Search Trapping Incidents Database

Santini was lured to a bucket baited with meat inside and the Conibear trap. “It was about 12 inches by 12 inches and it clamped down around his neck,” said Santini’s caregiver. The trap that killed Santini is legal in Maryland, but it is supposed to be tagged and only used sunken in marshy areas to catch muskrats. This trap was set illegally.

Taking advantage of the first warm Sunday of the year, a man took his two dogs for a walk in the Rock Creek drainage. He stopped to study some recent beaver activity, with both dogs within 10 yards or less, “doing what dogs do. Suddenly I heard this loud snap.” That sound was immediately followed by a gurgling, strangled kind of noise. “It was a horrible sound. I knew something had happened.” Cupcake had disappeared over the creek’s bank onto a gravel bar just a few steps away, only to be caught in a Conibear trap that was choking him. The man was unable to get the trap off and watched Cupcake die in less than 30 seconds. The trap was set illegally. The 70-plus-year-old trapper was “very remorseful” and has since pulled his traps.

10 year old pet dog caught in trap on a well-traveled road.

Pebbles’s guardian and a friend were 5 miles from home off a BLM dirt road heading to an arroyo on horseback when Pebbles was caught in a leghold trap. Her guardian and friend had to stand on the trap to open it. Pebbles was in the trap for 15 minutes, but, writes her guardian, “I would have never gotten that trap off of my dog’s leg if I had been alone.” At the time of this holiday weekend report Pebbles had not yet seen a veterinarian.

Taking a break from preparing Thanksgiving dinner, caregiver took her 4 dogs for a walk down a country road. Basil ran into a roadside ditch and never came back. His caregiver spotted his limp body in a 220 Conibear trap; her husband, who retrieved the body, said Basil had died instantly when his neck was broken. The trap was illegal, being larger than legal limits as well as baited with a dead opossum.

A steel trap snapped shut along Jones Creek, pinching the folds of flesh on a retriever’s face and causing the dog to yelp in pain. The dog was freed unharmed. The trap was set legally.

While the dog’s caregivers walked along a road just two miles from their property, the dog ran into a little cave and was caught in a leghold trap on her front right paw pad and toes. Both caregivers were bitten as they worked to get the dog out of the trap. The dog was not seriously injured. The trap was set illegally on private property and Nevada Department of Wildlife authorities are investigating.

Ace was caught in a Conibear trap baited with fish near a trout stream just down the road from the house of Ace’s caregiver’s boyfriend. Ace was in the trap for a night.

In a wooded area surrounded by homes filled with dogs, cats, birds, and children, Billi was trapped for about 20 hours in the snare trap before being cut loose. The trap was legally set.

Abandoned by his guardians who moved from an apartment complex, Dan disappeared for a week before reappearing dragging the leghold trap. His front paw was almost severed off and had to be amputated. According to the attending veterinarian, Dan had been in the trap for at least 48 hours. Dan is now in the foster care of a volunteer for United Paws of America, a local all-volunteer spay/neuter non-profit group. Police are investigating the source of the trap.