According to the CBC, Patricia Oulton was working in her barn with her bull mastiff Boss and Jack Russell terrier Brody when they wandered off – not unusual for the pair. But when they didn’t return, she became worried.
“I had a bad feeling as soon as they were gone, because it's not like to them not to come back or not to be able to find them anywhere,” Oulton told the CBC.
With the help of friends, neighbours and ATVs, Oulton searched high and low for her missing dogs. And after 30 hours, at which point she was losing hope, she heard that a local trapper had found the two and released them from his snares.
In the CBC article, Wade MacKinnon, Provincial Chief Conservation Officer, noted that trapping season is on and dog owners should beware. But what’s most worrisome is that the CBC added “this is the fifth incident of dogs caught in snares this season, and two weeks ago a dog in Murray River died in a snare.”
As the season referenced in the article runs from November 15 to January 31 (for coyote and fox) it is extremely frightening. For some reason, the provincial leadership of Prince Edward Island thinks this is acceptable. We disagree.
TAKE ACTION
Contact PEI Premier Robert Ghiz and tell him that trapping must end – before the suffering of more fur-bearing animals and domestic pets rises even further. Send this letter or write your own and email him at rwjghiz@gov.pe.ca. You can also tweet him at @RobertGhiz. Make sure you copy your own local representative if you live in PEI! Please forward any responses you receive to news@thefurbearers.com
SAMPLE LETTER
Premier Ghiz,
Dogs, cats and other fur-bearing creatures are at risk of frightening and painful deaths as long as snares and other traps remain in use in Prince Edward Island. A recent CBC report indicated at least five dogs have already been caught in legal traps in PEI this season alone.
Why are the rights of a handful of trappers being put above those of dog and cat lovers, pet owners, parents and other taxpayers? Why are you letting a dying industry dictate policy in one of Canada’s most beautiful provinces?
Please, ban the use of these terrible traps before more dogs, cats and fur-bearing animals must suffer.
Signed,
Your name and address
