meter, IA Colleen the cat went missing on November 14. Four days later Colleen's caregiver's son found her in a ditch, caught in a "foothold" trap set for a rabbit or raccoon. "Colleen was alive when he checked the trap and then he killed her," the caregiver said. "He just didn't care." She contacted state officials, who told her that because the trap was not set on her property, there was nothing they could do. The trap was set legally. | Leghold | Des Moines Register, 12/05/07 |
| 11/12/07 | Dog Springer spaniel, 12-year-old male Bart | Died | Eau Claire, WI When a woman rode her horse along an Eau Claire Country Forest trail, her dog Bart often tagged along. "It was so enjoyable to watch him sniffing, smelling, and running after me with his tongue hanging out," she said. That changed. "Bart just ran down the side of the trail to the stream," she said. "I thought it was unusual that he wanted a drink so quickly. And immediately I heard an agonizing howl. I looked down, and he was violently struggling to get this trap off his neck." But she couldn't get the trap apart. "The nightmare just keeps going and going," she said. The trap was legally set but the trapper's license was suspended for failure to take a required trapper education course. | Conibear | WEAU13News, 11/28/07 |
| 11/04/07 | Dog Australian cattle dog and border collie mix, female Scaredly | Survived | York, ME While hiking on Mount Agamenticus, a man heard some "serious barking screaming, basically" from his dog. When he got to his dog, he found a metal trap on her paw. Although the man said he quickly figured out how the trap worked, freeing his dog was a more serious issue. "It took so much strength to get it off," he said. His fellow hiker went for help. Two hours later animal control and police officers arrived and got the trap off her paw. The device that caught Scaredly was a leghold trap, designed to catch small animals such as muskrats, and baited with a bagel. The trap was not labeled, as is required. | Leghold | www.seacoastonline.com, 11/07/07 |
| 11/00/07 | Dog yellow Labrador, 11 months old, female Bella | Died | Rosemount, MN A man was walking his dog along the south shore of Lake Keegan when she caught a whiff of something. Because the man had been training Bella for hunting, he allowed her off the sidewalk about 100 yards to investigate. After exploring, the two started to walk back and passed a metal post. He heard Bella yelp and thought at first that she was tangled in some barbed wire in the grass. When he looked closer, he realized that a metal trap was around her neck. As he frantically struggled to remove it, Bella began to suffocate, her eyes wide and tongue turning blue. "By the time I figured out how it all worked and where the release was, it was too late," he recalled. "She was gone." The man immediately notified the police, thinking there was "no way" trapping could be legal so close to a residential area. The trap was for coyotes and raccoons. He soon found out that Rosemount had no rules on trapping and started writing letters to city officials. His efforts paid off. In September 2008, the Rosemount City Council passed an ordinance 5-0 restricting where traps can be set. | Conibear | Star Tribune, 09/16/08 |
| 10/24/07 (reported) | Human adult woman | Survived with minor injuries to hand | Stony Plain, AB, Canada A woman walking her dog in Hasse Lake Provincial Park spotted the trap. Fearing it could be dangerous for children or dogs, she tried to disable it by fiddling with some levers on the back, but it clamped shut on her hand. Two fishermen managed to pry the trap open. She managed to escape without any broken bones, but she says she plans to ask both the county which has confirmed it owned the trap and the provincial government why the trap was there without warning signs. | Unspecified, probably a small leghold | Calgary Sun, 10/24/07 |
| 10/21/07 | Dog Siberian husky Sage | Died | Fredenberg Township, MN A woman riding horseback on state land sensed her dog was in trouble. Fearing he may have encountered a wolf, she rode home to get her husband before investigating. By the time they returned, the dog was dead, caught in a Conibear trap. The trap was set by an unlicensed trapper. | 220 Conibear | Duluth News Tribune, 10/23/07 |
| 10/20/07 | Dog yellow lab Toby | Survived swelling and bruising | near Standing Rock monument, Southeast ND While pheasant hunting, a group legally entered un-posted land next to a creek/drainage ditch, on a bridge over a gravel road. Almost immediately, Toby started bawling in pain. His right front foot was caught in the trap. Also, Ray, one of the elderly hunters, was caught in another trap while trying to help release the dog. There were 4 or 5 illegal traps all set on land around that culvert and just off the gravel road. None were marked with any identification or flags. Fortunately, members of the group were able to release the dog and hunter from the 2 traps. They tripped the others so no other people or dogs would get injured. The dog was okay and hunter was bruised, but okay. It probably took 15 minutes to release the dog and hunter, "with a lot of struggle". | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form and Trap Free Oregon Incident Report |
| 10/06/07 | Cat young male Trapper | Survived left hind leg amputated | Alden, NY A homeowner found the cat in a tree, with what appeared to be a mouse trap on his left hind leg. He called the Eric County SPCA. By the time the investigator arrived, the man managed to rescue the cat from the tree and confine him in a large box. But the cat's leg wasn't injured by a mouse trap after all. The cat had a leghold trap affixed to his hind leg, leaving only torn flesh and more than three inches of exposed bones. He was rushed to the SPCA's Tonawanda shelter infirmary, where the leg was amputated. Shelter personnel were confident that "Trapper," as they named him, would reach a full recovery. | Leghold | The SPCA Serving Erie County, 10/08/07 |
| late July or early August 2007 | Cat Peanut | Died | Topeka, KS Peanut was caught in a trap meant for skunks. Although the backyard was surrounded by a 6-foot fence, Peanut managed to get in and was caught by the unbaited trap. The nuisance wildlife control operator (NWCO) hired to remove the skunks was convicted of animal cruelty and order to pay a fine of $393. The NWCO initially apologized for the accidental killing to Peanut's caregivers, and returned Peanut's remains to them. The NWCO later wrote, "I was mailed a ticket from the city of Topeka. The city's position is that since I intended to kill the skunk, the death of Peanut was intentional as well." | Conibear | Topeka Capital-Journal Letters to the Editor, 08/12/07; Topeka Capital-Journal, 05/01/08; Topeka Capital-Journal Letters to the Editor, 05/10/08 |
| 03/04/07 | Dog border collie cross Cupcake | Died | Valley of the Moon trailhead, MT Taking advantage of the first warm Sunday of the year, a man took his two dogs for a walk in the Rock Creek drainage. He stopped to study some recent beaver activity, with both dogs within 10 yards or less, "doing what dogs do. Suddenly I heard this loud snap." That sound was immediately followed by a gurgling, strangled kind of noise. "It was a horrible sound. I knew something had happened." Cupcake had disappeared over the creek's bank onto a gravel bar just a few steps away, only to be caught in a Conibear trap that was choking him. The man was unable to get the trap off and watched Cupcake die in less than 30 seconds. The trap was set illegally. The 70-plus-year-old trapper was "very remorseful" and has since pulled his traps. | Conibear | www.missoulan.com, 03/16/07 |
| 02/17/07 | Dog Pebbles | Survived swelling, bruising, and broken bones | Tularosa, NM Pebbles's guardian and a friend were 5 miles from home off a BLM dirt road heading to an arroyo on horseback when Pebbles was caught in a leghold trap. Her guardian and friend had to stand on the trap to open it. Pebbles was in the trap for 15 minutes, but, writes her guardian, "I would have never gotten that trap off of my dog's leg if I had been alone." At the time of this holiday weekend report Pebbles had not yet seen a veterinarian. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 02/04/07 | Dog 70-pound black-and-tan mixed breed | Survived bleeding of paw pad and toes of front right leg | Virginia City Highlands, NV While the dog's caregivers walked along a road just two miles from their property, the dog ran into a little cave and was caught in a leghold trap on her front right paw pad and toes. Both caregivers were bitten as they worked to get the dog out of the trap. The dog was not seriously injured. The trap was set illegally on private property and Nevada Department of Wildlife authorities are investigating. | Leghold | Nevada Appeal, 02/07/07 |
| 02/03/07 | Dog Ace | Died | Millville, MN Ace was caught in a Conibear trap baited with fish near a trout stream just down the road from the house of Ace's caregiver's boyfriend. Ace was in the trap for a night. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 02/01/07 | Dog retriever | Survived folds on face pinched | Galena Creek Regional Park, NV A steel trap snapped shut along Jones Creek, pinching the folds of flesh on a retriever's face and causing the dog to yelp in pain. The dog was freed unharmed. The trap was set legally. | Leghold | Las Vegas Sun, 02/11/07 |
| 01/28/07 | Dog Labrador, female Snowy | Survived few injuries, but traumatized | Terrebonne, OR At a viewpoint on Grey Butte, an off-leash trail listed as in many guide books in Oregon. Snowy was caught in the trap for about 5 minutes when three young men came along at the right time and were able to help free her. Snowy dog survived with few injuries, but was traumatized. Snowy bit her guardian and guardian's mother in her panic. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/21/07 | Dog Billi Jo | Survived swelling and bruising | Indianapolis, IN In a wooded area surrounded by homes filled with dogs, cats, birds, and children, Billi was trapped for about 20 hours in the snare trap before being cut loose. The trap was legally set. | Snare | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/18/07 | Cat Lieutenant Dan (named by foster home) | Survived front paw amputated | Tillamook, OR Abandoned by his guardians who moved from an apartment complex, Dan disappeared for a week before reappearing dragging the leghold trap. His front paw was almost severed off and had to be amputated. According to the attending veterinarian, Dan had been in the trap for at least 48 hours. Dan is now in the foster care of a volunteer for United Paws of America, a local all-volunteer spay/neuter non-profit group. Police are investigating the source of the trap. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/12/07 | Dogs Great Dane (Lokee), Shepherd (Maggie) | Died/Survived Lokee died; Maggie had part of her paw amputated | Fort Macleod/Cardston, AB, Canada Along a river bank 1/2 mile from home, Maggie and Lokee were trapped in a snare for 55 hours. Maggie lay beside her buddy's body for over two days before the dogs were found, and her personality is now completely changed. The owner of the trap was never found. | Snare | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/11/07 | Human | Survived cut finger | Clearfield, PA Near a farm in the woods, a man cut his finger while trying to remove a raccoon that he had trapped. The man did not seek treatment at the hospital because of the nature of the incident. | Unknown | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/10/07 | Red Fox | Survived two toes amputated | East Concord, NY A woman rescued a Red fox that was in a coyote trap. The fox "a gorgeous adult male weighing 11.6 lbs" had to have two of his toes surgically removed this afternoon, but he is otherwise ok. Nearby was found a pile of skinned fox carcasses nearby. The trap was illegally set. | Leghold | Personal communication |
