PET owners are being urged to look out for illegal traps following an incident in St Dogmaels.
Dawn Calvert found her cat with its leg caught in a gin trap located near her home in Maes y Dre on Sunday, November 1. It is now recovering from a broken leg and three broken toes.
She said: “Apparently a few have been found in the area over the years, some already set off, but some still armed. There is also a public footpath just up the road where a friend of mine found some when he was younger.
“I just want to warn others, this could have been a small child as it was set in a garden bush.”
The RSPCA has confirmed it is has received a report of the incident.
A spokesman said: “We are told that it is likely this poor cat was caught in a gin trap. Snares and traps are used usually set to catch a fox or rabbit, but they are indiscriminate so its victim can just as easily be a badger, cat or dog.
“While the use of gin traps has been illegal in the UK since 1958, some are still being used.
“It is illegal to cause any animal to suffer by using them. The sale or possession of such traps is not illegal, but the RSPCA wants to make people aware that they can face prosecution by setting a gin trap. Anyone found guilty of setting a gin trap faces a maximum £20,000 fine and/or six months in prison.”
Source: Western Telegraph
