Photo: Contributed

An animal advocacy group is renewing calls for action on leg traps after a family cat almost lost its leg in Ladner B.C.

Blu a three-year-old cat, suffered severe leg injuries after its rear leg was caught in a trap. In spite of serious injuries, including necrosis, the cat managed to crawl home and has now been treated by a veterinarian.
A wildlife protection non-profit, the Fur-Bearers believes Blu's injuries are the result of a foot-hold or body-gripping trap.

“I’ve had pets my whole life and never experienced anything like this,” says Josie Moubert, Blu’s caregiver. “Whomever caught Blue released him from the trap but didn’t call the number on his collar. Our veterinarian suspects that due to the level of rotten flesh, Blu was in the trap for at least two days.”

Along with renewed calls for a by-law Fur-Bearers is also offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification and conviction of the person(s) responsible for setting the trap. They are also  calling on local landowners using legal traps to publicly acknowledge this with signage and communication to nearby residents so that educated decisions can be made.

“Municipalities in British Columbia cannot rely on the province to appropriately manage all wildlife-related issues, as can be evidenced by several enacting or asking to enact similar trap bans,” says Michael Howie, a spokesperson for The Fur-Bearers. “This trap was likely set within an urban environment, and possibly within sight of a large elementary school. The City of Delta has both the duty to protect their residents from such dangerous behaviour and the authority to enact by-laws related to such under the Community Charger.”

In B.C. it is illegal to set a trap within 200 metres of a dwelling – but that is only enforced if traps are found, reported, and law enforcement can determine who set the trap.

“A by-law would also create education for local residents who may be trying to catch and/or kill animals on their property,” says Howie. “It’s time to acknowledge that provincial laws have not done the job of protecting people and pets from traps, and that communities are speaking out against their use.”

“Everyone I’ve spoken to about what happened to Blu is disgusted by it,” says Moubert. “Our family still doesn’t know if he’ll make it.”