| 01/08/07 | Dog black-and-brown brindled pit bull-shepherd mix, female Holly | Survived emaciated left front leg amputated | Barre, MA A three-week search for a dog caught in a leghold trap ended when local police received a tip that the dog was in a garage at a local residence. The dog, named Holly because the search had extended through the Christmas holidays, had been spotted near the center of town on 12/16/06. Though the leg was not broken, wounds from the prolonged pressure of the trap had penetrated to the bone and could not be repaired. The leg was removed at the shoulder, and a full recovery is expected. At press time the owner of the probably illegal trap had not been indentified. | Leghold | Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA), 01/09/07 |
| 01/06/07 | Dog Malamute Kumo | Survived swelling, cut, and bruising | Joseph, OR A leghold trap on National Forest land 25 yards from a road unmaintained in winter that is a popular dog-walking and snow-shoeing and skiing site, Kumo was trapped for 5 minutes. Three trappers run lines along this two mile stretch of popular road, legally using leghold traps and snares. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/31/06 | 2 Dogs Polish Lowland Sheepdog and Sealyham terrier | Survived | Moab, UT About 100 yards from the parking lot of a popular hiking/biking trail, the sheepdog, Mick, was caught in a leghold trap. While his caregiver was freeing Mick, the terrier came up to see what was going on and was immediately caught in a second leghold trap, and became so terrifed she bit the man trying to free her. The sheepdog had a bruised bone and limped for several weeks; otherwise there was no permanent physical damage. The traps were legal. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps Non-Target Animal Trapping Incident Report Form |
| 12/13/06 | Dog Jack Russell terrier Harper | Died | Guelph, ON, Canada A woman had taken her dogs, Harper and Hero for a walk in a leash-free area adjacent to an expressway. Harper walked near a fence a few meters from the walking trail and stuck his head in the trap, which snapped around his neck. The woman was immediately drawn by the dog's howls, but could not free him. He gasped for air before dying in her arms. The trap was set legally. | Conibear | Guelph Mercury, 12/30/06 |
| 12/10/06 | Dog Hope | Escaped without engaging traps | Congress, AZ While searching for a missing person a desert area near homes and a road, Search and Rescue K9 Hope almost stepped on two side by side engaged leghold traps. This was a close call, as the traps were noticed just in time by the handler before the dog could step on them. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/00/06 | Dog | Died | Fredenberg Township, MN A dog was caught in a Conibear trap. The trap was set legally in woods where children often play. | Conibear | Duluth News Tribune, 10/23/07 |
| 11/26/06 | Dog 4-year-old, 50-pound, Minnie Pinn mix Meesha | Died | Mount Van Hoevenberg, NY A woman and her two daughters saw their dog, Meesha, killed by a seven-inch Conibear 220 trap set a short distance from one of the cross-country ski center's trails. | Conibear | HSUS Blog Spot, reprinted from Adirondack Daily Enterprise, 06/01/07 |
| 11/23/06 | Dog 5-year-old Corgi Basil | Died | Colon, NE Taking a break from preparing Thanksgiving dinner, caregiver took her 4 dogs for a walk down a country road. Basil ran into a roadside ditch and never came back. His caregiver spotted his limp body in a 220 Conibear trap; her husband, who retrieved the body, said Basil had died instantly when his neck was broken. The trap was illegal, being larger than legal limits as well as baited with a dead opossum. | Conibear | Omaha World-Herald, 02/14/07 |
| 11/22/06 | Dog terrier PeeWee | Died | Newton, IL Taking PeeWee for a walk in the patch of woods behind his house, he found her lying next to the river by the trees. The trap was around her neck and she died while he was trying to release it. The trap was set for a raccoon, set on its side on the pathway and held up with two sticks. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps Non-Target Animal Trapping Incident Report Form |
| 11/22/06 | Dog 14-month-old Labrador Retriever Hunter | Died | Lake Luzerne, NY Hunter was caught in a Conibear 220 trap that was unlabeled and 30 feet off a hiking trail at Stone Mountain in the woods. Hunter choked to death within 5 minutes, and it took 15 minutes to hacksaw the trap off. The trap was illegal, set by an unknown poacher. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form; News10, 12/01/06 |
| c. 11/22/06 | Dog Rottweiler-Lab mix | Died | Lake Placid, NY An unnamed dog was caught in a Conibear 220 trap that was legally placed near the Cross Country Ski Trails. | Conibear | News10, 12/01/06 |
| c. 11/22/06 | Dog beagle | Died | Penn Mountain State Forest, Oneida County, NY An unnamed dog was caught in a Conibear 220 trap that was legally placed in the Penn Mountain State Forest. | Conibear | News10, 12/01/06 |
| 11/00/06 (reported 03/21/07) | Dog 2-year-old German Shorthair Pointer Santini | Died | Perryville, MD Santini was lured to a bucket baited with meat inside and the Conibear trap. "It was about 12 inches by 12 inches and it clamped down around his neck," said Santini's caregiver. The trap that killed Santini is legal in Maryland, but it is supposed to be tagged and only used sunken in marshy areas to catch muskrats. This trap was set illegally. | Conibear | Cecil Whig (Elkton, MD), 03/21/07 |
| 10/22/06 | Dog German Shorthair Pointer Browning | Survived with some bruising and swelling | Clark, PA On a state game land, where Browning's caregivers frequently walk him and sightsee with their two daughters (ages 2 and 4). Browning was in the trap for about 10 minutes before being rescued. "He can hardly walk on it today from it being so sore and swollen," writes his caregiver, who adamantly opposes traps. "This is my second pet to fall victim to a trap," she adds. "Unfortunately, my cat was not as lucky, and after five days and two chewed-off hind legs, she was able to crawl home to us, only to have to be euthanized immediately. She fell victim to an illegal trap on my grandmother's posted land." | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 10/03/06 (reported) | Cat 6-month-old male orange Tabby Trapper | Survived crushed front leg, possible amputation | Brentwood, DC A steel hunting trap meant for a fox, set next to the Metro's Redline rails (by New York Avenue) near the Brentwood Postal Facility in Northeast DC ensnared Trapper, crushing his front leg. | Leghold, illegal | www.nbc4.com |
| 08/10/06 | Cat Smoki | Survived hind leg amputated | Fredonia, NY Smoki was caught for several hours in a neighbor's leghold trap (the second time a cat in this neigborhood has been caught in this neighbors trap). In addition to injuries severe enough to warrant amputation of a hind leg, had a broken jaw, which the veterinarian wired for 3 weeks. Cost: $400$500. Authorities said the neighbor "had every right" to have this trap on his property. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 07/10/06 | Cat black-and-white male kitten | Survived tail and right hind leg amputated | Olympia, WA A woman found the cat on her porch. She called Feline Friends, a nonprofit cat and kitten rescue group, who told her to take the cat to the South Bay Veterinary Hospital. The cat's tail was dangling by a thin piece of skin. A bloody stump was all that was left of his right hind paw. "His foot was pretty much gone," said the veterinarian who operated on the kitten. "It was traumatized beyond belief." The kitten is resilient and bounced back in little over a week. "He's doing great," the veterinarian said. "We let him out in the clinic when it's slow, and he moves around. He's eating great and trying to jump on stuff. He's being very playful and affectionate." | Snare, illegal | The Olympian, 07/19/06 |
| 07/03/06 | Cat 4-year-old neutered male tabby | Survived leg broken and may have to be amputated | Boise, ID A woman found the cat caught in the trap inside the engine compartment of her car while parked at a local Albertson's supermarket. It's unknown whether the cat made the trip with her or whether he crawled inside the compartment while she was at the store. She called animal control, and an officer came to rescue the injured feline. "The trap itself crushed all of the bones in the cat's leg and have probably done permanent nerve damage. These traps are extremely strong and on a small leg of a cat, they do immeasurable damage," said a spokeswoman with the Idaho Humane Society. Humane Society officials say if his broken leg worsens, they may have to amputate it. Authorities have offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who set the illegal steel leghold trap. They are also looking for the cat's owner. | Leghold | Fox12Idaho.com, 07/03/06 |
| 02/28/06 | Cat male Kitty | Survived front leg amputated | Pincher Creek, AB, Canada A local reporter found her cat, Kitty, mewling outside her open apartment window. The bone of his front leg were visible through broken and bleeding skin. Horrified, she brought him inside, where he dragged his way across the kitchen floor, trailing blood from his limp paw. "It looked really alien," she said. "He was bleeding everywhere." When she took Kitty to the vet the next morning, she was told the animal's wounds did not seem to be have been caused by an animal attack or a car accident. There were no teeth marks or crushed bones, and the cat was otherwise uninjured. The vet told her the fracture and missing skin were consistent with those of a cat trying desperately to free itself from a wire snare. Unfortunately, the wounds were also too severe to save the cat's leg. It would have to be amputated, at a cost of more than $500. | Snare | Pincher Creek Echo, 03/31/06 |
| 02/20/06 | Dog Max | Survived rear left leg amputated, crushed rear right foot may not heal | Ravenswood, WV Max was caught in a trap somewhere near creek that runs through his caregiver's backyard. She "discovered yesterday that traps have been washing onto my property for years after floods. The trapper was in my field on the day of the incident looking for lost traps after finding out about my dog's injuries. Our last flood was several weeks ago, so the trapper is obviously not checking his traps daily as required by law." The caregiver says she will will pursue charges and seek compensation for Max's vet expenses. She writes, "The incident is very fresh, so I'm spending all of my time taking care of Max and cleaning him up. I'm still somewhat in shock." | Unknown | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 02/04/06 | Dog Lab cross Leo | Survived developed infection | Preston County, WV The incident took place on the edge of an old logging road used as popular hiking trail, in the West Virginia University research forest, which is land leased long-term from Coopers Rock State Forest. Leo's caregiver reports, "It was not feasible for me to remove the trap alone because the dog was in a frenzy and trying to bite. After running one mile round-trip to retrieve tools from my vehicle I managed to dig up the rebar stake holding the trap to the ground. Then I used a cell phone to call friends. I spent approximately 1 hour on the ground restraining and calming the dog while waiting for help. The trap was illegal because it had no identification on it. WV law states, vaguely, that traps can't be 'in human or livestock trails'. This trap was right on the edge of the trail. I notified the local newspaper and although I spoke with a reporter in person and followed up by phone with more information, no story was published to my knowledge. I know the newspaper reporter went as far as contacting the WV Division of Natural Resources because the conservation officer I spoke to mentioned it." The veterinarian treating Leo prescribed 10 days cephalexin for the infection. The caregiver further reports, "A week or more before this incident, a West Virginia University student was cited and fined for placing traps illegally (directly on trails)in the area. The WVDNR officer I spoke with said that they could not prove who set the trap that injured Leo." | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 02/00/06 | Cat | Died | New Gloucester, ME In the woods an elderly hunter found the cat dead in a trap. The man said the wounds were so severe he could not tell his wife lest it upset her. | Unknown | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/24/06 | Dog Airedale Bear | Survived with some bruising | Alto, NM On a "very busy" trail designated by the Bureau of Land Management as a hiking/recreation trail leading to the Rio Bonito petroglyphs, Bear caught his coat and a bit of his flesh in a leghold trap. Bear ran and lost the trap within one minute, suffering only mild bruising. The trap was one of nine traps located immediately off road, 3 to 20 feet from the road edge. Only two traps had faint 4-digit markings and all traps, according to game warden, were of the illegal type (not offset jaw type). | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/17/06 | Dog male Lab/Hound cross Bear | Died | Enderby, BC, Canada A woman was walking her dog Bear on a well traveled forestry road close to homes when he went ahead of her up a trail they often used. Bear cried in pain several times and the woman discovered him head first in a Conibear trap. "There was nothing I could do to get him out," she writes, "and I had to stand there and watch him die. I am traumatized and sick with grief." Bear was in the trap only a couple of minutes. