Pregnant Dog Caught in Trap Intended for Coyotes in VA

Summary:

NEW KENT COUNTY, VA – A pregnant dog is still fighting to survive after officials say she was caught in a cable snare trap in New Kent County, causing her head to swell and putting her puppy at risk. On Monday, Jan. 19, a severely injured, pregnant female dog was picked up along Eltham Road near its intersection with New Kent Highway. She was first spotted over the weekend, but was finally captured on Monday.

The dog had a metal wire wrapped around her throat “so tightly that it caused immense swelling to her head [and] disabled her ability to breathe properly,” the New Kent County Sheriff’s Office’s Animal Protection Unit said on Facebook. The wire caused “a disgusting amount of damage,” putting both her and her puppy’s lives in jeopardy. The dog, who has since been named Maude, began receiving emergency medical care on Monday, but there is quite a long road ahead of her. “Based on her injuries, we believe Maude may have suffered with this cable around her neck for some time,” officials said in an update on Facebook. “The pain she endured is heartbreaking. Our team is doing everything possible to save her, but at this time, she is not out of the woods.” Her unborn puppy remains safe at this time.

Under Virginia law, traps like these are meant to be checked every 24 hours, animal officials said. They are also meant to have a failsafe to ensure incidents like what happened to Maude do not happen.

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