Dog dies after getting caught in illegal snare in western P.E.I. | 24CA News

Some would possibly describe it as a canine’s paradise — over 200 acres of personal land in Kildare Capes, P.E.I. 

It definitely was for one four-year-old Pyrenees named Caspie. 

“She was clumsy and klutzy and just anybody that met her loved her,” stated proprietor Debbie Travers. “She would come over, sit next to you … and look up at you with this one gold eye, one brown eye and go ‘don’t you just love me?'”

Caspie usually explored the property that has been within the household for generations. But on Dec. 30, she bumped into the woods and by no means got here again. 

After hours of looking, Caspie was discovered useless in an unlawful snare. 

“Our grief when we found out turned to anger, rage … we can’t grieve properly because of the situation in how she passed,” stated Travers. “We miss her terribly.”

‘These traps are indiscriminate’

P.E.I.’s trapping season runs from mid-October till the top of March. But licensed trappers will need to have the landowner’s permission earlier than setting any traps on non-public property. 

According to the province, a person was charged with trespassing following an investigation. 

At least two canines have been killed in snares in two months on P.E.I. In early November, a canine named Emma died after getting caught in an unlawful lure within the Wright’s Creek space of Charlottetown. 

“These traps are indiscriminate, they injure both the target and non-target animals,” stated Aaron Hofman, the director of advocacy and coverage for The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife safety charity.

“Dogs, they have keen senses of smell, so what’s gonna stop them from wandering into a trap versus, say, a coyote or fox?”

Hofman stated he want to see extra laws in place and higher enforcement. 

“We know that these traps are cruel, they’re inhumane, that animals suffer. We really want to see change to trapping, to the regulations to ultimately protect both wildlife and their pets, said Hofman.

“I feel folks do must take that further care and warning when out with their pets,” he said. “Obviously we need to see modifications in the direction of the traps themselves … however sadly it’s a merciless actuality of our life that these traps exist and our pets are getting caught.”

‘It was barbaric’

Travers is also calling for changes to trapping legislation to try and ensure those not abiding by the law receive more than just a “slap on the wrist.”

“It was barbaric,” she said. 

“We needed to minimize the tree that the wire was wrapped round into completely different locations in an effort to get her out of there…. We stated ‘if there’s one snare, there needs to be extra.'”

Travers was right — three more traps were found nearby. And although the property has been searched extensively, she said she is “terrified” one may have gone unnoticed. 

“Our pets aren’t on leashes. They do not must be. It’s our land,” she said.

“This is their secure place. This is the place they’re supposed to have the ability to do no matter they need,” said Travers. “It’s not like she [Caspie] died of pure causes. She was taken from us for a motive that should not have been.”

“She hopefully did not endure. We can simply pray that she did not.”