Although leghold traps have been banned by more than 85 nations, and although the vast majority of the public vehemently opposes them, the government of Canada still continues to allow their use and to defend them as “humane.” How has this conclusion been reached?
To “certify” the traps, the Fur Institute of Canada used live animals. Unsuspecting participants were lured into traps and then studied to see how much they suffered and how long it took them to die.
Points were given if they didn’t fracture their legs, break their teeth, tear tendons or break their spines. They were also studied for organ damage, hemorrhaging, abrasions, limb amputation and the amount of time it took them to die or become “irreversibly unconscious.”
Like many Canadians, I was unaware that these devices were even legal until recently, when my dog stepped into one of them.
My husband and I had taken our dogs out for a walk in the Sayward area, north of Campbell River. We were looking for a large stand of old-growth trees in a provincial park that had been advertised as a tourist attraction.
We were just on the way back to the car when Simon, our black Lab cross, suddenly started screaming and thrashing around in agony. He had stepped into a leghold trap that had been set on the side of the road, right on the verge where the car was parked. If he had not been walking in front of me, it would definitely have been my foot that was caught.
It was difficult to get his paw out of the trap, as he was frenziedly biting at the steel jaws. His teeth were broken, his gums were torn, he was screaming and there was blood everywhere. It was horrifying. If I had been on my own, I don’t know what I would have done, as there is no cell service in the area and I could not get the jaws open myself.
Anyone witnessing the suffering Simon endured for the few minutes it took us to get him out of that trap would instantly understand what it would have looked like if a child had stepped into it. I have a little grandson who often joins us for dog walks; there is no doubt in my mind that every bone in his foot would have been crushed.
We reported the incident to the Sayward RCMP and were shocked to hear that the trap was legal. According to law, trappers can set these things anywhere where they have been issued a licence and there is no requirement to place a warning sign. Traps can be placed as close to 200 metres from a dwelling, or a school.
To add insult to injury, I was told that I could face charges for having “interfered” with the trap, regardless of the fact that it was attached to my dog’s paw.
On top of that, I was appalled to learn that leghold traps only have to be checked every 72 hours. Think about that — an animal with broken bones, no access to food or water, at the mercy of predators, in rain and snow, in mental and physical anguish. Can this really be construed as humane?
Leghold traps are indiscriminate — meaning that any type of wildlife, person or pet can be held and maimed in one. “Non-target” animals are mangled and killed regularly. Regulations are weak and difficult to enforce, particularly because the number of enforcement officers assigned to oversee trapping is inadequate.
According to 2013 documents provided by the province, there are only 87 field officers in the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. B.C’s land area is 944,735 square kilometres. That’s an average of one conservation officer per 11,000 square kilometres.
Beyond the lack of monitoring, there is no denying that these devices are inherently cruel and create extraordinary suffering. They present a clear danger to those who are not informed of their whereabouts. They pose grave risks to endangered and protected species. They hurt people and they hurt pets.
The vast majority of Canadians want them gone and it is time our government listened to our wishes.
Lynne S. Cracknell lives in Sayward.