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/16/06 | Dogs females, one a black Lab Roxy and Inuk | Died | La Peche, QC, Canada On the border of two residential developments, a licensed trapper set "bear" traps with fresh deer meat. In less than 36 hours three dogs separately left their homes, one of them, Boreal, breaking her metal chain. "Boreal's 20-foot chain was found tangled around a tree a few yards in front of the traps. Somehow she destroyed her collar to set herself free. Maybe it was the -20 temperature or the fatigue of the struggle that sent her home. Maybe she could not longer smell the meat, now frozen. Maybe she was just lucky. The traps were already full." Roxy and Inuk's bodies were found in a play space for children, in a wooded area with forest trails linking between friends' houses. The trapper has the right as a Quebec property owner and licensed trapper to put down traps, but the residents are outraged "that he laid the traps on the border of our family community not only drawing predators in but drawing our pets out and killing both wild and tame dogs." | "box shape for trapping coyote, name unknown" | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 01/02/06 | Dog male Joe | Died | Rapid River, MI Only 150 yards from his home, on private property across a river, Joe died shortly after being caught in the trap. It took 24 hours to locate him. Although avid trail hikers who welcome dogs on their hikes, Joe's caregivers now feel this activity has been taken away from them. "According to the DNR, there could be hundreds of these [traps] in this area. The traps are hidden in makeshift logs, and baited." The woman who reported this incident wrote, "My husband and I would be harassed if we spoke out publicly in the area. The majority of the hunters in this area poach and do not follow specific any specific laws." The trap was not illegal. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/25/05 | Dog male Jeffrey | Died | Southampton, NY Jeffrey's guardian was walking him close to the water's edge in a town nature preserve when Jeffrey stuck his head into some brush where the trap was hidden. "The pet owner arrived in our office frantic with the trap on the dog's head," said a representative from the Animal Rescue Fund in Wainscott. Jeffrey, which ARF rescued from the Bahamas after Hurricane Francis in 2004, was killed. The trap appeared to be illegal, its target probably muskrat. | Conibear | Pet-Abuse.com |
| 12/16/05 | Dog female Zoe | Died | Garfield County, UT Zoe was a certified therapy dog who worked with at-risk youth in a wilderness program. She was hiking on a public road with a girls' group when she was killed by the cyanide trap. The trap was 10 feet from the road at the most. A federal government trapper placed the trap on the private property at the rancher's request. Zoe's caregiver is contemplating a lawsuit against the USDA's Wildlife Services for not following guidelines of placement of M-44 traps (no closer than 50 feet from a public road or path and no closer than 200 feet from a public stream). | M-44 cyanide trap | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/13/05 | Bobcat | Died euthanized by Game and Fish officials and finding the right front paw almost severed, making the bobcat impossible to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild | Silver City, NM A local resident found the young adult bobcat on his 4-acre property, hiding under a bush. On the end of the chain opposite the trap, the prongs that are designed to secure the trap had obviously come loose from whatever it had been attached to, and became hung up in a chain near the man's driveway. A Game and Fish officer speculated that the bobcat may have been walking down the paved street, dragging the trap, and spooked by a car darted for the driveway. | Leghold, illegally set | Silver City Sun-News, 12/15/05 |
| 12/12/05 | Dog German Shepherd, female Dixie | Died | Vassar, MI Dixie's guardian was heading outside to let her back into the house when he realized that she had gotten away from the yard. As he headed across the street, he found Dixie crawling up a ditch with an animal trap around her neck, fighting for her life. Dixie died a short time later. The trap had no identification, so it couldn't be traced to anyone. Sheriff deputies then questioned the neighbor but said they could not prove anything. One of the man's neighbors says two of his dogs were murdered and thinks that the man who he believes is responsible, actually admitted to him that he traps and buries neighborhood pets. Sheriff deputies said they could not prove anything. | Conibear | abc12.com, 12/14/05 |
| 12/11/05 | Dog Zephyr | Died | Sag Harbor, NY In the Greenbelt Nature Preserve in Suffolk County, a Conibear trap was set in a 5-gallon bucket 50 feet from a trail by the edge of the water. Zephyr, who was rescued from Hurricane Frances in 2004 by the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, was in the trap only two minutes, but that was long enough to kill. The owner of the trap was cited for not having a tag on the trap. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/01/05 | Dog male | Survived leg was bleeding, taken to vet | Public land off Hwy 90 just south of the Continental Divide, NM The Tyrone Tramps, a local hiking club, was when one of the members' dogs was caught in a trap set in the middle of a well used trail up a dry wash. Another member reported that everyone in the group was upset by the incident and that the person who was able to free the dog from the trap angrily threw it into the bushes. | Leghold | Silver City Sun-News, 12/14/05 |
| 12/00/05 | Cat Leroy | Survived sustained swelling, bruising, cuts | Kansas City, KS Leroy was trapped by a steel jaw leghold trap and suffered sustained swelling, bruising, cuts. Amputation was considered but antibiotics healed the wounds and leg was left intact. They found the cat under a dumpster with the trap on him. He'd been caught near a creek behind his guardian's house. It's within city limits. Trap owner was not found and no one was charged. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/27/05 | Dog female 8-month-old border cocker spaniel Daisy | Died | Sunderland, ON, Canada "We live on a rural property. We have always had an open invitation to share trails. They set up traps without telling us only feet over the property line. From the trapping location you could hear our children playing in our yard." The neighbors have never apologized or taken any responsibility for this. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/27/05 | Dog female 3-year-old border collie cross Grizzly | Died | Weippe, ID After Grizzly went missing, her caregivers searched for hours without success. Before dawn the next morning they resumed the search, checking the nearby RV Park and Campground. The husband stepped into a trap on the edge of the pond, but managed to free himself. Five hours later they found Grizzly in the Park. Horrifying was that just a few feet away was Samson, their 5-month-old Bindle boxer cross adopted from a shelter, dead with a broken neck. Samson had disappeared just 5 days before. Apparently the trapper removed the trap from Samson and reset it. The owner of the RV Park denied all knowledge of the traps, then recanted and said they were set for beaver. The caregivers have absolutely no legal recourse. | Conibear | Personal communication from caregiver |
| 11/08/05 | Human female nurse | Survived with minor injuries to foot | Gila National Forest, NM The woman was walking in the forest when her dog stepped into a trap; when she attempted to open that trap, she stepped into a leghold trap. "I was wearing sandals at the time, and luckily was able to pull back quickly so the trap only grazed my toes, drawing some blood, before it clamped onto the end of my sandal," she said. | Leghold | Silver City Sun-News, 11/17/05 |
| 10/29/05 | Dog female 10-year-old mixed breed Candi | Survived Candi received an injection of steroid to keep her esophagus from swelling and also a painkiller | Sault Sainte Marie, MI In a wooded area behind their home, Candi's caregivers walked her and another dog. While they went over to a pond that neighborhood children had recently filled with goldfish, Candi poked her head into a bucket that was tipped on its side. Candi's caregiver watched in horror as the trap's jaws clamped down on Candi's head. Wrote the woman: "I was screaming hysterically. She was suffering and in much pain. My two children and I watched her eyes roll up in her head, she defecated, and she stopped moving. Her tongue lolled out. She was dead. We saw her die." But the man found them and knew how to spring the trap. After 30 seconds when Candi didn't move, he asked her if she wanted a treat and to go for a ride in the car. Her chest started to move and her tail wagged. "It truly was a miracle." | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 10/23/05 | Dog female terrier mix Lizzy | Died | Center Twp., PA While walking with caregiver and another dog 20 feet off a trail and on private propery, Lizzy went to sniff something at a den hole. Her head was immediately caught in the trap. In spite of valiant effors, she died in the man's arms. He carried her home and cut the trap in order to remove it. While returning the trap with a note attached with contact info, he encountered the trap owner, who became very beligerant and said: "I don't give a f--- about your dog." Lizzy's caregivers believe the trap was set illegally by a den hole, untagged and an illegal trap by PA game commission regs. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 10/13/05 | Dogs Merl and Simba | Survived but severely dehydrated, within hours of death | Makanda, IL In a forested area across the street from house, where kids and dogs play year 'round, a hunter threatened to kill the dogs if he saw them in the forest while he was hunting. The hunter set the traps within a week of making the threat. The dogs were caught in the traps and stayed overnight at the vet hospital, being unable even to drink water because of the swelling of their throats. Charges against the hunter are pending. | "Steel body trap" | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 08/11/05 | Dog female Brownie | Survived swelling, cut and bruising | Galivants Ferry, SC "I was walking with my 2 dogs near the woods when Brownie started yelping," writes her caregiver. "The trap that got her was so old and rusty there was no ribber buffer left. I took me about a full minute to figure out how to get it off. I pulled the trap out of the ground and threw it in a nearby pond!" Brownie's caregiver cleaned the wound with peroxide and bandaged it, deeming the wound not serious enough to require a vet visit. