Trapping Incident #30

Summary:

A man took his dog, Rosie, out for a hike in the Goat River area, an old logging site north of Kitchener, when Rosie stumbled into a leghold trap. The trap, with its tension set to hold a much larger wolf, snapped shut, crushing the dog’s leg. The pain-wracked animal then stepped into another trap, which crushed another leg. Unable to pry either of the traps open, even aided by the adrenaline rush brought on by his companion’s frantic response to the pain, the man unwound the attached chains from clumps of bushes and carried Rosie to his vehicle. The dog sunk its teeth into both of his hands on the way. When he arrived at the veterinary clinic his worst fears were confirmed – the legs were so badly damaged that the only compassionate recourse was to have Rosie euthanized. Even the veterinarian couldn’t get the traps completely open. The traps had been set as a Ministry of Environment initiative to save the small – there are only 15 left – herd of mountain caribou. A trapper had set “up to a half dozen traps” in the area. A pack of three or four wolves was his target. The traps were all removed immediately after reports were received, and ministry personnel are reassessing the situation. One wolf from the single known pack in the area was trapped and killed before Rosie’s tragic death.

Result: