A Valdez couple were devastated to find their beloved husky, whom some in the area referred to as “the Mayor of Valdez,” dead in a wire trap off Broken Arrow Road in early June.

The dog, named Zuni, went missing June 3 at about 3:30 a.m. during a routine bathroom trip outside.

This time, however, she didn’t come back inside right away. The dog’s owners figured she’d been spooked by an early morning thunderstorm.

On June 5, a neighbor, Tom Garcia, found the dog dead, tangled in an unmarked wire trap and fencing, as he was driving to work.

The incident is a reminder that in rural New Mexico unleashed pets can run afoul of traps legally set on private land to protect livestock from predators. Like many parts of Taos County, Valdez is a checkerboard of non-agricultural residential properties and land that families have ranched or farmed for generations.

Conservation officers with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish investigated the incident the same day it was reported and determined the property owner who set the trap was within his rights, according to Game and Fish regulations.

“The incident occurred on private land not owned by the owner of the dog,” said Darren Vaughan, communications director for Game and Fish. “Officers found no violations.”

Tony Valdez, co-owner of the property, said he set the traps as a deterrent, hoping dogs would learn not to come on his property, where he keeps livestock. Ranchers are wary of conflict, for example, between livestock and dogs — as well as wild predators like mountain lions and bear. In 2023, a bear killed dozens of sheep belonging to several ranchers in Arroyo Seco and El Salto.

According to the Game and Fish investigation report, the department “contacted Tony Valdez over the phone and learned that Mr. Valdez set the snares on the property for feral dogs in the area that have been attacking the cattle. This has been an ongoing issue with the feral dogs.”

“My motive is just a deterrent,” Valdez told the Taos News. “Those traps won’t kill a dog; they aren’t a true snare or a true trap. It’s a homemade bending wire deterrent. It’s possible but it’s not likely.” After learning of Zuni’s death, Valdez said he would set different traps.

The corner of Isaac Gonzalez’s property is about 10 feet from the fence line where the traps were left. Like many neighbors, he knew Zuni well.

“Unfortunately, I heard her last dying breaths,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t know what it was, because the people at the bottom have so many animals. It sounded like a tropical bird or something. I’ve never heard anything like that. I walked towards the back, and I didn’t hear it anymore.”

When she was found, Zuni was caught so tightly in two snare traps and wire fencing that she had likely lost the ability to make any noise. One snare wrapped so fast around her hind leg it nearly reached the bone, and another around her neck appears to have strangled her. As she struggled, the wire tightened around her to a degree that her owners, Matt Gresham and Amy Zalta-Gresham, buried the dog with it.

“This feels as if we lost our baby — not to mention this could have happened to anyone’s beloved fur baby or even an unassuming child roaming in the neighborhood, as they’ve done freely in Valdez for generations,” Zalta-Gresham said.

“There are much safer traps that do not intend to kill, and we as a community would be grateful and help sponsor such traps, before it comes to the death of another member of our family,” she added. “This was cruel and inhumane.”

Neighbors who asked to remain anonymous said they removed at least seven other wire traps along the fence line. According to them, at least two other domestic dogs have been caught in snares in that spot along the pond. Both survived.

“It’s disheartening to think that it’s so close to my house,” Gonzalez said. “My dog, or another dog — or a child, or anyone — could potentially be a victim. The fact that it’s in a residential area blows my mind.”

Proper use of traps

New Mexico’s trapping regulations are intended to limit animal cruelty; such as checking the trap every 24 hours, leaving identification on the trap, and not setting them too close to water sources. However, these rules do not apply when the trapper intends to protect livestock on private property.

To keep companion animals safe, Animal Protection New Mexico recommends working with local animal control or law enforcement officers to trap targeted species, and “utilizing a non-lethal cage trap instead, to address damage being caused by loose dogs in a humane manner.”

“Animals don’t know when they are crossing from public land to private property, and traps and snares don’t discriminate between targeted and non-targeted animals,” said Stacy Sutton Kerby, APNM chief government affairs officer. “While New Mexico has taken the correct step in banning traps, poisons, and snares on public land, APNM believes strong regulations and restrictions should apply across any piece of land where people and animals traverse. Furthermore, lethal traps and snares should never be used to capture or kill dogs.”

Game and Fish recommends residents follow the animal control ordinance regarding dogs at large (including unleashed animals) and for livestock owners to follow the laws regarding livestock protection.

‘The Mayor of Valdez’

Like many dogs in the Valdez area, Zuni was known and loved by many; neighbors called her the Mayor of Valdez. She rode on the mayordomo’s truck on ditch cleaning day and visited Sheila Rey often for a 5 p.m. bone with other dogs. Other neighbors spoke about her chatty nature.

“Zuni had been coming to my house for years,” Rey said. “She was a sweetheart, extremely vocal. She was a people person, very friendly. Loved to be hugged, loved to be petted; and she loved her little treats I would give her.

“She was just a beautiful soul,” Rey added. “She didn’t deserve to die like that.”

Zalta-Gresham hopes Zuni’s death will create change, making residential areas and the many neighborhoods with a mix of agricultural and residential  properties safer for everyone.

“She was a beautiful soul in the valley of Valdez, as well as Taos Ski Valley, as her journeys brought joy to so many on a daily basis,” Zalta-Gresham said. “Her life was robbed, cut too short, but her memory has made her a martyr for change. We will do what it takes to remember her, and not let a savage act like this happen again.”

“Ordinances can and should be changed to stop poaching to kill in residential areas, for the sake of humanity and the so so many of us grieving for our Zuni girl,” Zalta-Gresham added. “She can’t be brought back but hopefully she can save lives. No unknowing pet or child deserves that fate.”

Read this article in the Taos News

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Dog (later named “Rodi”) hanging out across from the mail boxes in Rodarte with a severly injured front left leg: bones are sticking out. Front left leg dangling, hanging by a thread. Rodi wouldn’t let anyone near. Rodi was trapped by Conrad Mahafee of CMM Lost Pet Reovery and Humane Trapping by Nov. 5 and by that time the dog lost the lower part of his leg. Anaruth saw the dog before Conrad did. Rodi was sent to vet, had major surgery, lost his left shoulder too. Suspected illegal snare trap. The trap that may have caused the injury was not recovered and nobody would be able to say definitively if it was placed on public land illegally. Dog was fostered by Anaruth and named Rodi. Rodi was later adopted by a person from Santa Fe.

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“Almost unrecognizable as a dog,” said Mattie Allen, director of communications for Española Humane. “It’s pretty shocking to see a dog come in that is clearly strangulated.”

Rio Arriba County Animal Control officers brought in a seven-month-old puppy with a severely swollen head and an undeniable snare around his neck. The puppy was having a hard time breathing.

A good Samaritan called officers when they saw the dog running just north of Española.

“Fortunately, for this dog, he was able to actually pull the cable from whatever it was attached to and break himself free,” said Allen.

A vet team was able to sedate the dog and cut off the snare.

Two days later, the little guy, temporarily known as Muffin, is looking good as new.

But the incident raises questions about New Mexico’s trapping laws.

“The problem with these snares is that they’re indiscriminate. When you set a snare like that you can trap anything it does not discriminate what type of living being is getting strangled by this thing,” said Allen.

Roxy’s law went into effect last April in New Mexico, making it illegal to use traps, snares, or poisons to capture, hurt, or kill an animal on public lands. It doesn’t apply to private land.

Officers don’t know where exactly Muffin got caught, but advocates say they hope all property owners think twice about snares.

“I do hope that people are not setting these snares to trap dogs,” said Allen.  “It could be any type of wildlife, it could be a cat, it could be your family’s dog, it could be a kid. And it will go around a head and a neck, a foot, a hand, a paw, it doesn’t discriminate.”

Española Humane is taking suggestions for Muffin’s permanent name on its social media pages.

He’s getting neutered and up-to-date on shots and will be up for adoption soon.

Read this article on KOB.com

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“Che was having a walk as always at my chalet, and he got trapped,” said the constitutional lawyer. “I would say he was very close to dying because those are instruments to kill an animal, obviously.”

When Berard posted the account of his dog’s injury on Facebook, other pet owners began sharing their equally troubling stories.

“I received so many testimonies mentioning the same story again and again and again, and I realized it’s not an anecdote, it’s a phenomenon and we need to regulate that to stop that,” said Berard. “In 2023, we’re better than that in Quebec.”

The damage done to animals caught in traps is often severe.

“We’ve seen animals come in with muscle tears through their legs, and we’ve had to try to suture them back together,” said animal health technician Alexandra Yaksich. “We’ve seen animals come in that have been in these traps for days at a time, so they start to get very serious bacterial infections in their paws and going up their arms, and sometimes the only thing you can do in that case is amputate the arm.”

Yaksich said the physical damage to the pet is written all over the face of the pet’s owners.

“Often, the witnessing of such horrific images, especially when it’s your own animal, to see muscle exposed, lots of blood, that’s very traumatizing,” she said. “Often we hear from clients that they have dreams about it, and they’re still thinking about it years after it happened.”

Read this article in CTV News Montreal | Sign the Petition on Change.org

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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 amazing that a Sierra Club group is forming in this rural area!” I joined it and made new friends, but it wasn’t until 2003 that I really became active as a leader.

That year, I was hiking on a winter morning on public land near my home with my two dogs. Suddenly, one of the dogs started pulling on his leash. At the spot he wanted to investigate, there was a hidden steel-jaw trap. It leapt out of the sand when I inadvertently triggered it and slammed shut on air. The dogs and I weren’t hurt, but that moment cleaved my life in two: before trapping and after trapping.

The injustice—that a trapper could legally put me in this dangerous situation and harm my dog—was unconscionable. I shared my story with a Sierra Club friend and mentor when I got home. She said that she had also recently run into a trap on an outing she was leading: A participant’s dog had gotten caught, and it ruined the entire excursion. We were furious. Placing people in harm’s way was wrong, to say nothing of subjecting wildlife to this cruelty. That’s when I began to actively advocate for a trapping ban on public lands.

We started with the New Mexico Game Commission. After several years of us trying—organizing and generating more opposition to traps—they remained unmoved. We felt ridiculed and belittled. It didn’t matter that every year more people submitted comments opposing traps on public land—100, 1,000, then 12,000 written comments didn’t make a difference. While leading an outing myself in 2011, our group came upon a coyote struggling and badly injured in a trap. I vowed to use her picture to publicize the brutality of trapping. She is memorialized as the logo of TrapFreeNM.org, the coalition of conservation and animal protection groups I helped bring together. I never could have done this work alone.

By 2013, our coalition realized that the game commission would not help us, and we needed the legislature to change the law. The resulting bill’s first sponsor was a legislator representing a tourist destination where people enjoy recreating on public lands and where a constituent not only had two dogs that got caught in traps but was also injured herself.

The bill didn’t pass when it was first introduced, but we kept at it. Our state legislature meets only every other year to consider nonbudgetary bills. With every iteration, more people, including legislators, became aware of the injustice of trapping.

Each session brought more public support, more media coverage, and more yes votes. In 2021, the bill passed the state senate floor. We knew it would be close in the house of representatives. After several hours of debate on the house floor, the tally was tied. A bill does not pass on a tie vote. The next two years and all the work ahead flashed before my eyes. But at the last moment, another yes vote was cast by a legislator. One of their constituents had a dog who was killed by a snare in 2018. The bill became known as Roxy’s Law in the dog’s memory. The law went to the governor’s desk. With her signature, 17 years after I started my advocacy, traps and poisons were finally outlawed on New Mexico public lands.