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 08/00/05 | Cat male Mushy | Euthanized due to severe injuries from the trap | Dover-Foxcroft, ME On a street lined on both sides with houses, where most homes have companion animals, Mushy was found in a trap by person(s) unknown and put in the caregiver's back yard for caregiver to find. The veterinarian said that Mushy had been in the trap for a while. "Both back legs were torn to shreds and the bone splintered and hanging out." Mushy was put to sleep to end his suffering. In asking around the neighborhood, the caregiver could find no one who knew of any traps in the area. "Rumors started about middle school boys playing with traps just to see what they could catch." | Unknown | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 07/26/05 | Dog Husky/ German shepherd mix, 5 to 6 years old, female | Died | Schuylkill Haven, PA In a rural wooded area adjacent to within feet of residential backyard property, a woman saw the dog crawling and trying to paw what she thought was a muzzle of the contraption off her snout. When she approached to give the dog some water, it was discovered to be caught in a head trap. The SPCA was immediately alerted. The dog's snout, neck, and mouth were pinned by the Conibear trap. The trap could not be removed at the scene. The dog died in transport to animal hospital. It took several SPCA workers to pry the trap from the dog's head. The trap was set illegally set to catch groundhogs by a neighbor who neglected to warn neighbors in the surrounding area. Three other Conibear traps were found on his property. The man who set the trap claimed he had no idea the traps were illegal. Cats in the neighborhood have disappeared since the traps were set. Charges are expected to be filed before Magisterial district judge. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form; The Republican & Herald, 07/27/05 |
| 07/06/05 | Cat male Snowflake | Died - "euthanized due to symptoms associated with severe head trauma" | Timmins, ON, Canada A woman was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada with two counts of causing unnecessary pain and injury to a cat, Snowflake. The Timmins & District Humane Society received a complaint from her neighbour saying that the family's cat had been caught in a conibear trap (a body gripping trap traditionally used by licensed trappers) on the woman's property. Snowflake's guardians took him to a veterinarian where he was hospitalized for further observation and treatment before being sent home. Sadly, Snowflake had a poor response to therapy and his condition worsened. Less than a week after Snowflake was discharged he was brought back to the veterinarian and euthanized due to symptoms associated with severe head trauma. | Conibear | OSPCA, 12/03/05 |
| 03/13/05 | Coyote | Died | Bloomdale Cemetery, MI A coyote was caught in a snare that was part of a trap line set in residential area. The coyote was discovered by police, "starving and bleeding from the neck." Police could not release the coyote and were forced to kill the animal. | Snare | Detroit Free Press, 03/24/05 |
| 03/07/05 | Dog 15-month-old black Lab and border collie mix female Oreo Cookie | Died | Chugach State Park, AK A couple was hiking when their dog went off the trail and stuck her head into the opening of a small teepee about two feet high. An illegal spring-loaded Conibear trap snapped shut on her neck, killing her. | Conibear | Anchorage Daily News, 03/09/05 |
| 03/04/05 | Dog Sam | Survived leg broken | Fair Grove, MO A 78-year-old man was charged with felony animal abuse after baiting a steel trap with a dead cow to catch a neighbor's dog. The dog was released by his caregiver and taken to the vet to have his broken leg set in cast. The man who set the trap said that he had pulled a dead cow to the back side of his property and dumped it next to his fence line. He tied some traps on the cow. He said the people who live in the trailer park, near the backside of his land, let their dogs roam free, he believed one of the dogs from the trailer park killed his cow. The man said it did not matter because he had the right to kill any dog he finds on his property. He said he knew the dead cow would cause the dogs to come onto his property. He wanted to trap all of the dogs running loose, and then he would kill them. He also said the sheriff's department doesn't scare him, and he will continue to kill any dogs he finds on his property. | Leghold | Webster County Citizen, 03/17/05 |
| 03/00/05 | Red fox | Died | Atlantic City, NJ, near Garden State Parkway and Jones Creek Red fox photographed running with a wire snare wrapped around his neck. Fox escaped the object that the snare was anchored to but not the snare itself. On 03/13/05, the fox was found dead. | Snare | The Press of Atlantic City, 03/15/05 |
| 02/26/05 | Cat 2-year-old shorthaired Angus | Injured still unknown if he will not lose his leg | Burnaby, BC, Canada Angus stepped into a leghold trap and was seriously injured. Burnaby PCMP is warning families with young children and pet owners to be careful. The trap was set illegally within city limits | Leghold | CBC News, 03/01/05 |
| 02/07/05 | Dogs 2 English Mastiffs | Died | Cass County, MO Traps were set on a creek in a residential area to capture beaver and otter. The two dogs were trapped instead (very close to their home). When the trapper found the dogs caught in the traps, he shot and killed them. | Traps set for beaver and otter | www.thekansas citychannel.com |
| 02/00/05 | Dog Black Labrador mix | Survived temporary leg injuries | Wyandotte, MI A dog was walking with his guardian at the Wyandotte Shores Golf Course and was caught by trap placed by city personnel to capture coyotes. | Leghold | The News-Herald, 02/27/05 |
| 02/00/05 | Dog Bear | Died | Big Baddeck, NS, Canada While out riding on a dirt road with a client, a horseranch owner saw her dog, Bear, sniff at a snare baited with a deer carcass, get hooked, and die. "It was probably the most horrifying experience I've ever seen," she said. In Nova Scotia, snares must be about 600 feet from dwellings unless permission is granted by the owner, but traps can be placed on privately owned land without permission unless a notice is posted prohibiting the traps. There's no law governing the distance the traps must be from a road. |
Snare | The Boston Globe, 02/08/05 |
| 01/04/05 | Dogs 2 Labrador retriever puppies | Died | Spicer, MN The Labrador retriever puppies strayed from home and were caught and killed in raccoon traps. The trapper who found them buried the bodies so it would like the dogs were stolen, on the assumption that the children who loved the dogs might be comforted if they thought the dogs were stolen and therefore still alive. | "Raccoon" traps | Associated Press |
| 01/00/05 | Dog German Shepherd 8-year-old female Zoe | Survived | Palmer, AK Along an angler's path off the Old Glenn Highway, Zoe caught her head in a Conibear 330 trap baited with half a salmon. Zoe's head was engulfed and the heavy ruff at her neck crushed. A man muscled open the trap to free Zoe, and his sister, Zoe's caregiver, administered CPR. Zoe survived. Although the trap was set legally, it was not set ethically, being buried under a scum of dead leaves on the trail. | Conibear | Anchorage Daily News, 04/11/05 |
| c. 12/25/04 | Dog Great Pyrenees, white, male Tio | Died shot by a trapper | Victor, MT A couple who had permission from their neighboring landowner to run their dogs on the land. But a man who lives in the area, who has permission to trap coyotes as predators on land north of the couple's, shot Tio when the dog was caught in one of his traps at least two miles from the couple's house. He had seen Tio chasing livestock, he said, bunching up cows against a fence corner. He would have shot Tio if he had seen him running, too, he said. "It's their fault," the man said in a phone interview, "because that dog was chasing cows." The deputy county attorney assigned to the case said he couldn't think of a law the trapper would have violated. "The guy clearly has a civil case against him," he said. "But whether any law was violated is very unclear." He has never seen a case like this, he said, of a trapper shooting a dog he caught. The local county Dog Ordinance prohibits dogs from being "at large," he said. "I'm not trying to pick on these people," he said. "But their dog was at large." The couple said Tio was on land they had permission to walk and run their dogs on. They say that the trapper didn't have to tell them that he hadn't seen their dog while they searched for four days at Christmas. And he didn't have to shoot Tio twice in the top of the head for getting caught in his trap. "I realize we maybe put our dogs in harm's way," said one of Tio's guardians. "But we didn't shoot them. We didn't pull the trigger." | Unknown | Missoulian, 02/09/05 |
| 12/22/04 | Dog Bull | Died | Swan Creek Road off Gallatin Canyon, near Big Sky, MT A man let his dog, Bull, out of the car to run for exercise. When Bull failed to return, the man followed his tracks and found him "fatally caught in a snare trap." The trap was legally set. | Snare | Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 01/09/05 |
| 12/16/04 | Dog Rottweiler 4-year-old Brutus | Died | Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada Brutus suffocated when a beaver trap snapped over his throat. The dog went limp after about a minute of struggling. The trap was set beside a stream that is only about 100 meters from the road. There were no signs warning about the trap. Following this incident, the City of Port Coquitlam took immediate action to remove beaver traps from public property. | Unspecified; probably a small conibear or leghold | Vancouver Sun, 12/17/04; City of Port Coquitlam Press Release, 12/17/04 |
| 12/10/04 | Cat Cuddles | Died | Waialae Nui, HI A family found a neighbors cat caught in a steel-jaw leghold trap in their front yard and rushed him to the vet where he later died. An unknown person had tied the trap to a tree in their yard. | Leghold | The Honolulu Advertiser, 12/10/04 |
| 12/05/04 | Dog Jack Russell Terrier Olie Olson | Died | Belleville, WI Olie ran into a Conibear trap during a walk. Once the man noticed Olie was missing it took him 3 to 4 minutes to find the dog in the grass. Olie could not emit any sound because the trap had such a tight grasp around his neck and body. The man struggled to remove the dog for about 5 minutes but it was too late. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/00/04 | Dog | Unknown | Richmond, PE, Canada A dog was caught by snare set on a farm while on a walk with caregiver. The snare, though placed in an area heavily frequented by dogs and their caregivers, was set legally. | Snare | The Journal-Pioneer, 12/31/04 |
| 12/00/04 | Black bear cub | Survived released | Legonier Valley, PA A high school junior reported catching a 60-pound black bear cub a trap set for fox. After hearing snarling noises in the woods behind his home, he found the bear in the trap and called the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who came to the scene and tranquilized the bear and released it into the woods. (2 or 3 bear cubs are caught by traps every year in Pennsylvania.) | Unknown | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 12/19/04 |
| 12/00/04 | Dog basset hound 5-year-old Levi | Died | Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, VT Levi was killed by a conibear trap set in the refuge and baited with a muskrat carcass. Officials from Vermonts Fish and Game Department unapologetically told Levis caregiver that the trap was set legally and that she should not have allowed her dog to be without a leash. | Conibear | St. Albans Messenger, 12/18/04 |
| 12/00/04 | Dog Siberian husky Bali | Died | Dubuque, IA A man was walking his 2 dogs in a wooded area near his home when 1 of the dogs ran down to the creek and was caught by the head in a conibear trap. The man struggled to remove the trap for several minutes but the dog died before he was successful. The trap was set legally. | Conibear | Telegraph Herald, 12/07/04 |
