Roxy’s Law is working!
TrapFree New Mexico, our partners, and thousands of New Mexicans worked for years to make public lands in our state safer for people, pets, and native wildlife. Finally, Roxy’s Law was enacted in 2021 and implemented in 2022. Since then, there has been a stark decline...
New Mexico animal trapping law receives pushback from trappers
Hunters and trappers have filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming New Mexico’s new fur-trapping laws are unfair and discriminatory. As of April 2022, the Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act also known as Roxy’s Law has banned the use of traps, snares and...
Dog survives brink of death run-in with potentially illegal snare
ESPAÑOLA, N.M. — Española Humane workers never know what’s going to come through their doors, but Wednesday brought an unusually rare case. “Almost unrecognizable as a dog,” said Mattie Allen, director of communications for Española Humane. “It’s pretty shocking to...
‘He was very close to dying’: Dog owner calls for Quebec ban on leg hold traps
After his beloved dog Che's snout was caught in a leg hold trap, Montrealer Frederic Berard started a campaign urging Quebec to heavily restrict or even ban their use. "Che was having a walk as always at my chalet, and he got trapped," said the constitutional lawyer....
In a win for animals, California’s ban on fur officially takes effect
Californians can now officially celebrate the end of fur sales in the Golden State. A statewide ban on the sale of new animal fur products went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, making California the first state in the U.S. to implement such a ban. Its citizens have waited...
New Mexico Citizens Speak Out for Trap-Free Public Lands
More News & Updates

Bye-Bye, Trapping on Public Land in New Mexico
Mary Katherine Ray helped outlaw traps in her state Adapted from an interview by Lindsey Botts January 1, 2023 A few years after moving to a remote area of southern New Mexico, I saw a Sierra Club ad in the local paper. I was a longtime member and thought, "That's...
Roxy’s Law now in effect on New Mexico public lands 🐕
Dear Friends of TrapFree New Mexico, Thanks to the contributions of thousands of TrapFree New Mexico supporters, November 1, 2022 marks the beginning of a very different and vastly diminished wildlife trapping season in New Mexico. For the first time ever, all public...

Illegal Trapper Arrested
MILAN, N.M. – Milan man Zacharia Copeland, 22, has been charged with Trapping Without a License. The charge came after Copeland posted a Facebook photo of a badger he had shot. Investigators found the photo, and on October 19 they filed a criminal complaint against...

Trapping ban to take effect on public lands in New Mexico
It will be illegal to use wildlife traps, snares and poison on public lands across New Mexico under a ban that takes effect Friday. New Mexico is joining a handful of Western states that have limited trapping on public lands, with supporters saying the move will help...

Roxy’s Law Banning Traps, Snares, and Poisons on New Mexico Public Lands Goes Into Effect
Dear TrapFree New Mexico Friend, Today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: Roxy’s Law (the Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act) went into effect this morning, making the vast majority of all traps, snares, and poisons illegal on approximately 32 million...
New Mexico Teeters on Edge of a New Era of CoExistence: Trapping Ban on Public Lands Goes into Effect April 1
On April 1, Roxy’s Law—a ban on trapping on New Mexico public lands more than a decade in the making—goes into effect after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed it last year. Nearly 32 million acres of public lands, including state-owned parcels, national forests, and...
Finally, recreate safely with no harmful traps on public lands
BY JESSICA JOHNSON / CHIEF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICER, ANIMAL PROTECTION VOTERS With warmer weather, many of us are reaching for our hiking boots, backpacks, and dog leashes – and we can finally breathe a little easier. That’s because, as of April 1, 2022, we have...
New Mexicans want safe, trap-free public lands
TrapFree New Mexico is a coalition opposing cruel, destructive traps on public lands. Traps pose an unacceptable risk to public lands users, companion animals, and wildlife. We seek a ban on traps on public lands in New Mexico for the sake of public safety, wildlife and ecological integrity. More than 100 countries worldwide have banned or severely restricted the use of traps. New Mexico should do the same.
People's Forum Panel Report on Public Lands Trapping
The New Mexico Legislature should ban trapping on public lands in New Mexico because traps harm people, animal companions, and whole populations of wildlife including rare species. Most New Mexican voters believe that trapping is cruel and unnecessary.
TrapFree Friends
Animal Protection Voters
Black Bear Bureau
Footloose Montana
Fur Free Alliance
Furbearer Defenders
League of Humane Voters
Lobos of the Southwest
Mercy for Animals
National Urban Wildlife Coalition
No Cruel Traps on Public Lands
People's Forum Panel on New Mexico Public Lands Trapping
Predator Defense
Project Coyote
Pulling for Life
TrailSafe Nevada
Trap Free Montana
TrapFree Oregon
Wyoming Untrapped