It’s unbelievable that in the 21st century, the archaic and cruel practice of trapping is still allowed. Our opponents ignored us, then laughed at us, then fought us. But finally we, the public, and wildlife won.

Read this article at Sierra

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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 entered a new era of safe and humane enjoyment of New Mexico’s public lands.

After nearly two decades of work by Animal Protection Voters, allies and grassroots advocates to lobby our state government to restrict the wanton use of traps, snares and poisons, the Wildlife Conservation & Public Safety Act was passed and signed into law in 2021.

Nicknamed “Roxy’s Law” after a dog named Roxy who died in a neck snare during a hike with her family, the new state law prohibits all traps – including leghold traps, “Conibear” body-gripping traps and cage traps – snares, and wildlife poisons on public lands, except when the activity meets a narrow set of exceptions listed in the law. Learn more about the law at TrapsDontBelong.org.

New Mexico now has one of the strongest restrictions on traps, snares and poisons in the country – and for very good reason.

The outdoor recreation industry is an important segment of New Mexico’s economic future, relying considerably on shared use of public lands. Every story told by residents or tourists about their dogs being caught or killed in traps, or about finding suffering or dead wildlife in traps, was a black mark on that future. By the time “Roxy’s Law” was signed into law, our coalition collected roughly 150 reports of terrifying incidents, illegal trapping citations and endangered species captured on public lands.

Wildlife are a crucial part of New Mexico’s ecosystem. The limitless destruction of thousands of wild animals every year, using painful and lethal implements left unattended on public land, no longer fits with modern conservation science and notions of humane wildlife management.

Finally, the use of traps, snares and poisons as a hobby, to profit from the fur trade or as a haphazard way to extinguish animals perceived as a nuisance is simply cruel. Causing an animal unnecessary suffering is unacceptable, especially when more humane alternatives are available.

“Roxy’s Law,” like any law, is only as strong as it is enforced – and all New Mexicans will benefit from a collective awareness of the law and a determination to see it enforced.

• If you find a trap, snare or poison on public land: Note the location and, if possible, take photos. But do not tamper with, remove or destroy the device without authorization. Doing so could be dangerous and would be illegal if the device is allowed under a Roxy’s Law exception.
• If you suspect the device may be illegal, report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Only they can investigate an incident, determine illegality, file charges and prosecute violations.
• Call the Animal Cruelty Helpline at 1-877-5-HUMANE (1-877-548-6263). Helpline staff will document the incident and work with you to contact or follow up with law enforcement.

The passage of “Roxy’s Law” was only possible because the majority of New Mexicans persistently pushed for safer, more humane public lands. And the next time you wander along a trail or toward a scenic overlook, with your dog safely in tow, without worry about a trap, snare or poison lurking underfoot – remember to thank the state policymakers who answered the call to action.

For more information, go to apvnm.org

Read this article in the Albuquerque Journal »

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Last week a dog walking with its owner was caught in both a snare and leg hold trap off of FS-137 outside of El Rito. These illegally set traps on National Forest land were subsequently removed by New Mexico Game and Fish. The road the traps were close to is frequently used by dog walkers. Needless to say, it was a frightening and unexpected experience for the dog owner who had no experience releasing traps. The dog was calm and after some (very) anxious time, the owner first freed the dog’s paw, then after realizing the dog had a snare around its neck, figured out how to release that too.

We hope that if you walk dogs or ride horses you will take a few minutes to watch these videos (leghold trap | snare) detailing how to remove snares and traps. Understanding the mechanics of how they work might save your dog’s life and will certainly make removing the traps easier.

Trapping on public lands in New Mexico will be illegal April 1st. Until then, trappers MUST HAVE a permit to place traps on public land.

