Letters to the Editor and Others
Trappers are a Dying Lot
Sent to www.PittsburghLIVE.com
opinion@tribweb.com11/30/03
A recent article mentioned that the Pennsylvania Trappers Association is looking to recruit new members. (Trappers' group looks for some new members 11/21) It is not surprising that this is so, considering that the public is losing interest in trapping, a way to kill helpless and harmless animals for sport.
One of the most widely used traps in the trapper's arsenal is the steel jaw leghold trap. This device indiscriminately maims animals and is so barbaric that its use has been banned in over 88 countries and five US states.
Because a trapper cannot single out the animals he is trying to catch, all too often a leghold trap will clamp its vice-like jaws on the leg of an endangered species, or that of a domestic dog or cat. Raccoons who have been caught in leghold traps have been known to chew off their feet in an attempt to free themselves from its clutches. Clearly, these traps have no place in a civilized society.
To a trapper, the lives of animals are nearly worthless. At a recent PA Trappers Association auction trappers were paid less than three dollars for a muskrat's skin, and only $1.00 for an opossum's fur. What a tragic end for such peaceful animals.
Since trappers cause so much pain and suffering to so many animals, there is little wonder why the Pennsylvania Trappers Association is looking for new members. People have better things to do these days than spend a morning setting traps that they know will bring terrible suffering upon furry little animals. For information on how to live in peaceful coexistence with wildlife, please contact Wildlife Watch at (845) 256-1400 or wildwatch@earthlink.net
Joe Miele
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