Trapping

The trap had cut all the way through to the bones in his paw. His family took him to the vet to save his foot, but it was too late. He was trapped for so long that his mangled foot became infected, and his leg had to be amputated. Bruce made a full recovery, though his life looks different now with only three legs.

His family reached out to Born Free USA, and we gladly helped pay for his treatment through our Trapping Victims’ Fund.

He tried to escape, but the sharp metal teeth of the trap were dug too deep into his paw. Growing more desperate with each passing moment, Champ did the unthinkable. He chewed off his own foot to free himself. Even then, he limped around with an open wound for days before rescuers found him and rushed him to a veterinary clinic.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of Champ’s leg had to be amputated. Throughout the traumatic ordeal, this brave dog truly lived up to his name, making a wonderful recovery and learning to live with just three legs. He has since been adopted by a loving family and can finally find peace in the safety of his forever home.

Through our Trapping Victims’ Fund, we were able to help pay Champ’s veterinary bills.

Instead of enjoying the season together, Charlie’s family spent the holidays in desperate search of the young cat, dreading the thought that their family might never be whole again. After weeks of agony, when they felt all hope was lost, Charlie reappeared! The family’s joy at seeing their beloved kitty instantly turned to panic when they saw his badly injured paw. Charlie had been caught in a trap.

Rushed to the vet, Charlie’s life was saved, but he tragically lost his front leg. He returned home to recover in the loving care of his human and nonhuman family members. Though he gained comfort by curling up with his best friend, Lily the dog, Charlie would never be the same after his encounter with a trap.

At Born Free USA, we were heartbroken when we heard Charlie’s story. Through our Trapping Victims’ Fund, we were able to offer some relief to his family by paying his veterinary bills.

Sadie, a boisterous six-month-old black lab mix puppy, went missing from her South Carolina home for three days. Like most puppies, she was curious and eager to explore, a perilous combination when innocence meets manmade dangers.

Her family was overjoyed when they finally spotted Sadie, but their joy turned to horror when they saw she was dragging her back leg in obvious agony.

They rushed Sadie to a veterinarian who confirmed Sadie had been caught for days in a snare trap that cut off the blood supply to her leg. Her leg was dying and Sadie was at risk of becoming septic. At only six months old, this poor puppy had to lose her leg in order to save her life. Luckily, Sadie’s amputation went well, and she is now adjusting to life with just three legs.

Through our Trapping Victims’ Fund, Born Free USA was able to help pay for Sadie’s surgery.

Filthy, alone, and petrified, River was curled up in pain, his wounded leg held close to his body. A local veterinarian confirmed that River’s foot was mutilated by a trap. He was missing four toes; had an infection throughout his front leg; and had a broken tooth – likely from chewing on the trap in an attempt to free himself. River required surgery to amputate his leg, and he needed a transfusion due to blood loss during the surgery. Luckily, Great Pyrenees Rescue Montana stepped in to care for River and found him a home. River survived all of this trauma, and after his long ordeal, the gentle boy found comfort in his new adopter’s lap. Through our Trapping Victims’ Fund, Born Free USA provided financial assistance to Great Pyrenees Rescue Montana to help cover the expenses of River’s surgery and rehabilitation.

She was only 12 weeks old at the time and her owners lived on a farm in rural Tennessee that had an outdoor run for Maggie that was not properly secure. Maggie got loose and wandered off of the property, which was next to a wooded area where people often set traps for coyotes. Maggie was gone for two days before returning home with severe injuries to her paw and leg. The owners were not able to pay the veterinary expenses and asked the clinic if there were anyone who may be able to help. The clinic contacted the National Great Pyrenees Rescue and Maggie was surrendered to them for care and rehabilitation. Maggie’s injuries consisted of multiple fractures; all of her metacarpals in the paw were fractured and her carpus was also severely damaged. There was also significant soft tissue damage done to the paw and leg. Due to the severity of Maggie’s injuries, and the probability of not regaining use of the leg, the veterinarian determined that for Maggie to have the best quality of life possible, it would be necessary to amputate the injured leg. Through the Trapping Victims’ Fund, Born Free USA provided financial assistance to the National Great Pyrenees Rescue to help cover the veterinary expenses of Maggie’s surgery, rehabilitation, and foster care. Today, Maggie is doing great! She is a very playful and energetic puppy and having only three legs does not slow her down.

He struggled alone in the woods until an animal control officer was alerted to his plight and took him to the New England Wildlife Center for help. His injuries were severe; his leg had been almost entirely severed from his body and he was suffering from severe soft tissue trauma and an open metatarsal fracture. Through the Trapping Victims’ Fund, Born Free USA provided financial assistance to the New England Wildlife Center to help them rehabilitate the owl, following numerous surgeries to save his leg.

While the owl rallied and was doing well initially, and despite the best efforts of the attending vets, four surgeries, and several months of care, the center was unable to repair the damage done by the trap. As a heavy bodied bird he would not have had a good quality of life in captivity or in the wild so the center’s veterinary team made the decision to humanely euthanize him.

This tragic tale goes to show that, even with the absolute best care and treatment, the damage that is done by cruel traps can lead not just to injury, but also death.

Because they were in a narrow canyon area, it was difficult to pinpoint her location based on her echoing cries. After 20 minutes of frantic searching, they found Roxy caught in a steel-jawed leghold trap and immediately rushed her to the vet. In addition to the expense of multiple lengthy trips to and from the vet, Patti and Dana also faced costs of up to $1,000 for medical care and surgery to extract five of the six broken teeth. Although the vet offered Roxy’s owners a partial discount, more help was needed. Patti reached out to Born Free USA, which was able to provide financial assistance via its Trapping Victims Fund, covering the remaining $510.

The trap had a wire attached to it and the wire had gotten entangled on the floorboard while Max struggled to free himself. All the nerves and tissue on his injured foot were dead and his bone was exposed. Max was taken to a vet to get the trap released from his paw. The vet believes that Max had been caught in the trap for a good portion of the three weeks he was missing. He had lost about 10 pounds. Although it was determined that Max’s injured paw needed to be amputated immediately, all the woman could provide for with her modest income was a shot of antibiotics and pain medication. Unsure of how to provide for the care her cat needed, the woman reached out to Born Free USA. Born Free USA provided financial relief via its Trapping Victims Fund in the amount of $300 for the amputation of Max’s mangled paw.

She was reportedly in horrific condition, partially mutilated by the snare trap. Soon after the initial treatment, Tréa began living – and began the long road to what we hope is a full recovery – with a foster family.

The animal and trap were taken to a veterinarian, who had to cut off the trap and treat J.J. Combs told Born Free USA: “Seeing firsthand the torture and cruelty of these traps, I wholeheartedly believe they should be illegal. No one with an ounce of compassion could argue that Conibear traps are humane if he or she had witnessed what I saw.”

The veterinarian determined that the leg had to be amputated. “Either his leg would have fallen off,” the doctor said, “or the wounds could have become septic and killed him.”

According to Kirby, “I contacted the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and they informed me that what happened to my Dozer is perfectly legal and that nothing could be done because it is trapping season. This happened very close to houses, and if a child was walking in that area of the woods, they could easily have become a victim as well.”