Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act Reintroduced to U.S House of Representatives

An animal welfare bill that would protect wildlife from cruel traps has been reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is called the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act and is supported by the Animal Welfare Institute and other Animal rights groups. Reintroduced by Jerrold Nadler and Earl Blumenaur, the bill would make it illegal to use certain types of traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). The types of traps that would be prohibited by the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act are called body-gripping traps. These types of traps “include steel-jaw leghold traps, Conibear traps, and snares” according to the Animal Welfare Institute. 

Source: The Humane Society of the United States/YouTube

These styles of traps are beyond cruel. When animals are trapped by these devices, they may be held by a limb or slowly strangled. The more the animal struggles, the deeper these devices dig into their flesh. Body-gripping traps do not even offer animals a quick death. Instead, they remain stuck and in agony until the hunter returns, or they perish from blood loss, starvation, dehydration, or exposure. These traps are cruel by any standards. 

These traps may also ensnare domestic animals or humans who stumble into them. A cat named C.C. suffered horrible injuries after being stuck in a rabbit snare in the United Kingdom. While C.C. did escape, she may have spent five days trapped in the snare. Horrifically, animals have even been known to chew off their limbs to escape body-gripping traps. Even more horrifying, a dog in Vermont died after being caught by the neck in a Conibear trap.

The Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act would protect wild and domestic animals, as well as humans, on National Wildlife Refuge System lands. The NWRS system was designed to preserve wildlife and allow access to America’s outdoors. Over 380 endangered species reside in protected NWRS lands, says the Animal Welfare Institute. However, currently, almost half of NWRS lands allow trapping to take place. Passing the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act will not only prevent animal suffering but will also safeguard biodiversity and safe outdoor access.  

Sign this petition to Support the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act!

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Related Content: 

• Conservation Groups File Lawsuit to Protect Grizzlies and Lynx from Trapping
• All U.S. States Fail to Protect Animals from Cruel Trapping Says New Report
• Undercover Investigation Reveals the Cruelty Behind the Sordid Sport of Wild Animal Trapping
• What Does ‘Wildlife Refuge’ Really Mean?
• Jaw Traps and Snares: The Terrible Threat to India’s Wildlife 

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