Born Free USA Releases New Report On Cruel & Indiscriminate Animal Trapping In The U.S.; Help Put An End To It In Your State!

Born Free USA launched a comprehensive new report today on animal trapping in the United States, amending and updating work carried out in 2017 and providing each state with a score out of 100 based on its action to protect animals from cruel trapping. While California and Hawaii scored above 50, almost half of the states scored just 25 or under.

The findings in Crushing Cruelty: Animal Trapping in the United States, present a sobering insight into this practice, which causes suffering and death to millions of animals each year. In addition to inadequate regulations, Born Free found traps, including those that are illegal to use in all 50 states, to be widely available for sale without restriction on online e-commerce platforms such as Amazon. The organization is calling for a ban on such sales, and a complete regulatory overhaul of trapping nationwide, including an immediate end to trapping on public lands, and for plans to be implemented to move towards generalized prohibition of trapping across the nation.

“Trapping methods have barely changed in over 400 years, with the same archaic contraptions that were used to decimate wild animal populations during the time of European settlement in the U.S., which are still being used today to maim and kill animals. In more than 100 countries around the world, barbaric leghold traps have been banned. The U.S. is not one of those countries, and that has to change,” Born Free USA’s Programs Director, Dr. Liz Tyson, said in a statement. “The U.S. prides itself on its progressive and science-based approach to animal welfare and yet is lagging behind other nations in allowing this crushing cruelty to continue.”

In addition to scoring each state’s position on trapping, the report explores the extent of trapping and the content of educational courses mandated by some states for would-be trappers ahead of licenses being granted. Shockingly, the report reveals that multiple states promoted the cruel drowning of animals as “humane” as part of their formal education courses. This despite it being specifically stated by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) that drowning is categorically inhumane.

In addition, commercially available trapping guides documented the accidental trapping of companion animals, they also provided advice on killing animals caught in traps, including suggestions that using wooden clubs to beat trapped animals to death as standard practice.

The litany of concerns shared in the new research confirm that there is significant work to be done to protect animals, both the intended targets and unintentional victims, from trapping.

“Ending trapping in the U.S. is not something that will happen overnight, but we believe that our work has created a clear roadmap for change, which those who would like to join us in our efforts can support. The prohibition of trapping on public land is an essential first step, followed by moves to follow in the footsteps of states such as California and Hawaii, which have banned trapping for recreational and commercial purposes,” continued Tyson. “We would like body-gripping traps of all kinds to be outlawed across the country. They are cruel, they are indiscriminate, and they are dangerous. There is no excuse for trapping to continue in 2021.”

Download each state’s trapping report card and contact your governor about ending animal trapping, HERE!

Sign Born Free USA’s petition to Amazon urging them to stop selling animal traps, HERE!

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg