Update: Sadly, this bill did not receive support from the House committee to which it was referred. As a result, the bill did not complete the legislative process prior to the adjournment of the legislative Session.
Bill Description: Under existing law, the use of leghold traps is banned in 4 counties. This bill would expand the ban against using leghold traps from those counties to the entire state. The bill applies to all leghold traps, including padded and offset traps. However, scientific research could be conducted using these traps, and the state could use these traps to protect human health or safety. Also, the state could issue permits for the traps to individuals experiencing wildlife-caused damage to their property if other efforts to abate the problem have failed. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service could use leghold traps when “necessary” to protect threatened or endangered species. The leghold traps in each of these instances would need to be marked with identification and checked every 12 hours.
[teaserbreak]
Leghold traps are cruel, arbitrary, and antiquated. These devices cause immense suffering as the animals they capture may die of dehydration, starvation, or predation from other animals if the trapper fails to check the device soon after the animal stumbles into it. In addition, these devices are not species-selective. They are an indiscriminate killing method that sometimes catches and kills non-target animals. These cruel devices should be banned.