Leslie Bagley lives in the Dayton area with a few pets, including her 100-lb. part-pitbull, Brutus. In the evenings, Brutus will jump the fence to play in the neighborhood, a busy residential area. He usually plays for about 30 minutes, then comes right home. However, Feb. 23, 2014, Brutus was gone for an hour and a half. Then Leslie heard Brutus’ “little buddy” whining. She also heard an alarming noise which turned out to be clanking of a metal trap still attached to Brutus’ hind foot. This big dog was strong enough to pull out the spike that held the trap to the ground and so was able to drag himself home, trap and all.
Trap which injured Brutus
Luckily a friend was available to remove the trap. Apparently the rear toes were injured with open wounds. Bagley says: “Brutus was caught in a trap! This is the damage and the swelling after cleaning it up! Worried about that open wound because the trap is rusty! Expect it to look worse in the morning when it has had time to really swell! Thank God it was not a trap with teeth! Could have been much worse!”
Bagley continues: “What concerns me most is the fact that this trap was set where horses, dogs, kids and dirt bikes all play! If he set one he probably set more and who or what will be the next victim? Oh and I called the police who said call fish and game who said call the police!”An NDOW game warden did respond. After walking the back yard area, the warden concluded the trap was set legally, but no further evidence was found. He suggested Brutus might have been in the hills, but Bagley insists this dog goes no further than the neighborhood.
The following week was all about taking care of her injured dog: “He refuses to be away from me for even a second! I have had an revelation….sick boy dogs are as big of babies as sick boy humans! I can not move without Brutus stuck like glue! Poor baby is so sore! Think he’s feeling worse today! “It’s really hard to do anything when 100 pounds of muscle doesn’t want you to go anywhere… Poor baby? Poor me! Can’t do a damn thing and he thinks he should be allowed in my lap!
He’s a very sore very sad boy right now but he will be okay because he is a strong hearted baby.He refuses to be away from me for even a second!”
Feb. 25: “Brutus’ foot today! It is very swollen and very sore! Notice the way the toes are separated because of the swelling and how small his leg looks! My dog is still swollen and very sore. I fear his foot is broken but he is eating now and got excited over a treat so I think he’s feeling a little better! The next few days will be rough on us but we will get through them!
“Apparently this makes the fourth incident in two months that has been reported! How many others weren’t reported?” Bagley warns anybody in the Dayton area to be on the lookout for traps.
Three years ago, my wife and I hiked with our dog in the Pine Nuts. Suddenly we heard the dog hollering. We found her with her foot caught in a trap. I worked hard and got her foot out. It was just a bruise. The trap was set about 15 feet from the trail, which is a popular hiking trail. We left a note on a tree and took the trap home with us. We found out from the warden that we shouldn’t keep the trap. The trapper contacted us and got his trap back. He was pleasant about it. Still, we see no need for trapping.
Since passage of SB364, law now 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.
My dog just got caught in a leghold trap just outside of Silver Knolls, on Red Rock Road. Fortunately I was able to extract her with no serious injury. I contacted the Sheriff’s office and am waiting for a possible call back. If you have any other advice regarding steps I should take, please let me know.
This occurred on BLM open space, within 15 feet of a heavily travelled ATV / foot path, where dog walking is common. At least some of the traps that were set along this trail were well within the ½ mile “congested space buffer zone” within which Washoe County does not allow shooting or trapping. Additionally, the traps appeared to be baited with wool, which as I understand it is not allowed.
A warden did come out and examine the traps. He confirmed that at least some of them were placed within the congested area where they are not permitted, and in addition, the trapper was baiting them in a way that is not permitted. So the warden is going to keep checking and see if he can catch the person returning to check the traps, but of course this is a bit of a long shot. Too bad about no registration on the traps, it seems like such an obvious thing.. John D. Boone
Since passage of SB364, law now 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.
