Search Trapping Incidents Database

A man is facing felony animal cruelty charges after a male skunk was caught in a trap placed in a man’s yard. The skunk was gravely wounded as he had attempted to chew off his own leg to escape. The skunk was euthanized. Traps were banned in 1996 and using them is a felong offense in the state.

A Mexican gray wolf died after it was caught in a leg-hold trap. AZ Game & Fish officials had put out the trap to catch some wolves from the Bluestem Pack to fit it with radio-telemetry collars.

Two dogs were inadvertently caught in two seperate leghold traps set for wolves. The traps were located on U.S. Forest Service land and set by WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife in an ongoing effort to capture and radio collar wolves. Guardians of the dogs were able to free the dogs, who were treated by a veterinarian. The traps have been removed and WDFS is re-evaluating trapping protocols.

A cat was discovered dragging an illegal leg-hold trap on his leg. The cat’s front leg was mutilated and had to be amputated.

A raccoon was injured by an illegal steel-jaw trap after getting his paw caught. The raccoon had his front paw amputated as a result. Once he recovers, the vet plans to return him to the wild.

A 3-year old yellow lab named Sydney was caught in leghold trap. She was able to free herself, but not before she destroyed 8 of her teeth that were ground all the way to her gumline. What teeth she had left had metal from the trap ground into them.

A bear cub was caught in an illegal snare on a Coast Guard base on Kodiak Island. It is illegal to trap anywhere on the base. The cub’s injuries were so severe that the cub had to be put down. The sow was found wandering the area after the incident.

Skeeter was found in a trap set by a neighbor and shot in the head. He was alive when found and taken to a vet, but had to be euthanized because of his injuries. Investigation is pending as to the legality of the incident.

A black and white male cat was caught in a leg-hold trap, which is illegal in the state of Washington. A woman found the cat who was stuck in the trap for several days in the brambles off a side of a road. The cat’s right, front leg bone was exposed and partially amputated and had to be completely removed.

A kitten was found with a foot-hold trap on its front paw. Investigators believe the kitten dragged the trap around and somehow ended up in someone’s back yard. That person called animal welfare. The kitten was so badly injured that part of her paw had to be amputated. The trap was illegally set in city limits.