A Quebec man is in mourning after his dog Jazz was brutally killed by a trap set near a popular walking path in his community near Sainte-Anne-Des-Lacs.
According to a report in La Presse, Christian Vézina was walking Jazz, a 2-year-old poodle on Saturday, April 27. They were strolling in an area where many children play and dogs walk, the report says. The property is owned by a religious organization who have posted signs encouraging visitors to be respectful and thank the owners.
While watching the geese at Lake Côme-Lalande, Vézina heard a noise, then a cry. Jazz had been caught by a trap, likely set for beaver. Vézina was unable to share details of what occurred on his Facebook page, simply writing (translated from French):
"A noise, a cry. Atrocious. I will not describe it. But from that moment on, I would live through some of the worst moments of my entire life. I don't wish them on anyone. No one. Never. Jazz had his head in a trap. The neck broken."
Christian Vézina shares his story (in French)
Vezina spoke to the property owners who say they were unaware a trap was set on their land, La Presse says. A statement from the property owners – who run a youth program called Camp Olier – said that everyone, including staff, visitors, volunteers, and dog owners, “have always been able to take advantage of the camp’s many trails, in complete safety. . We are devastated to hear that such an incident could have occurred on our land.”
Complaints were filed with police and provincial authorities.
If the trap was set for beavers, it was done illegally – without property owners’ permission and out of season. Vézina is unable to recall if the trap was baited, due to the trauma of the situation.
“With two other people, it took us 15 minutes to get Jazz’s head out of that trap. He was already dead, obviously,” Vézina said.
Commercial trapping leads to the death of domestic animals like dogs every year in Canada, and The Fur-Bearers attempt to track as many of these incidents (which aren’t legally required to be reported in many jurisdictions) on our Dogs and Cats in Traps page (click here). We encourage concerned residents to speak to their provincial representative about trapping regulations, and learn how to safely remove pets from traps by viewing our video below (and sharing).