I met with an officer from NDOW this morning, and showed him where the traps are. They are set legally. He was understanding of my concern for safety.
Here goes on what happened.
On March 7th around 3pm I took my dog to the Carson River just off of Hwy 395 before Stephanie Lane. We took the trail to the left to go where the river is a bit shallow. My dog ran to the water, with me trailing behind. I got to the bank, and saw what looked like a wood stake with something around it. There was some debris piled around it. I wasn’t sure what was there, so I was poking it with a stick, and it snapped. I jumped! It scared me, especially thinking about the fact by dog had been right next to it a couple of times. I went back to my car, since I had left my phone there. I called Douglas County Sheriff to ask about traps. They referred me to NDOW, and gave me the number. I called and left a message. I wanted to take a picture of the trap, and the location, so I went back down. I took the picture, and thought I’ll go upstream where there isn’t debris by the edge of the river. We went upstream about 25-30 yards, and all was good. There is a downed tree with some water around it out of the river. My dog heard something there, and was in the water going toward a log, I looked at where he was, and there was anouther trap on the log. I got him out of the water by throwing a stick into the river. I poked at the trap, afraid he would go back where it was. I took a picture of that trap, texted my husband, and left. I was afraid to stay down there, for fear that he would get into a trap that I didn’t see. This is a place that several people take their dogs, and families. It frightens me to think what would happen if a pet, or a child was to get into one of these traps. The officer from NDOW said conibear traps are quite deadly for the animals that get into them. I no longer feel that it is safe to take my dog to the one place that we have gone several time a week for the past few years, weather permitting. Traps are not safe anywhere near civilization. I also think that they should be visited every 24-36 hours at a maximum.
-Kathi P.
A useful guide to dealing with these “Conibear” or “Body-Gripping traps.
The most diabolical trap. Known as “Conibear” traps, these are set in water, usually lethal, nearly impossible for the untrained to open.
The heartbreaking result of most pet-Conibear encounters.
Frequently set in shallow water, nearly invisibleThese devices MUST be outlawed!!
It was the fall of 2014. I was driving 15 mph with my dog, Toby, running behind to get his exercise. We were north of Pyramid Lake on BLM land. It was just luck that I slowed down at that time thinking to get out of my truck. Then I heard a scream. I followed the sound to find my Toby about 60 yards away, caught by the right rear foot in a trap. I tried immediately to open the trap and he bit me. But I managed to open the trap. There was blood on Toby’s face and my hands. I could see he had lost his two top canines from biting at the trap. But later I found out most of the blood was from the bait.
I saw another chain and another trap and could see the bait in a baggie on that trap. I contacted Nevada Dept. of Wildlife and was informed these traps were illegal because of the bait.
Toby was four years old at the time. His only injury was the loss of his canines. However he wouldn’t leave my side whenever we went out. I never thought about trapping before this happened to us. And I’ve often thought how lucky it was that I stopped the truck at that time. Had I driven further, would I have found Toby?
[personal email] I live just outside Las Vegas, on the Kyle Canyon exit about 6 miles up the canyon. About the middle of January while on a trail ride my dog was caught in a trap less than 4 feet off of a trail, with the help of a friend that I was riding with we managed to release her and after making sure she was ok we continued on and 5 minutes later she has another trap hit her face, and the blow has caused permanent damage to her eye. I reported the incident to the police and they put my in contact with fish and game, who basically told me that I was breaking the law by removing the trap. I had no idea that trapping was legal in the area, as it is considered conservation area, and he was using a quad to place the traps which are illegal. I contacted the local news channel 13 who agreed to do a story on the traps which aired about 2 weeks later, the trapper agreed to remove his traps due to the bad press. And the neighbors dog on the same day as mine was caught in a trap while she was out jogging, they had to pay an $800 vet bill. I’ve lived in this area for 9 years and am horrified that they can trap so close to our homes and not notify anyone in the area, the laws need to be changed
Since passage of SB364, law now 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.
