Photo by Jenni Rempel / The Fur-Bearers
The steel-toothed leg-hold trap of yesteryear may only be found in museums today – but modern versions without steel teeth are still present across the Canadian landscape. And they can still cause significant injuries to fur-bearing animals, including family pets.
Here are a few quick facts about leg-hold traps you may encounter while recreating in your community:
- They are designed to hold animals against their will. Regardless of padding or spacing, this can lead to animals injuring themselves in attempts to get away from the sudden pain.
- They can legally be baited with scents or actual food items to attract animals. It is noteworthy that most baits attractive to wildlife will also be of interest to domestic animals like family dogs.
- Setbacks from publicly accessible spaces are limited. There are rules about how close to a dwelling a trap may be placed, but few regulations about distancing traps from publicly accessible trails or roadways. This can lead to traps being placed only feet from hiking trails.
- In most jurisdictions there are no legal requirements to warn other people around trapping activities. Often in our list of cases where pets are caught or injured in traps, no indication of trapping activity was present.
- There are no laws that directly make trappers responsible for the injuries or death of domestic animals caught in traps.
How you can protect your community
As community development continues in Canada, the distance is narrowing between the perceived “remote” nature of trapping and regularly accessed natural areas by the public. Here are six things you can do to protect yourself and your family from traps:
1 Contact the appropriate provincial or territorial natural resources department to inquire about registered traps in your area.
2 Learn how to release pets from leg-hold traps (and others) by watching our video below. You can also click here to open the video in YouTube directly.
3 Share this blog or our trap-release videos on your social media channels and in community groups. The more people who know how to safely release leg-hold traps, the fewer pets will be killed.
4 Talk to your elected officials (provincial or territorial, and municipal) about trapping, and the need for policies that protect all outdoor users – not just the trapping community.
5 If you come across suspicious traps, report them to your local natural resources enforcement office. Include any data (your smart phone Map software may be able to provide GPS coordinates) that may be helpful in identifying the location and owner of the trap.
6 Sign up for our eNewsletter (click here) to learn about opportunities to take action and create change for wildlife on issues like trapping.
Thank you for taking time to learn the harsh realities about leg-hold traps in Canada and how to protect yourself and your family pets.
