A family living in a rural area near Williams Lake, B.C., is calling for regulatory changes after their dog died after being caught in a snare trap.
In an interview with CTV News, Victoria Savile described Berta as a working farm dog that watched over livestock—who was also a beloved member of her family.
“She was loved. She was a family member. She didn’t deserve this,” Savile said. “She was a great dog. She had a very short life, unfortunately.”
On the morning of Oct. 19, a neighbour found Berta deceased.
Savile said the dog got caught in a snare trap set on Crown land just 280 metres from the family’s house.
After speaking with a conservation officer, she learned the trap was legally set.
“It’s a very busy populated area. And so, when we went down there, I was just I was so upset and I just kept saying, ‘How is this possible?” Savile said.
Under current provincial regulations, traps must be set at least 200 metres from dwellings, trap lines do not need to be marked with signage, and they can even be set in provincial parks.
“Traps are indiscriminate. What that means is anything, whether it’s a dog or a child, a bird, a turtle, a deer, or any animal can set that trap off,” said Lesley Fox, executive director of The Fur-Bearers, an organization opposed to trapping.
She told CTV News an average of eight dogs per year have died in fur traps over the past decade.
For years, The Fur-Bearers has been lobbying the provincial government for stricter rules.
“We need these traps away from commonly used areas, recreational trails, forest service roads, getting them far away from our communities,” Fox said.
Incoming Premier Lorne Doerkson is the MLA in the area where Berta died.
Savile said she’s already been in touch with him to let him know what happened.
“He said, ‘Reach out to me and we can work together.’ I’m giving him time,” she said. “I understand he’s going to be a very busy gentleman right now. So, I’m going to give him a little bit of time, but I will probably reach out to him next week.”
The B.C. Conservative transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The B.C. Trappers Association told CTV News it could not make anyone available for an interview.
In an emailed statement, the association called incidents involving pets “deeply distressing.”
The organization said conflict prevention is a shared responsibility, and it encourages people to keep dogs leashed on Crown land.
“We support ongoing discussion with government on signage. We have provided signage and support use with our membership,” the statement said.
“Government has identified it is illegal for us to post signs on a Forest Service Road. We are hopeful government will support changes to better facilitate trappers posting signs in active trapping areas.”
