Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions that may be disturbing for some readers
A Radium, B.C., couple is calling for change after their beloved dog died after he was caught in a fur trap earlier this month.
On Jan. 8, Sean Boxall and his two-year-old Siberian husky named Moon had driven 27 kilometres up the Horsethief Creek Forest Service Road near the Farnham Glacier, in the East Kootenay region.
While Boxall was exploring ahead on the unplowed section of the trail, Moon stayed near the truck. The dog was not on a leash.
“As I walked the short distance back to my truck, I noticed a trapline sign partially obscured by overhanging branches, making it barely visible,” Boxall said in a retelling of the events on Jan. 15.
“Moon (was) climbing the bank beside the road. I yelled at him first to come, then ran up the bank to grab him, but it was too late.
“Just metres from the plowed mainline road and my truck, Moon triggered a freshly baited Conibear trap.”
The spring-loaded trap caught the dog around the neck and, despite the efforts that left his hands torn and bloody, Boxall said he could not pry it open to free Moon.
It was only after he used the chainsaw from this truck to cut through the trap that he was able to get him out.
Despite performing CPR on the animal, Boxall said Moon died.
He said the dog “suffered an atrocious and agonizing death” on Crown land.
“My beloved furry buddy was taken from me right before my very eyes,” Boxall said.
Legal trap line: B.C. officials
In a statement to CTV News on Monday, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said it responded to a complaint about a local resident’s dog that was caught and killed in a trap west of Radium.
Officials said they interviewed the dog owner as well as the trapper, who was determined to be properly licensed.
“The trapline and area (where) it was placed was legal and the related trapping season was open. Warning signage had also been placed in the area,” the BCCOS said in the statement.
“Based on these factors, the BCCOS determined no offence had occurred and enforcement action will not be pursued.
“The BCCOS sends its sympathies to the owner for the loss of their pet.”
‘Travel freely and safely’
Boxall and his partner, Nicole Trigg, claim the trap was too close to the side of the road but officials say there is “no required buffer distance between roads and traps.”
Despite this, Boxall and Trigg are raising awareness of the traps, hoping that Moon’s story will prompt change.
The couple has proposed “Moon’s Law” as a way to prevent backcountry visitors and their pets from coming into contact with these traps.
“The Government of British Columbia has known for over 13 years that numerous dogs and cats are injured, maimed or killed by traps every year, but haven’t made common sense steps forward,” the campaign’s website says.
The couple says no one needs to experience what happened to them.
“If you’re driving because you want to get into nature and the winter wonderland in the safety of your car, and you stopped to let your dog out to pee, then this could potentially happen to (you),” Trigg said.
The couple says since they been sharing their story online, others have come forward with their accounts of their dogs being caught in traps.
“They were able to release their dogs because they were different style traps,” Trigg said.
“The general public should be able to travel freely and safely on our public lands without the possibility of their family and pets being tortured to death in front of them,” said Boxall.
The campaign’s website says less than 0.02 per cent of B.C. residents are licenced trappers.
The BCCOS reminds all residents that there are active trapping seasons throughout the winter in various regions of the province.
Further details on trapping in B.C. can be found online.
On Monday, the BC SPCA provided CTV News with an emailed statement.
“The BC SPCA was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of a dog who became caught in a baited fur trap in East Kootenay,” the statement said.
“Currently, there is no requirement for signage for traps, although the BC SPCA would support the restriction and labelling of traps.”
A statement by the BC SPCA on trapping can be found online.