Read the article in the Abiquiu News

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Roxy – the beloved dog killed by a neck snare in 2018 while hiking with her family – may not have received justice in the recent trial of the trapper accused of setting that snare. But she was victorious in a far greater way. Her face and name became emblematic of the campaign to stop the recreational and destructive use of traps, snares and poisons on New Mexico’s public lands. And, in 2021, that work finally paid off when “Roxy’s Law” was signed into law.

Roxy’s death appalled and alarmed many New Mexicans. It was her story that topped off years of work by Animal Protection New Mexico and other animal advocates to ban traps, snares and poisons on public lands. But that campaign started decades ago – long before Roxy’s death.

Advocates spent many years in the 2000s urging action by the state Game Commission, but to no avail. Turning to the New Mexico Legislature for a solution, the first bill introduced to ban traps, snares and poisons in New Mexico was in 2013.

When Roxy died in 2018, there had already been numerous well-publicized trapping horror stories in the news. And, after she died, dozens more stories were shared: more dogs and cats caught in leg-hold traps and strangled in neck snares, and more people outdoors discovering wildlife victims, as well: injured and emaciated foxes and bobcats, decaying bodies stuck in forgotten traps, and piles of skinned carcasses left by trappers after they took all the fur they could sell for profit.

By the time “Roxy’s Law” finally passed and was signed into law in spring of 2021, reports of roughly 150 terrifying incidents, illegal trapping citations and endangered species captured on public land had been collected. New Mexicans were saying “Enough!” And the Legislature agreed.

The public should still beware: The prohibition on traps, snares and poisons on public lands doesn’t take effect until April 1, 2022. We are in the midst of the last ever trapping season on public lands. Trapping season spans from Nov. 1 through March 31 – though some species can be trapped year-round.

Roxy was killed over a Thanksgiving weekend, so this holiday season, here are some things to know:

• Until April 2022, traps, snares and poisons are currently legal on public lands, and anyone on public lands may be endangered by them.

• Though it doesn’t guarantee safety for you or your companion animals, you can reduce your risk by staying on marked trails and keeping your animals on leash. This is often better for wildlife and habitat, as well.

• If you, a member of your party, or your animal is caught or injured by a trap, snare or poison, please report that incident online at trapfreenm.org or call the Animal Protection New Mexico cruelty hotline at 1-877-5-HUMANE (1-877-548-6263), and you can get help on relaying information to law enforcement, if applicable.

The terrible outcome in Roxy’s case – botched by investigators’ failure to properly handle evidence – means no one will be held accountable for setting the neck snare that killed her. Our hearts go out to the Clark family, as no one should have to watch their animal die so tragically before their eyes. But the law that is Roxy’s namesake will go on to protect thousands of animals from unspeakable suffering every year, a legacy much bigger than a single case or trial.

Read this article in the Albuquerque Journal

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But the way the trial and verdict has been framed is a disservice to the effort to ban cruel traps, snares and poisons across New Mexico’s public lands.

Several media outlets described Roxy’s tragic death as the impetus for passage of the Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act, which came to be called “Roxy’s Law.” It is true that Roxy became emblematic of the indiscriminate killing and danger that traps pose on public lands. However, the effort to ban traps from New Mexico public lands had been in the making for years before Roxy was killed.

It was the outcome of tens of thousands of New Mexicans coming to terms with the problems inherent with trapping and working hard to create a new paradigm for wildlife and hikers, hunters, campers and other users of public lands in the Land of Enchantment.

Taking Marty Cordova’s claim that he is a “scapegoat” at face value disregards all of the other pets who have been killed or injured in traps in New Mexico: Ophie, Murphy, Buster, Maxi, Strawberry, Ceniza, Tooli, Nelli, Cruzer, Ivy, Mahlia, Jessie, Joe, Sabina, Kutchin, Jetta, Zero, Toby, Pepper, Bo, Lulu, Ben Funbeast, Sammy, Jaky, Wiley, Beau, (another) Roxy, Ted, Bailey, Pearl, Noodles, Kekoa, Fibel, Ranger, Hopi, Jesse, Nina, Griz, Robin, Greta, Honey and many others unnamed or unknown.

