January 2007
[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.