ANIMAL welfare experts are warning that illegal gin traps are still in use around the county.
Pet owners Sarah Sharland and Andy Powell, of Brockhampton, near Ross-on-Wye, were horrified when their cat, Wizzer, dragged herself home with a badly crushed leg still caught in the vicious contraption.
“She was found not far from the back door so it suggests the trap was set not far from the house,” said Sarah.
Vets feared 14-year-old Wizzer could lose her leg and now, a few weeks after her ordeal, ‘she is still not out of the woods’ but slowly making a recovery, said Sarah.
“If the worst comes to the worst, I suppose she can manage on three legs. At least she is alive,” she added.
“My concern is there are more of these traps about.”
RSPCA inspector Debbie Large has confiscated the trap and hopes that highlighting the case will help other pet owners stay vigilant.
“Anyone who sees evidence of these traps in use must contact the RSPCA immediately so we can stamp out this cruel activity,” she said.
Dee White, shelter manager at the Cats Protection League in Allensmore, said a feral cat had been found stuck in an illegal trap not far from Brockhampton recently but escaped when its leg was released.
“Gin traps have been illegal for the best part of a century and they are absolutely foul, savage things. Unfortunately, there is the odd one that is still lurking in the undergrowth,” she said.
“It is designed to shatter the bone in the animal’s leg and anyone who is still using them in this day and age is indescribably cruel.
“There are now humane traps.”
Anyone who has further information on the illegal use of gin traps in the county should call the RSPCA on 08705 555 999.
Source: Halesowen News
