A wildlife charity is reporting an increase in domestic animals getting caught in traps set out by licensed trappers in B.C.
The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife protection charity founded in 1953, reported on Nov. 12 that 100 pets were unintentionally caught in traps in B.C. from 2015 to 2023.
“We cannot stress enough that locations where people may have long enjoyed walking dogs can be surrounded by dangerous, baited traps, without any warning,” said the charity’s executive director Lesley Fox in a press release. “Until the government acts, families with pets must be vigilant due to commercial/recreational trapping.”
From 2015 to 2020 a maximum of 11 incidents of dogs or cats getting caught in traps were recorded, while 15 incidents were recorded in both 2021 and 2023. This information was acquired through a freedom of information request, in which the charity found five incidents over the last two years resulted in a dog’s death. The charity suspects the number of injuries and deaths is higher as not all incidents are necessarily reported.
“The Government of British Columbia is aware of this alarming trend but has failed to take action to protect the public from the dangers of commercial and recreational trapping,” Fox said.
From 2015 to 2021, the highest number of recorded incidents of pets being caught by traps occurred in the Cariboo, where about 80 to 90 trappers operate. The Cariboo was followed closely by the Omenica, Lower Mainland and Kootenay trapping zones. Seventy-seven per cent of incidents took place between November and April, and 15 per cent resulted in death. These numbers, however, do not include unreported incidents and thus may not reflect the entire picture.
Long-time Cariboo trapper Paul Blackwell told Black Press a dog was recently caught in one of his traps, despite his efforts to set up warning signs and keep traps at least two kilometres away from private dwellings.
However, Blackwell noted pets should be kept close to home and are not meant to be wandering five kilometres away from their family's property, as was the case in this recent incident.
But not all cases involve dogs wandering off their property – in some cases dogs are caught while out on a walk with their family.
Fox said the charity has been calling on the province to take action since 2012 and would like to see mandates put in place to minimize the risk of injury or death. She suggests signs warning of active traplines should be made mandatory, and stricter setbacks should be made so traps are not close to trails, roads and dwellings.
In a response to Black Press Media’s inquiry, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said there are strict regulations around trapping which ensure wildlife populations “remain healthy and that traps meet humane standards.”
“Pets trapped in commercial traps is terrible for both pets and owners... The province has provided support for voluntary signage and is considering additional measures to reduce the likelihood of pets being accidentally caught in traps.”
The ministry clarified that warning signs are not mandatory in the province, but those who trap illegally or improperly are subject to fines and penalties.
Earlier this year, a working dog lost her leg after being trapped for several days near Fort St. John. The dog’s family said there were no signs warning of an active trapline. Regulations around trapping don’t mandate warning signs but state only: “Warning signs should be used to inform people of trapping activities.”
Trapping is a regulated activity in the province requiring successful completion of a 21-hour course after which an individual is licensed for trapping in a designated area. Traps cannot be set within 200 metres of a dwelling, with some exceptions including box traps. There are no setbacks for the proximity of traps to trails or roads, but B.C. regulations note the following: “When trapping near recreational areas or communities, trappers should evaluate whether lethal traps are necessary at the site."
Along with strengthening laws around signage and setbacks, Fur-Bearers want to see mandates requiring trappers to notify property owners of nearby traplines, to mark traps with ID tags and to report all trapping incidents involving domestic animals.
Fur-Bearers has also made a video available to the public on how to safely remove pets from three common traps which can be found on its website.
