On December 9 in Omaha, Nebraska, an illegal, heavy steel-jaw leghold trap snapped shut around a cat’s leg. When a Nebraska Humane Society Animal Control Officer arrived on the scene, he found the calico in serious pain in an alley, caught in the rusted and gruesome looking trap that was chained to a utility pipe.
The officer swiftly brought the cat to the Humane Society for treatment. Ivy, as she was dubbed, was treated for abrasions and swelling in her leg. Now she is back homewhere she previously snuck out through a dog doorand recovering. But Ivy wasn’t the first cat to fall victim to a trap, and she won’t be the last.
Leghold traps are illegal within the city limits of Omaha, yet Ivy was the third incident Omaha animal control had seen within 30 days. Many states and cities have banned leghold traps due to their cruelty and the dangers they pose to many animalsand humans. However,the traps are still widely used around the United States, and existing anti-trapping laws are not always sufficiently enforced.
Though the owner of the trap that caught Ivy was cited, the Nebraska Humane Society chose not to pursue a cruelty case due to the owner’s ignorance of the law. Cases like this are not only a reminder of the harm many traps can do, but of the importance of educating ourselves on our communities’ animal welfare laws and their implementation.
The best way to protect cats in your community is supporting humane policies, and opposing laws that allow cruel methods like leghold trapping. Review your local laws, and don’t be afraid to make your voice heard in your local government if you find a policy inhumane or an anti-cruelty law is being inadequately enforced. Remember: ignorance is not a defense.
You can also educate your representatives on humane trapping, and approaches like Trap-Neuter-Return that protect and improve cats’ lives.
It’s up to us to stay informed, and to fight for laws that protect animals from inhumane practices like leghold trapping. Then cats like Ivy, and all outdoor animals, can live safely alongside us.