Dog on Walk in Alaska Dies from Conibear Trap

Summary:

GUNSIGHT MOUNTAIN, AK – A 13-year-old was returning from a hunting trip on skis with his dog, Lola, near Gunsight Mountain off the Glenn Highway in Alaska. Just 50 yards from the parking lot, Lola, a 4-year-old husky mix, started acting anxious and darted off the trail. Shortly after, Lola began yelping. The 13-year-old and his mother attempted to free Lola from the body-crushing Conibear trap, but knew their time was limited. Despite years of experience trapping and hunting themselves, they weren’t able to release Lola’s neck from the heavy trap. A person passing by on a snowmobile eventually helped them release the trap from Lola’s neck, but at that point, she was already dead. Following the experience, the owner stated: “Had we been able to release her from the trap, I’m not sure that she would have survived. I believe her neck was broken by the time we got there.” The owners said that they were surprised to learn trapping so close to trailheads — with a trap designed to kill its targets — is 100% legal.

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