HB 4939 Would Expand Cruel Conibear Trapping [2004]

Bill Description: This bill would repeal existing restrictions on the use of Conibear traps, which are body-gripping traps that can cause prolonged suffering, severe injuries and a slow death.
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Conibear traps are cruel, arbitrary and antiquated. These devices cause immense suffering as the animals they capture may die slowly of dehydration, starvation or predation from other animals if the trapper fails to check the trap soon after the animal stumbles into it. In addition, these traps are not species-selective. Instead, they are an indiscriminate killing method that sometimes catches and kills non-target animals. Effective alternatives to the use of Conibear traps exist and should continue to be utilized in the state of Massachusetts.