| 11/30/04 | Dog Bernese Swiss hound Shiela | Died | Chassell, MI A hunter had placed Shiela and 2 other dogsin an enclosed running pen on his property. When he returned later in the evening, he found the pen empty and evidence a coyote had dug into the pen. The dogs had tracking collars, and the hunter searched for them. When he found Shiela, she had been killed in a snare trap, designed to choke a coyote in a wire lasso. The trap was illegally placed and out of season. | Snare | The Daily Mining Gazette, 12/22/04 |
| 11/28/04 | Dog | Survived | NM A woman walking her dog on BLM land witnessed the animal stepping into a leghold trap. The trap caught the dogs foot and the woman tried for several minutes to pry the dog free. The woman gave up on prying open the trap and dug up the trap from the ground and drove the trapped dog about 30 minutes to a vet. It was there that the dog was released and has recovered from the incident. | Leghold | Rio Grande Sierra Club |
| 11/24/04 | Dog Shepherd mix, female Pivo | Died | Grand Marais/Newberry, MI Camping at the Blind Sucker State Campground during deer hunting season, Pivo's caregivers were very careful to be wearing orange, even on the dog. Pivo wandered approximately 40 feet from the designated campsite. She tripped, but was not hurt by, a leg trap, but five minutes later she found the Conibear trap that killed her. There were no tags on the traps and both were lying on the ground and set. Pivo's caregivers were unable to remove the trap from her neck before she was asphyxiated within minutes. | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/15/04 | Dog Malamute Hakata Sioux | Survived bruised | Brookings, SD A dog was caught in a Conibear trap in an abandoned lane near the family's rural residence. Although Hakata Sioux was trapped for 30 minutes, she was rescued in time to suffer no more than bruises and "emotional trauma." | Conibear | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/10/04 | Dog Brittany Spaniel Ginger | Died | Lowell, MI A woman walking her Brittany spaniel on public property let the dog off the leash to run. The dog was caught by the head in a trap baited with fish guts. The woman could not remove the trap and stayed with her dog until she died. The woman then walked to the police station. | Unspecified; probably a small Conibear or leghold | www.woodtv.com, 12/08/04; Grand Rapids Press, 12/07/04 |
| 11/00/04 | Dog | Survived leg amputated | Maquoketa, IA Jackson County Sheriffs Department found a dog caught in a leghold in rural Maquoketa. The dogs leg eventually was amputated. | Leghold | Telegraph Herald, 12/07/04 |
| 10/00/04 | Dog 6-year-old | Unknown | WI A dog was caught by a Conibear trap set on private property without the landowners permission. The dog belonged to the landowner. The trapper was cited for trespassing by the sheriffs department, but was not charged with any violation of trapping regulations by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources since the trap set was set legally. | Conibear | The Trapper and Predator Caller, 12/04 |
| 10/00/04 | Dog Weimaraner, male Ruger | Survived swelling, cuts | While on maternity leave Ruger's guardian was walking her dogs along a gravel road. Approximately 200 yards from homes along the road was a leghold trap. Ruger was trapped and he panicked. When she tried to free him, she was bitten. She had to run home for a muzzle with her newborn in tow. The trapper was not found and no one was charged. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 08/00/04 | Great horned owl | Survived | Fredonia, WI A great horned owl that had been injured in a steel-jaw leghold trap was brought to the Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. | Leghold | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 09/04/04 |
| 08/00/04 | Dog | Died | New Paltz, NY A family dog was killed by a beaver trap set by a local property owner to deal with beavers on his land. No signs had been posted on his property to warn people about the traps. After a campaign by local anti-trapping activists, the New Paltz Village Board voted unanimously to approve a new law to restrict the use of lethal traps to deal with nuisance animals. | Beaver trap | Daily Freeman, 09/02/04 |
| 08/00/04 | Dog German Shepherd | Survived | Midland, MI A German Shepherd was caught by a steel-jaw leghold trap set on its owners neighbors property. The neighbor admitted to the owner that he had found the dog and left the animal in the trap for 36 hours without notifying anybody or giving him food or water. After the owner rescued her dog, he began to develop gangrene from his injuries. After veterinary care and antibiotics, the dog eventually recovered. The incident was reported to local animal control officers, who said it was beyond their control to take action against the neighbor who set the trap. | Leghold | private correspondence to The Humane Society of the United States, 08/05/04 |
| 07/27/04 | Coyote | Survived missing limb | Santa Fe, NM A female coyote was found with a trap attached to her leg which was only hanging on by a small amount of skin. A State Game & Fish officer helped to rescue the coyote by removing the trap. The coyote survived but with only 3 limbs. | Leghold | Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club |
| 04/16/04 | Dog Blue Heeler | Survived | Gila Forest, NM A dog was caught in a trap while visiting the forest with caretakers. Dog was taken to the vet. Trap was not marked and there were no signs indicating that traps were set in the area. | Leghold | Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club |
| 04/11/04 | Dog | Survived | NM A dog stepped in leghold trap and was taken to the vet and treated for injuries to the foot. | Leghold | Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club |
| 04/00/04 | Great horned owl | Euthanized due to extensive injuries | Osoyoos, BC, Canada A farmer intentionally set traps for owls in attempts to protect chickens neighbors called the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls after they spotted a Great Horned Owl floundering in a trap on the farm. | Leghold | CBC News, 04/07/04 |
| 04/00/04 (found) |
Lynx | Survived lost front leg to trap | Bowron Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada A wildlife photographers dog found front leg of a lynx in the woods near the park. The foot likely had been chewed off by the lynx in an attempt to escape a steel-jaw leghold trap, which are set in large numbers in the lands surrounding the boundaries of the park. | Leghold | C.A.S.H. Courier (newsletter of the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting), Summer 2004 |
| 03/00/04 | Bald eagle | Survived missing leg and talon | Long Beach Peninsula, OR A bald eagle with a missing leg and talon was brought to the Wildlife Rehab Center of the North Coast. The rehabilitators suspected that the injury was caused by a steel-jaw leghold trap. The stress on the one leg was causing the eagle many problems and the rehabilitators decided not to re-release the bird back into the wild. | Leghold | Wildlife Rehab Center of the North Coast Newsletter, 03/04 |
| 02/24/04 | 2 beagles | Survived 1 hind leg amputated | Lenoir County, NC 2 beagles were dropped in the overnight box at a animal shelter after being caught in leghold traps. | Leghold | Lenoir County SPCA Kinston, NC, via email |
| 02/00/04 | Dog 6-year-old Booper | Died | Spearfish, SD Booper died when he ran into wire snare set for bobcat in Game Production Area Game, Fish and Parks Department stated that there is a big misconception by a segment of the public that these wildlife areas are parks while explaining why the location of traps are not marked to warn visitors | Snare | Rapid City Journal (SD), 02/23/04 |
| 02/00/04 | Red-tailed hawk | Died | OR A red-tailed hawk was found caught in a leghold trap. His leg bone and flesh were severed. Oregon State police fined the guilty party for not having proper permits for the trap and for improperly baiting the trap. | Leghold | Wildlife Rehab Center of the North Coast Newsletter, 02/04 |
| 01/20/04 | Dog 8-year-old female Chinese sharpei | Died shot by setter of trap | Ravenna, MI 8-year-old female Chinese sharpei was caught by a snare on 01/20/04 set on the rural property of her owners neighbor, a county sheriffs deputy. The neighbor, upon finding the trapped dog, then shot and disposed of the pet. A warrant was issued charging the neighbor with one count of killing a licensed dog. | Snare | Grand Rapids Press, 02/12/04 (reported by HSUS) |
| 01/17/04 | Lynx male (endangered) | Alive released | Normanna Township, MN A few miles north of Duluth, an endangered lynx, No. 10, was caught in a snare set for a fox. Killing a lynx is a federal offense. The trapper called a local conservation officer who notified the U.S. Forest Service. Wildlife researchers took the wildcat to the Duluth Zoo, where a vet proclaimed him fit and the researchers promptly re-released him near where he had been trapped | Snare | Duluth News- Tribune, 01/17/04 |
| 01/11/04 | Human 16-year-old female | Unharmed | Webster Parish, LA A 16-year-old girl was caught by the foot in a trap set for beaver. The girl was wearing lace-up boots and was caught on the heel. She escaped without injury | Conibear | Shreveport Times, 01/11/04 |
| 01/00/04 | Dog German Shepherd 2-year-old female | Survived | Grant County, NM A dog was caught in a steel-jaw leghold trap set in the Burro Mountains while on a walk with her caretaker. The trap was set about 200 feet from her home. The caretaker was unable to remove the trap herself, so with the dog dragging the trap along, they headed back to her home. The caretaker eventually sought help from her neighbor in removing the trap. The dog suffered from swelling and bruising but eventually recovered. | Leghold | Silver City Daily Press, 07/14/04 |
| 2004 | Bald eagle | Survived lost leg | Long Beach Peninsula, OR An eagle with missing leg and talon was brought to the Wildlife Rehab Center of the North Coast. Rehabilitators suspected that the injury was caused by a steel-jaw leghold trap. The stress on the one leg was causing the eagle many problems and the rehabilitators decided not to re-release the bird back into the wild. | Leghold | Wildlife Rehab Center of the North Coast newsletter #10, March 2004 |
| 12/30/03 | Wolf male | Alive released | ID A male wolf with ear-tags was captured in a leghold trap set for coyotes. The trapper called U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Idaho. The same wolf had been accidentally captured and released previously (12/19/03) also by a leghold trap. | Leghold | Associated Press, 12/30/03 |
| 12/26/03 | Dog Yellow lab, Holden | Died | Ft. Olgethorpe, GA The dog was killed at the scene. Holdens guardians reported, We struggled to release the trap but it was too late ... He died in our arms and I saw fear in his eyes. I will never get that image out of my mind. | Conibear | APIs Non-Target Trapping Incident Form |
| 12/20/03 | Dog basset hound, Suzy | Died | New Athens, IL or OH Suzy was not more than half-mile from her home by a lake, when she was caught in a snare placed illegally and without her guardian and the land-owners permission. Suzy suffered for 2 hours before she died. | Conibear | APIs Non-Target Trapping Incident Form, 01/09/04 |
| 12/17/03 | Dog chocolate Labrador | Died | PE, Canada A dog wandering in the caretakers neighborhood walked into a snare that had been baited with the head of a pig. The snare had been set to catch coyotes. | Snare | Canada.com News Network |
| 12/12/03 | Dog Monty | Survived but badly scarred | Charlottetown, PE, Canada Monty was caught in a snare trap for 5 days but survived. He now has a scar that goes all the way around his neck from where the snare cut into him like a knife. | Snare | APIs Non-Target Trapping Incident Form, 11/28/05 |
| 12/07/03 | Dog 2-year-old female black lab, Smokey Bear | Survived | Lacey, WA On the familys regular visit to a small patch of wilderness near Lacey, Smokey swallowed a barbed hook, baited with meat and wrapped about a pile of wood. She couldnt move because the hook was embedded in her throat. The baited hooks were set for a coyote bait station and are legal in Washington. | Snare | Star Bulletin (Seattle, WA), 10/29/03 |
