Nontarget Trapping Incident Report

Reported: Dec 16, 2005
Location: Garfield County, Utah

Species: Dog
Trap Type: Kill
Incident Date: unknown

Victim's Disposition: dead
Victim's Name: Zoe

Legal Action: unknown
Result: n/a

Summary: Zoe was a certified therapy dog who worked with at-risk youth in a wilderness program. She was hiking on a public road with a girls' group when she was killed by the cyanide trap. The trap was 10 feet from the road at the most. A federal government trapper placed the trap on the private property at the rancher's request. Zoe's caregiver is contemplating a lawsuit against the USDA's Wildlife Services for not following guidelines of placement of M-44 traps (no closer than 50 feet from a public road or path and no closer than 200 feet from a public stream).

Source: Born Free USA incident report form