The majority of British Columbians support the idea of the provincial government updating trapping regulations to reduce the risk of pets being injured or killed, according to a recent Research Co. poll.
The poll, which was conducted from February 5 to February 7, 2026, showed that 74% of British Columbians support updating trapping regulations, while only 21% are opposed and 10% strongly opposed. This news comes on the heels of the death of Moon, a beloved family dog, in a trap set just feet away from a ploughed road near Invermere, BC.
Since 2012, The Fur-Bearers has advocated for common sense regulatory updates, including mandatory signage, increased setbacks from publicly accessible roadways, paths and trails, prohibitions in provincial parks, and ending the use of bait (particularly near publicly accessible areas). The province of BC has been repeatedly made aware that pets caught in traps is not a rare occurrence. Incident reports obtained through Freedom of Information requests show that more than 100 pets were caught in traps set for wildlife in BC since 2015. Most of these incidents involve legally set traps.
We believe the total number of pets caught or killed in traps is much higher than documented, as there is no regulatory requirement for licensed trappers to report incidents involving domestic animals, and many incidents go unreported by the public. Our information also doesn’t yet include any available data for 2024 and 2025.
Learn more about current trapping regulations by visiting the Hunting and Trapping Synopsis published by the Government of British Columbia, and our commercial trapping campaign pages (click here).
What The Data Shows
Support for updating trapping regulations in British Columbia extends across political, regional, and gender-identity demographics.
Gender Identity: 76% of women and 72% of men support or strongly support updating regulations.
Regional: Support for updating regulations reached 82% on Vancouver Island, 77% in Metro Vancouver, 75% in the Fraser Valley, 74% in Northern BC, and 63% in Southern BC.
Political: Support is high among British Columbians who voted for the BC Green Party (83%), the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (76%), and the Conservative Party of BC (71%) in the 2024 provincial election.
Take Action
Contact your British Columbia MLA and Minister of Water, Lands, Natural Resource Stewardship Randene Neill to tell them you want to see trapping regulations updated using the form below or by clicking here. If you do not live in British Columbia or Canada and would still like to voice support, email the Minister directly at [email protected].
