March 30, 2013 email
I live at the northern edge of Spanish Springs. All of the houses around me are on 40 acre parcels or larger. A few years ago one of my neighbors had a young male Australian Cattle dog. Very nice friendly dog. One day he went on a walk about and didn’t come home. After about 3-4 days he showed up back home. His left front leg was mangled and almost cut completely off above the first joint. His skull above one eye was crushed right above his eye and he was a bloody mess. The neighbor rushed him to the vet and they were able to save him, after spending over $1000,00.
The Vet figured that the Dog got trapped by a steel leg trap and couldn’t get loose. When the trapper finally checked his trap, he found the dog and tried to club him to death, emptied the trap and left the dog to die. The dog woke up and found his way home.
We could never find the trap or the trapper but we are confident that the trap was set within a few miles of this populated area..
I see this poor dog at least every week and he still has his mangled foot/leg and limps around.
These trappers have to be regulated more closely. The traps need to be registered and the public needs to know where these traps are.
I have horses and dogs. I ride the mountains all around this area meany times with my dogs. The trappers need to place the traps away from populated areas and they HAVE to be required to check the traps every 24 hours.
Trapping is a barbaric practice and there is no reason any animal should be forced to remain trapped for more than 24 hours just because the trapper doesn’t want to have to check the traps every 24 hours !
Thank you for your work to help protect our wildlife and pets !!
Since passage of SB364, law requires trapper ID or NDOW registration number on all traps set on public land. And the public has the right to disturb a trap that poses obvious risk.