| 12/05/03 | Mountain lion 2- or 3-year-old female | Died | Crow Peak, SD West of Crow Peak, a trapper found a dead mountain lion in one of his snares, set for coyotes. A game warden of South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish & Park says they see snared mountain lions maybe a couple a year. | Snare | Black Hills Pioneer (Spearfish, SD), 12/05/03 |
| 12/00/03 | Dog mixed breed, female Belle | Survived swelling, bruising | Newton, IL On the edge of a cornfield in pathway, Belle's foot was caught in a Conibear 220 trap. Her caregiver stood on the triggers, pushed down, and released her. | Conibear 220 | BanCruelTraps Non-Target Animal Trapping Incident Report Form |
| 12/00/03 | Dog 4-year-old female Black Labrador retriever Menodae | 20 lbs lighter, worn teeth, left eye swollen shut, wounds around neck that cut into her windpipe | Northern ON, Canada A Black Labrador retriever survived 19 days in the bush with a wire snare digging into her neck. She was 20 pounds lighter and her teeth were worn down from gnawing at the retraining snare. Her veterinarian estimated that the snare was on the dogs neck for three days, but somehow the dog made it home. | Snare | Black Hills Pioneer (Spearfish, SD), 12/05/03; Toronto Star, 01/22/04 |
| 11/21/03 | Dog Great Dane | Survived swelling, cuts, and bruising | Sizerville State Park, PA A dog was in the trap for an estimated 18 hours. | Leghold | Humane Society Trapping Case Report |
| 11/03/03 | Dog red-haired golden retriever, Dudley | Emaciated, dehydrated, paw swollen to size of a softball | NB, Canada Dudleys right front paw was clamped in a steel trap for 5 days after he went exploring with another dog, Max, near his 30-acre home. Neighbor boys found the near-dead dog 5 days later on an island on the dry Republican River and carried him to safety. After several weeks the sores on the front and back of his leg are healing, but he still walks with a noticeable limp. | Leghold | McCook Daily Gazette (Republican River, NB), 12/11/03 |
| 11/00/03 | Bobcat | Died | Cedar Rapids, IA A bobcat was found in a snare set for raccoons, northwest of Kalona. | Snare | Associated Press, 11/15/03 |
| 10/03/03 | Grey wolf and pups | Released | Boise, ID 2 trappers freed a grey wolf they caught in a coyote trap, after the USDA Wildlife Services placed a radio collar on the wolf. The same trappers also caught wolf pups in their coyote traps in 2002 and released them. | Coyote | Associated Press, 11/03/03 |
| 10/00/03 | Dog pregnant mixed-breed | Survived | Maui, HI A dog was caught in 1 of the 19 snares placed in Upcountry Maui to try and capture large cat believed to be jaguar or leopard. After being released, the dog had 9 puppies. | Snare | Star Bulletin (Wailuku, HI), 10/29/03 |
| 10/00/03 | Cat | Died | Gainesville, FL A 62-year-old man was charged with felony animal cruelty for hanging a cat with a snare. The trap was intended to catch raccoons raiding his backyard goldfish ponds. | Snare | Miami Herald, 10/25/03 |
| 10/00/03 | Golden eagle | Died | Southern UT A trapper employed by the federal governments Wildlife Services was investigated for trapping, killing, and failing to report a golden eagle caught in a government leghold trap. The eagle was found alive and struggling by 8 teenagers and their instructor while they were hiking in a wilderness therapy program. When a conservation officer arrived at the scene the eagle was gone; only feathers and blood remained. | Leghold | The Salt Lake Tribune, 02/26/04 |
| 09/28/03 | Wolf | Died | Vesper Lake, ON, Canada A radio-collared wolf was part of a study conducted by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources scientists to evaluate the impact of a temporary moratorium on wolf killing in all townships adjacent to Algonquin Park. Researchers discovered that a wire neck snare had slowly killed the wolf, found lying in a pool of blood. | Neck snare | Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (Press Release), 09/28/03 |
| 08/00/03 | Dogs and cats | Died | Atlantic City, NJ Reports of missing pets led police to find a steel leghold trap with a cats paw in it at a mans home. The man was fined $250 for using an illegal trap. | Steel leghold | Press of Atlantic City, 10/30/03 |
| 07/00/03 08/00/03 | Cat and owls | Died | OK 31 residents were charged with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by using pole-trapping placing a trap on a pole or perch to catch and kill hawks and owls to protect their gamecocks. | Steel-jaw leghold | Daily Oklahoman), 11/05/03 |
| 07/29/03 | Cat 3-year-old male | Leg amputated | AZ A 3-year-old cat was found in a neighborhood yard dragging a leghold trap . The cat suffered 4 severe breaks to his front left leg that was also badly dislocated, likely the result of the cat struggling to free himself, according to the veterinarian. | Steel-jaw leghold | Arizona Humane Society (Press Release), 07/29/03 |
| 07/24/03 | Bear cub | Died | Cody, WY A young grizzly bear died of strangulation after getting caught in a trap intended to catch wolves that were killing livestock in Sunlight Basin. | Neck snare | Billings Gazette, 07/24/03 |
| 06/02/03 | Cat adult female, Ella | Survived left rear leg amputated | Charlottesville, VA Found with her kitten in a trailer park, Ella had suffered the traumatic loss of the leg while escaping the trap. The injury had scarred over, but she was treated by a veterinarian because she neglected her health to take care of her kitten. The trap owner was never found. (This correspondent also reported: "Another incident happened long ago in Falls Church, VA but it was unforgettable; a dog named Ruby had her tongue severed by a steel-jaw trap. She recovered and adapted to life without a tongue." | Probably leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 06/00/03 | Grizzly bear adult male | Released died 15 days later | Canada Intentionally captured for a long-term conservation project, the bear was restrained in leg snare for as long as 24 hours before being anesthetized, marked, and released. Soon after he was sighted dead by helicopter. | Leg snare | Wildlife Health Centre Newsletter (Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre), Fall 2003 |
| 05/30/03 | Dog Golden Retriever | Survived | Burro Mountains, NM Accompanied by her 2 dogs, a woman went riding her horse. One dog got caught in a trap in a canyon. The woman was unable to remove trap from her dogs leg and could not break the chain the trap was attached to. The dog thrashed wildly when the woman attempted to leave for help, so she stayed with the dog and released the horse to return home as a distress signal. Help finally arrived and the dog was taken to the vet. | Leghold | Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club |
| 02/00/03 | Wolf female | Died | Vesper Lake, ON, Canada A radio-collared wolf had broken free of the pole or tree holding the snare, but was found lying in a pool of blood. | Wire snare | Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society (Ottawa), 09/28/03 |
| 01/11/03 | Lynx male | Died | Helena, MT A radio-collared male lynx got caught in a conibear set for wolverine and was found dead by a warden and a lynx research team. | Conibear (330) | FOIA request, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records |
| 01/08/03 | Bobcat | Died | Cedar Rapids, IA A 30-pound bobcat was found dead caught in a snare set for coyotes near the citys water treatment plant. This was the first confirmed bobcat seen in Linn County since the 19th century when the animals were wiped out from most parts of Iowa. | Snare | Associated Press State and Local Wire |
| 01/04/03 | 2 wolves Storm and Yukon | Died | Bow Valley, BC, Canada A trapper legally killed a 9-year-old alpha male and his 2-year-old son outside Banff National Park. Researchers studying the original Bow Valley wolf colony were monitoring the wolves. After the trapping of Storm and Yukon, the long-established pack was reduced to 2 wolves: a young female and her 8-month-old pup. | Unknown | Canada.com News Network, 01/16/03 |
| 2003 | Kittens and cats | 1 died, 1 euthanized, rest injured | Tucson, AZ Cats and kittens were left in 2 rabbit cages outside the Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter. Along with the live injured cats, there was the partially-skinned head of a cat. 1 kittens injuries were so severe he was euthanized. Another had his tail and feet amputated. The cats all looked like they had been captured by leghold traps. | Leghold | KOLD-TV News 13, 2003 |
| 12/30/02 | Dog Labrador-Shepherd cross, Jake | Died | Pitt River, BC, Canada 2 women walking their dogs on a gravel path near the Pitt River let their dogs off leash to run around. One dog was caught in a conibear trap lured with steak and a duck, and died at the scene. The trap was set illegally. | Conibear | Vancouver Sun, 12/30/02 |
| 12/09/02 | 2 cats tiger-striped tabby & white Siamese, both wild, fed regularly by human couple | Died 1 crushed by spring trap, the other strangled by a snare | Virginia Beach, VA (near Airport Industrial Park) A man who had been catching foxes in the traps assured the couple that the traps were set high enough off the ground that they wouldnt harm the cats. | Conibear, Snare | Virginia-Pilot, 12/10/02 |
| 10/08/02 | Cat female tabby-calico mix, named Lucky Lady Miracle Cat by shelter workers | Bruised neck taken to shelter where 2 people could pry trap off Luckys neck | Plymouth, IN Found by workers at a dental office. | Conibear | South Bend Tribune (IN), 10/11/02 |
| 08/10/02 | Dog male, Sammy | Died caught by leg and had to be shot | About 25 miles NW of Stanley, ID, near the River of No Return Wilderness Sammy was caught in a trap set for wolf. | Leghold steel w/teeth | Idaho Statesman, 08/13/02 |
| 04/10/02 | Child 13-year-old human male | Severe bruising pincer marks and abraded skin on right ankle | Abbotsford, BC, Canada Picton Park, near a city-owned ravinein a trap set for beaver. | Conibear | Vancouver Sun, 04/12/02 |
| 03/00/02 | 2 bald eagles, 1 moose, and 1 coyote | Died birds and moose found dead, 1 coyote trapped for several days was shot by Fish & Wildlife agent | Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, AK A man pled guilty in federal court to illegally snaring 2 bald eagles and setting bait too close to traps and snares. He admitted that he had failed to check traps as often as required by law and claimed a back injury prevented him from doing so. The snares were set for coyotes. The animals were found by a Fish and Wildlife Service officer. who also shot a coyote who had been ensnared for several days. | Snare | Anchorage Daily News, 01/01/03 |
| 03/00/02 | 7 cats and 1 dog all companion animals killed by neighbor | All died caught in baited trap set in neighbors garage | Peter Dana Point, ME, north of Indian Township in the Passamaquoddy Reservation a trap baited and set in an open garage. | Conibear | Bangor Daily News, 07/19/02 |
| 02/25/02 | Cat found in basement by couple returning from vacation | Right leg amputated at shoulder | North Kingstown, RI After being trapped, the cat clawed open the basement door and crawled in. | Leghold steel | Providence Journal-Bulletin, 03/01/02 |
| 02/01/02 | Great horned owl new mother | Unknown trapped by foot, beaten and tossed in trash; treated at Carolina Raptor Center | Shelby, NC Found behind auto parts store, in a plastic grocery bag in a trash bin. | Leghold metal | The Charlotte Observer, 02/22/02 |
| 00/00/02 | Dog | Died | Fredenberg Township, MN A dog was caught in a snare trap. The trap was set legally. | Snare | Duluth News Tribune, 10/23/07 |
| 02/00/02 | Dog blonde mutt, Betty | Unknown trapped by leg, dog when found was vibrating, shes shaking so furiously | 2 miles from her country home, on path at top of hill. | Leghold steel w/teeth | Washington Post, 02/24/02 |
| 12/03/01 | Bald eagle | Badly broken leg, likely to be amputated | Oxbow Pit, ME An eagle caught in a trap set for coyotes was taken to a veterinarian by a Maine warden. | Leghold | Maine Warden Service Supplemental Report form |