Doing so also fails to account for at least 150,000 native animals that have been killed by trappers since 2008.

Furthermore, Cordova’s assertion — “Trapping is not bad; it’s a means of conservation, just like hunting deer or fishing” — is false. Trapping is not conservation. It is not like hunting deer or fishing. Trapping is cruel, dangerous and indiscriminate. It drains fragile ecosystems of the native species that keep things in balance. It turns wildlife into a commodity to be slaughtered, skinned, tanned and sold. It is deeply unpopular — New Mexicans oppose trapping by a wide margin.

Trapping was not on trial in the case surrounding Roxy’s death. Cordova was. And that seems to have been lost in the coverage. Cordova got his day in court, as is his right. But he was also given a platform from which to espouse the virtues of trapping and make it seem as though him being found not guilty — due at least in part to evidence being lost and photographs being deleted — means that trapping is redeemed.

The New Mexico lawmakers who decided earlier this year to end cruel trapping and poisoning of wildlife on public lands did so after hearing from activists (including sportsmen), scientists and trapping victims for well over a decade. The Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act will go into effect in April. It will make the outdoors safer and more accessible to visitors, prevent native animals from suffering and dying from these devices on approximately 32 million acres of public lands, and bring New Mexico’s wildlife policies closer into alignment with the best available science and modern ethics of coexistence.

New Mexico citizens and lawmakers have chosen to relegate public lands trapping and poisoning to the history books for myriad good and valid reasons. Roxy is one of those reasons, and her death became a rallying cry for the cause. Cordova’s not guilty verdict does not undo the progress we’ve made.

Chris Smith is the Southwest Wildlife Advocate for WildEarth Guardians.

Read this article in the Santa Fe New Mexican

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That’s one positive outcome from the tragic death of an Española dog name Roxy — but it’s hard to be optimistic about the new law’s ability to be effective.

Here’s why: The same agency that will investigate violations of the new anti-trapping law, dubbed “Roxy’s Law” — the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish — handled the investigation of Roxy’s death.

In 2018, a neck snare strangled Roxy, a blue heeler mix, near a hiking trail at Santa Cruz Lake Recreation Area north of Española. Marty Cordova, of Chimayó, was charged with 34 counts of illegal trapping activities: 14 counts of unlawful possession of a protected species, 10 counts of failure to mark traps, and five counts each for trapping within 25 yards of a roadway and failure to check traps on a daily basis.

Public attention over Roxy’s death led to a hard-fought campaign to pass the new law, formally known as the Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act, which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law last spring after it passed the state House by a single vote.

This month, a jury acquitted Cordova, a Chimayó trapper, of 10 counts of illegal trapping, three years after state officials alleged he set a snare that strangled Roxy.

Cordova’s lawyer, Yvonne K. Quintana, pointed out problems with evidence, including failure to collect snares and traps from the field, and the destruction of photographic evidence.

To be fair, the Game and Fish investigation appeared to be compromised by some Bureau of Land Management procedures. Traps in BLM custody “were not turned over to the Department of Game and Fish, but were destroyed, per their policy, when a case is resolved,” said Jennifer Padgett Macias, 1st Judicial District chief deputy district attorney. Resolved bureaucratically does not mean resolved criminally, folks.

The snare involved in Roxy’s death was destroyed when it was cut off the dog’s body, she said.

The jury found Cordova not guilty of all charges. Would that have been the case had the investigation been without blunders? We’ll never know. But it’s clear wildlife investigators need to do a better job of collecting and safeguarding evidence — or turn it over to someone who can.

And it’s clear the state would have had a much stronger case had Roxy’s Law been in place when she was caught in that snare.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.

Read this editorial in the Albuquerque Journal

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