Extra Special Pets & Animals
Apr 9, 2009 10:54 pm US/Central
Wild Animal Trap Kills Dog, Leads To New Ordinance
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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There's also a memory that brings pain that won't ever go away -- the day Dan Babich was walking Bella near the lake by their home in Rosemount. She strayed off the path and got caught in a "body-gripping trap."
CBS
Traps used to catch wild animals are catching and even killing pet dogs too. Owners e-mailed WCCO after seeing a story Saturday about pets getting caught in traps.
A few of those owners are Dan and Kathleen Babich. They have a lot of happy memories of their yellow lab, Bella.
There's also a memory that brings pain that won't ever go away -- the day Dan was walking Bella near the lake by their home in Rosemount. She strayed off the path and got caught in a "body-gripping trap."
"She didn't go right away. It was a struggle to get it off of her, and unfortunately, it was too late," said
Dan and Kathleen were even surprised to hear this had happened to someone else they knew.
"All of a sudden, I hear a yelp," recalled Jeff Flugum, who was just ending his day pheasant hunting with his dog, Vonny, near Owatonna.
"And you could just see the life just going out of her, as we tried to get the trap off of her," said Jeff.
Jeff and Kathleen teach with each other.
Two dogs, two families with one mission for the Babich's to make something good come from their pain. They pushed Rosemount to adopt a law that keeps traps on hunting grounds and far from property lines.
But this is only one city.
In much of Minnesota, it is certainly legal to put out one of these traps. As long as the trap is sitting on the ground, and its jaw size is 7-and-a-half inches or smaller.
The Babich's want people to be aware traps are out there and their dog even died from one. They know they can't protect every animal, but even just one would make the work they've done worthwhile.
"We endured such a terrible trauma and don't want someone else to go through it," said Flugum.
There are more than 7,000 licensed trappers in Minnesota, and state conservation officers enforce trapping regulations.
A spokesperson with the Department of Natural Resources said the majority of trappers do their work ethically and safely. Conservation officers say it's very rare to see dogs getting caught and killed by a trap.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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