Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) Seeks Prohibition of Cruel Traps in National Wildlife Refuges - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up!
November 10, 2017

To Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) for sponsoring the Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the federal agency that oversees all national wildlife refuges, wildlife trapping occurs in majority of national wildlife refuges.  Most of the trapping that goes on is by conducted by private citizens for commercial and recreational purposes. Conibear traps are used to break or crush an animal’s spinal column, but may not kill the animal instantly. Steel-jaw leg hold traps operate by crushing the body or limb of an animal. Entrapped animals, in a fit of pain and panic, often chew off their own leg or paw in a desperate attempt to escape.  Strangling snares tighten around the neck or body an animal. The more the animals struggle, the more the snare tightens, eventually strangling them to death. Animal victims include raccoons, foxes, mink, bobcats, beavers, and wolves. However, these traps sometimes kill animals who were not targets of the traps. Wandering pets, or even human visitors of a refuge could be ensnared in the deadly traps.

Now, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and other lawmakers are joining in a legislative attempt to end this horrifying practice by introducing the Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act. This legislation, if passed, would prohibit traps from U.S. National Wildlife Refuges.

Take action. U.S.citizen, contact your legislators and urge them to support new legislation that would ban trapping in national wildlife refuges.

Re: Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act

Dear [Name of Legislator]

My name is [Your Name] and as someone concerned with conservation of American wildlife, and safety on public lands, I am urging you to support the Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act, which would keep steel-jaw hold traps, Conibear traps, and snares out of our national wildlife refuges. The national wildlife refuge system exists to provide safe havens to natural American treasures, including wildlife. These areas ares supported by taxpayers, many, if not most of whom, do not support recreational trapping. A refuge is no place for a native wild species to die in agony and terror. Please support the Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]