Yet another New Mexico dog has been injured in a leghold trap. “Fibel” was found in a leghold trap January 6 and was brought into the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. The 90-lb mixed breed was caught in a trap a man had set for coyotes. Fibel is at least the sixth dog to be caught in a trap in New Mexico during the current trapping season.
Trapping on public lands is legal in New Mexico. The law does not require traps to be marked, or for any warnings to be present. No database or official record is kept by any public entity, and no requirement exists that trappers report when they have captured a dog in their traps.
Legislators are introducing a bill to ban recreational and commercial trapping on public land. The legislation is being called “Roxy’s Law,” named after another dog who died in a snare while her owner struggled to save her.
For more background on public lands trapping in New Mexico, read the press release.
Report any trapping incidents at TrapFree New Mexico’s website.
