A dog was trapped and killed by a bodygrip trap in eastern Wisconsin late last month. The trapper did everything by the book, but caught the dog as it ran through the woods with its owner nearby.
It’s a shame that a trapper can do everything as he or she is supposed to and still receive negative press. Don’t get me wrong. The reporter did nothing wrong. He mentioned all of the facts, most importantly that the trapper set his trap legally and that the dog was unleashed. But the trapper will still be perceived as the bad guy here even though this whole incident could have been easily avoided if the dog owner simply kept her pet on a leash.
It’s our obligation as trappers to do everything possible to avoid situations like this. Unfortunately, even when everything is done right, there’s still a chance for an unfortunate situation like this one.
Great post. I wrote a blog entry on this subject a while back at trappingtoday.com. We as trappers need to make responsible, dog-proof sets in areas that have the potential to be dangerous, even if not required by law. If we don’t act responsibly, we lose the right to exercise judgement in such situations, and types of sets are governed by additional trapping regulations.