| 03/05/01 | Lynx 2 year-old male | Died | Spring Creek, MT A lynx was caught in small foothold trap. The trap broke free of the chain and the lynx dragged the trap around for 2 weeks on his front foot. The lynx was found dead, evidence suggested that he starved to death. | Leghold (#2) | FOIA request, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records |
| 01/23/01 | Lynx 1-year-old female | Died | Dry Fork Cotton Creek, MT A lynx was caught in a trap set for bobcat. The lynx was released and found one week later 30 ft from the trap. | Leghold (#3 or #4) | FOIA request, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records |
| 01/00/01 | Dog Boxer, 7-year-old male, Buster | Leg injured trapped by right hind leg | ID Owyhees trail. | Leghold old & rusty | Boise Weekly, 01/18-23/01 |
| 01/00/01 | Horse 11-year-old chestnut mare, Shami | Leg caught by trap | ID Owyhees trail, caught seconds before above incident,in a different trap. | Snare | Boise Weekly), 01/18-23/01 |
| 01/00/01 | 11 Raptors (1 coopers hawk, 1 snowy owl, 9 great horned owls) | Died 5 horned owls survived | Omaha, NE The owner of the Cedar Ridge Game farm was fined for violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The man claimed he does what all game farm operators do kill great horned owls. The man had been charged with violations of the MBTA 6 years earlier. | Leghold (set on poles) | Omaha World-Herald, 12/15/02 |
| 12/00/00 | Lynx female | Released | Rice Ridge, MT A lynx caught in a trap by two toes was released after being fitted with a radio collar. | Conibear (marten set) | FOIA request, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records |
| 12/00/00 | 5 Dogs | 1 dog missing half of front leg, other dogs unknown | Fairbanks, AK Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Fairbanks North Star Borough Animal Control received reports of 5 dogs caught in snares and traps in a single week. | Leghold and Snare | Anchorage Daily News, 12/11/00 |
| 06/20/00 | Dog Sister | Survived swelling, cut, bruising, and broken bones | Hopland, CA The leghold trap was located on a 25-acre ranch near Sister's caregiver's home. Sister was in the trap for an estimated 26 hours. Veterinary treatment including stitches, cast, and antibiotics came to $700. Her caregiver writes, "My dog was traumatized as was I. She never walked again without a limp." The trap owner was found but not charged. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 04/00/00 | Cat orange and white male | Leg amputated | West Sacramento, CA A citizen contacted local animal control after discovering a cat with a trap attached to his leg. Estimates were the cat had been caught for 2 weeks. | Leghold | Sacramento Bee, 04/28/00 |
| 01/30/00 | Bald eagle immature | Died | Canada The eagle was found dead in a snare. | Snare | FOIA request, Report to New York DEC from Protection de la faune Canada via email |
| 01/00/00 | Dog 2-year-old Inuit-Husky mix Merlin | Survived no injury | King County, WA A sled dog racer was training her dogs on old logging road when 1 dog was caught in a trap set in the middle of the road. The jaws did not close entirely thereby sparing injury to the dogs foot. | Leghold | PAWS Magazine, Spring 2000 |
| 12/11/99 | Cat 12-year-old male, Soccer | Died | Danville, CA The cat was trapped in a neighbors backyard. The traps set for raccoons. | Conibear | Contra Costa Times, 12/15/99 |
| 12/00/99 | Dog neighbor of caretaker family of the above | Unknown dog was found stunned | Danville, CA Exact same trap as above in same neighbors backyard, trap set for raccoons. | Conibear | Contra Costa Times), 12/15/99 |
| 12/00/99 | Dog mother with five pups only weeks old; mother adopted and named Honey | Mangled paw front right paw, healed into a nubby foot | White Knoll, SC A trap was set near grade school. The dog found limping around neighborhood with trap on foot. | Leghold padded | Animal Welfare Institute Quarterly, Spring 2000 |
| 10/07/99 | Cat 7-month-old male, Spike | Leg amputated chewed leg off to escape | Middletown, OH A neighbor found the cat. The vet said, Ive never seen a more mangled leg in my 40 years of practice. | Leghold? | Middletown Journal, 10/09/99 |
| 10/00/99 | Cat 6-year-old male Michael | Died broken neck | Emeryville, CA Trapped 20 yards from his caregivers apartment. | Conibear | Contra Costa Times (Contra Costa, CA), 08/06/00 |
| 02/01/99 | Bald eagle mature | Died | Canada Eagle was found dead in snare. | Snare | FOIA request, Report to New York DEC from Protection de la faune Canada via email |
| 12/27/98 | Dog Shepherd-Lab mix Timber | Died | Indianola, WA A woman was walking her dog at the public beach when her dog ran under a nearby house and was caught in Conibear trap set for otter. No fences separated the beach from the house and no signs were posted. The residents of the house removed the traps after the incident. | Conibear | PAWS Magazine, Spring 2000 |
| 12/01/98 | Dog domestic | Died | Catskill Mountains, Green County, NY A dog was found dead in a leghold trap. The dog had been trapped "maybe a day or two." The incident was reported. The trap owner was not found. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/04/98 | Eagle young male, Terry | Toe amputated underwent 2 months of intensive rehabilitation | MN Department of Natural Resources Officer found Terry deep in the woods, dragging a steel-jaw leghold trap from his hind toe. | Leghold steel | AWI Quarterly (Animal Welfare Institute), Spring 1999 |
| Fall 1998 | Dog beagle, Mollie | Survived swelling, bruising | Eagle River WI In a National Forest, Mollie was caught in a leghold trap for about ten minutes. She bit her guardian on the shin when he tried to free her. He writes, "This dog was also emotionally scared and held a grudge toward me for months maybe forever even though it was not my trap I was only trying to help." The trap was apparently legally set, and there is no violation for "accidentally" trapping a dog. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 1998 | Dog foxhound, Tilly | Survived with permanent neck injury | Newton, IL In a fenced area, a trapper had cut holes in the fence and set the trap to catch animals passing through. Tilly's neck was caught in trap, and although she was freed with swelling, bruising, cuts, and broken bones her neck is permanently crooked. | Conibear 220 | BanCruelTraps Non-Target Animal Trapping Incident Report Form |
| 01/24/98 | Dog shepherd mix Jake | Survived | White River, between Buckley and Enumclaw, WA Humane Officer Joe Hunt received a call about a dog, trapped and drowning in the middle of the White River. Fearing he would never make it in time, he sped the 30 miles to Enumclaw, where he was forced to leave his van at the end of a dirt road and dash over a mile through the woods to reach the helpless dog. When Joe reached the river's edge, he saw a black and gray dog with large panicked eyes looking up at him from the glacier-fed waters. Without hesitation, Joe went into the water. "I held onto the bank with one hand and felt under the water around the dog's back legs. That's when I found the [beaver] trap," Joe said. "It was chained to the river bottom." Joe worked to free Jake by trying to cut the chain. Joe fought the current and the numbing cold, making many trips to the river bottom to cut at the trap. Finally he was able to cut through the chain and bring the exhausted dog up onto the bank. "He wouldn't have made it much longer. He would have drowned when his strength gave out." | Leghold | Paw Talk (Humane Society for Tacoma/Pierce County), Summer 2007 and Spring 1998 |
| 12/26/97 | Dog Buddy | Died | Kalispell, MT Buddy was on a trail in the Flathead National Forest when he encountered a Conibear 220 trap with raw chicken parts. Buddy died when his caregiver was unable to pry the trap off his neck. When neighbors showed up to help, they were too late. Ironically, a yellow Labrador retriever had been caught on the same trapline only 6 days before, but was lucky enough to be released quickly by his caregiver. | Conibear 220 | High Country News, 04/12/99 |
| 11/11/97 | Dog Russell | Died hung by his neck for 15 minutes before expiring | Rural region, Barnefeld, NY The trap was only 14 feet off the road, a short distance from Russells home. | Conibear | Boonville Herald, 03/11/98 |
| 10/00/97 | Cat male, Dorje Barney | Survived suffered soft tissue damage | Ellicott City, MD A woman found her cat deep in the woods behind her house, caught in a steel trap that luckily didn't have teeth. After about 10 hours in the trap, he suffered soft tissue damage and was in a cast for at least a month. "I was lucky to have found him," she writes, "and it was on county park property." She reported the incident to park authorities, and adds, "I think local rednecks were setting traps on park property because it's one of the only large wooded areas in a densely populated area. Maybe they intended to trap muskrats or who knows what. I contacted the park and took someone to the site but the trap was gone ... word about the incident had gotten out through neighbors and the trap was retrieved by the culprit." | Leghold "without teeth" | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| Fall trapping season, 1997 | 25 dogs and 8 cats | Various incidents, some lethal, reported throughout the season | WI Reported caught were companion animals and hunting dogs. | Conibear dryland | Wisconservation (Wisconsin Wildlife Federation), March 1998 |
| 01/09/97 | Dog Valentine, a brindle/boxer-mix | Died | Colonie, NY Valentine and caregiver were jogging in a public park on the paved Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway. The trap was less than 50 feet off path. Valentines head clamped in trap for more than 90 minutes. Four people tried to get trap off, including two police. Animal Control Officer finally removed, but too late. | Conibear | Observer-Dispatch (Utica, NY), 02/06/98 |
| 10/12/96 | Cat white male, domestic shorthair, named Tripod at shelter | Leg amputated at shoulder; below where trapped, right foreleg began to putrefy | Watertown, WI The cat dragged the trap until its 6-1/2-ft chain caught on a fence. The cat tried to chew off his leg to escape. | Leghold steel | Animal News (Alliance for Animals), Winter 1996 |
| 07/09/96 | Wolf male pup | Leg amputated after extreme tissue damage; wolf pup cant be released into the wild, so will live the rest of his life in captivity | Jackson, WY Traps set by federal biologists for adult wolf in Yellowstone National Park instead crushed pups leg. The trap was left unchecked for 2 days. | Conibear | Bozeman Daily Chronicle (AP), 08/06/96 |
| 05/03/96 | Dog female (stray) | Died found alive after a week caught in trap, but died soon after rescue | Grand Forks, ND The trap was set by a Fish and Wildlife contract trapper. The trapped dog was found by a man walking in the Kellys Slough Wildlife Refuge with his dog and toddler. The veterinarian who examined the dog said she had been in the trap for at least a week. | Conibear | Winona Daily News and Humane Society of Grand Forks |
| 04/00/96 | Cat pregnant tabby domestic shorthair, named Trapper at shelter | Foot amputated right front foot mummified below where caught in trap | Watertown, WI Caught dragging untagged trap, the cat lost the litter of kittens she was carrying. | Leghold steel | Animal News (Alliance for Animals), Winter 1996 |
| c. 10/00/95 | Dog 50-lb. hunting dog, female, Cindy | Died (euthanized) 3 legs caught and she tried to chew off her front paw to escape | Fall River Woods, MA Although both traps on back legs were padded, they still crushed all her toes. | Leghold padded | Boston Globe, 10/22/95 |
| 05/20/95 | Dog Troy | Survived swelling, bruising, and loss of skin | Payson, AZ In the mountains near the family cabin, 15 miles north of Payson, Troy stepped into a leghold trap. "Troy's screams were unbelievable. He was not only terrified, but in desperate pain," writes his caregiver. Caught for about 15 minutes, Troy's leg was crushed between ankle and paw, with swelling, bruising, and loss of skin. Although this was reported to the Forest Service, the trap owner was not found. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 1993 | Dog terrier, female | Survived | Newton, IL The dog was caught in a Conibear trap set in a "run" along the river, on a path that animals used to walk through. | Conibear 220 | BanCruelTraps Non-Target Animal Trapping Incident Report Form |
| 1993 | Dog Cocker spaniel, female | Survived | Payson, AZ At Blue Hole, north of Payson, the dog was caught in a leghold trap. "She was not injured by the trap," writes her guardian, "but her leg did swell and was tender for a couple of days. That particular trap was small (to trap foxes) and hearing her scream, I was able to pull the teeth apart far enough to get her leg out." | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 12/04/92 (?) | Dog 6-month-old St. Bernard-German Shepherd puppy | Died trap crushed muzzle and remained on for more than 3 days | Edgar, WI The dog wandered home with the trap on its muzzle. | Conibear | Wisconsin State Journal (reprinted from Chicago Tribune), 12/27/92 |
| Spring 1990 | Endangered Kit fox | Bruised leg treated and rehabilitated for 2 weeks, then released | Kern County, CA A fox was caught by Animal Damage Control personnel. | Leghold | Draft Environmental Document, California Department of Fish and Game, 02/03/98 |
| Spring 1990 | Dog cocker spaniel, female Freckles | Survived | Seabeck, WA A woman and her sister often hiked on old logging roads in Department of Natural Resources land near Silverdale. On this occasiion, Freckles wandered off the trail and was caught in a Conibear trap, an instant kill underwater trap set illegally on land. "Though she struggled mightily against the iron bars holding fast her small neck, slowly Freckles was strangling to death. We had no idea how to free her and our tearing and clawing at the trap was to no avail. Finally, through sheer luck and primal strength born of fear and outrage, my sister and I were able to pry the bars apart sufficiently so that Freckles was able to pull her head out." | Conibear | PAWS Magazine, Spring 2000 and other sources |
| Spring 1990 | Dog Springer spaniel, male Jingles | Survived | Seabeck, WA Within minutes after the incident detailed above, Jingles was caught by the legs in a steel-jaw leghold trap. | Leghold | PAWS Magazine, Spring 2000 and other sources |
| 12/16/88 | Bald eagle immature male | Died euthanized 16 days after being found | Anticosti Island, QC, Canada An eagle found in leghold trapwas taken to the Raptor Clinic at the University of Montreal. The bird was weak, dehydrated, and had very little use of the left foot, plus possible frostbite, advanced gangrene in toes, and drooping wing. | Leghold | FOIA request, Raptor Clinic case report, Canada |
| 12/08/88 | Bald eagle | Died | QC, Canada Tagged bald eagle was found alive in a trap by a teenage trapper near the St. Lawrence River trapper was unsure what to do and was afraid of the bird so he shot and killed the eagle eagle was originally tagged in New York. | Unknown (fish baited trap set for Lynx) | FOIA, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation memo |
| 11/26/88 | Child 9-year-old human, male | Unknown left thumb injured, taken to Sacred Heart Hospital when reported | Allentown, PA Along the [Lehigh River] bank just below the Hamilton Street Bridge; the trap was set for muskrat. | Conibear | Morning Call, 11/27/88 |
| 09/20/88 | Dog Pardeau | Survived with bruising | Gila Wilderness, NM In this national forest, the trap was placed on a trail near a campground where people often hiked. Pardeau was suddenly caught in the trap which was right beside the trail where people were walking. The woman reporting this incident had to hold Pardeau while his caregiver struggled to open the trap. Pardeau was in the trap for half an hour. When freed, he broke loose from the woman's grasp and in his terror bit her hands. She "was injured worse than the dog," and at a nearby hospital received five stitches and treatment for the numerous bites on her hands. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 09/00/88 | Cat and kitten | Mother cat lost part of front paw, kittens back leg amputated | Concord, CA A mother cat and kitten were caught in the same leghold trap. The mother cat possibly chewed off the kittens leg to free him. Both were taken to the vet where the kittens remaining portion of leg was amputated. | Leghold | Concord Transcript, 09/21/88 |
| 12/00/87 | 2 Golden eagles | Both suffered infections, 1 died | Lake Huron, ON, Canada The eagles were caught in traps set for mink and turned in by the trappers. | Unknown (mink trap) | FOIA request, Ministry of Natural Resources |
| 04/16/87 | Golden eagle female | Died | Eagle Mountain, Middletown, NY An eagle eas found dead on a hiking trail. The bird had previously been found in a leghold trap in late 11/86, rehabilitated, and released. When found dead the birds body was in fair to poor condition. One foot was swollen and the flexor tendon was necrotic. The right foot was bumble foot. The birds middle toe of left foot had been amputated after trapping incident. | Leghold | FOIA request, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation memo |
| 08/00/86 | Endangered Kit fox | Died (found dead in trap) | Merced, CA A fox was caught by Animal Damage Control personnel. | Leghold | Draft Environmental Document, California Department of Fish and Game, 02/03/98 |
| 1986 | Red fox | Died | West of Loveland, CO In an area of foothills with natural vegetation and sparse conifers, the fox was caught in a leghold trap. The fox was having seizures from the intense pain and died before help could be called. The traps were taken and hidden, so no more animals could be caught with them. Also in this area, a dog was found caught in a leghold trap, but was freed by the Humane Society. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 1986 | Magpie | Survived lost a leg | West of Loveland, CO In an area of foothills with natural vegetation and sparse conifers, a magpie found in a leghold trap was freed, but then had only one leg. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 1986 | Dog | Survived | West of Loveland, CO In an area of foothills with natural vegetation and sparse conifers, a dog was found caught in a leghold trap, but was freed by the Humane Society. | Leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 11/14/85 | Golden eagle | Died | Elk Lake, NY An eagle caught in leghold trap was released by the trapper who thought the bird was stunned. The bird was found in the same location the next day and in obvious need of veterinarian care so the trapper captured the bird and turned him in. The eagles foot was severely infected and tendons were severed to the bone. Based on injuries, veterinarian estimated the bird had been in the trap 24-36 hours. The bird died 4 days later. | Leghold | FOIA request, New York State Department of Environmental Science |
| 09/14/85 | Child 14-year-old human, male | 4 toes amputated nerve & tissue damage spent 2 months in the hospital | Minneapolis, MN Old Burlington Northern yards under U.S. 12 and adjacent to Bryn Mawr Meadows. | Leghold steel w/teeth | St. Paul Dispatch & Pioneer, 09/18/85 |
| 06/06/84 | Muskrat | Died | Clinton Township, MI In a "ditch" which occasionally holds water, a muskrat was caught in a snare trap set very illegally. Trapping is not allowed within city limits. The muskrat was in the trap for at least 10 hours and "must have suffered for a long time before dying." The owner of the trap was never found. | Snare | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| 04/02/83 | Bald eagle | Survived | Tupper Lake, NY An eagle was caught in muskrat trap set on the lake. The eagle was removed from the trap and treated for two cut talons and released after rehabilitation. | Conibear | Watertown Daily Times |
| A four-month period (before 1981) | 109 eagles mostly Coldeno | Unknown Most trap-injured eagles have little chance for survival ... reports University of Minnesota Raptor Research and Rehabilitation Program | NV Reported caught by 21 trappers (more are assumed caught/killed but not reported). | Leghold? | Significance of trap-induced injuries to Bald Eagles, Proceedings of the 1981 Bald Eagle Days (Davenport, IA) |
| In one spring (before 1981) | 18 bald eagles | Unknown | SK, Canada Reported by one trapper. | Leghold? | Significance of trap-induced injuries to Bald Eagles, Proceedings of the 1981 Bald Eagle Days (Davenport, IA) |
| 01/00/80 | Dog 2-year-old German Shepherd, male | Unknown when reported, vets were feeding the dog intravenously while trying to save right front paw | Bellmore, Long Island, NY The dog was found wandering the parkway with small-animal trap on his paw. | Leghold? | Pittsburgh Press, 01/27/80 |
| 1979 | Cat male, Rufus | Survived swelling, cut, bruising | Hamilton Township, NJ Rufus the cat managed to get home after some hours in the trap but, in twisting to try to get free, he nearly sawed his leg off. "The wound was down to and INto the bone," writes his caregiver. "It was touch and go for a while, but we were finally able to save the leg and avoid amputation." The injury was reported to Hamilton Township Police, but the trap owner was not found. | Probably steel-jaw leghold | BanCruelTraps online incident report form |
| found 02/16/78 | Dog 3-year-old German Shepherd, female, Kip | Leg amputated flesh torn from left hip, exposing bone, teeth chipped | Madrid, IA along the Des Moines River, north of town the trap had held the dog's right foreleg captive for 2 weeks. | Leghold steel | Des Moines Tribune, 04/05/78 |
| 03/07/77 | Dog male | Paw amputated? (Owner claimed him before humane officers could act). Most of front right paw was gone when he was found | Near Helena, MT On a ranch where traps were placed without permission. | Leghold | Helena Independent, 03/09/77 |
| 12/00/76 | Dog lab mix, Freedom | Leg swollen to three times its size and foot was injured | Near St. Albans, WV The dog, caught in muskrat trap, was found by a man out hunting. | Leghold steel | Charleston Gazette, 01/13/77 |
| 02/01/76 | Dog a hunting dog | Euthanized left front and right hind leg were severed by trap | Camargo, KY The dog was found on U.S. 460 by a dog warden who reported that other dogs with legs or toes cut off were found recently. | Leghold steel | Mt. Sterling Advocate, 02/04/76 |
| 02/00/73 | Dog Newfoundland dog, female Sophie | Survived | Killum Point, ID On a trail blasted out of a cliff high above the Salmon River, the writer, Mike, "was startled to see a skinned animal, which I later realized was a coyote, hanging by a wire on the cliff face. A moment later, Sophie stepped into a trap right on the trail and let out a yelp. Being a large dog, Sophie pulled hard and was able to extricate herself from the trap after a few moments of panic. Still wearing my pack, I went up to the trap and crouched down to examine it. I lost my balance and put my hand down to steady myself, placing it right in another leghold trap. I frantically pulled on the trap, never having seen one before, and was able to remove my hand, skinning my knuckles in the process. I was furious by that point, and further searching revealed a total of five leghold traps at that spot, all connected to one anchoring cable." Throughout the backpacking journey, Mike found many many more traps. And at a later (unspecified) date, he relates how a small black lab named Jack was caught in a Conibear trap; Mike was able to extricate Jack without serious injury. | Leghold | Footloose Montana |
| 1947 | 26 ducks | Died killed | ME Waterfowl killed in muskrat traps. | Leghold muskrat | Journal of Wildlife Management, April 1949 |
| 1946 | 19 ducks | Died killed | ME Waterfowl killed in muskrat traps. | Leghold muskrat | Journal of Wildlife Management, April 1949 |
| 10/22 (year unknown) | Cat 1-year-old gray and white male, Bandit | Leg amputated front right | Wisconsin Rapids, WI The cat was found wandering on street; he had crawled into a drainage pipe. | Leghold metal | Associated Press, Wisconsin Rapids, WI |