Fox cub born to die in a fur farm cage.

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 more than three years for the new law to take effect after legislators passed AB 44, sponsored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman. The law, which makes it illegal to manufacture or sell a new animal fur product in California both through brick-and-mortar and online sales, included a phase-in period, giving retailers time to adjust and shift their inventory to fur-free products. It also allows for the continued sale of used animal fur products sold at nonprofit thrift stores, secondhand stores and pawn shops.

California’s ban on the sale of fur products is expected to make a massive dent in the fur industry. Federal fur sales data shows that nearly 25% of all fur product sales in the U.S. occur in California. The new law helps end the suffering of millions of animals either born to die on fur farms or caught in cruel traps in the wild, just so their coats can be used to create luxury goods like hats and loafers.

Each year, more than 100 million animals, such as mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas, are raised and killed on fur farms. While most fur sold in the U.S. comes from operations in other countries, primarily China and Europe, fur farms do still exist in some U.S. states. For instance, Wisconsin, Utah, Idaho, Washington and Oregon still allow the farming of animals for their fur. Much of this fur is sent overseas to be made into garments.

Animals kept at these facilities live in some of the cruelest conditions imaginable. These wild animals are typically held captive in small wire cages and are unable to fulfill natural behaviors like swimming, digging and running. They remain largely unprotected by laws in the U.S. and overseas, such as mandatory inspections and humane slaughter laws, and they are often electrocuted, gassed or bludgeoned to death so that their pelts are not damaged. In some instances, animals may not die from these methods and are skinned while still alive.

As unbearable as it is to think of this kind of intense and pointless suffering, we’re witnessing real progress toward relegating this brutality to the history books. Communities are taking it upon themselves to help put an end to the unconscionable cruelty that is inherent to the fur industry. Grassroots advocates in the U.S. and across the globe are stepping up to pass policies that end the sale of fur products. Before the passage of California’s ban on the sale of fur products, four municipalities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood) passed local ordinances banning these products, paving the way for statewide legislation. Many other communities from coast to coast have followed suit, and global leaders are taking notice.

Internationally, more than 20 countries have passed laws to limit or outright ban fur farming and, in 2021, Israel became the first country to prohibit the sale of fur products. Now, European citizens are gathering signatures in support of a “Fur-Free Europe” European Citizens’ Initiative asking for a ban on fur farming and placing fur-farmed products on the European marketplace. Although the petition has already gathered the necessary 1 million signatures needed by May 2023 for the European Commission to issue a formal response, it remains open to collect additional signatures. I encourage citizens of the European Union to sign it.

Also, at the corporate level, companies continue to drop animal fur from their product lines, with several policies going into effect to align with California’s fur ban. Canada Goose, Kering, Saks Fifth Avenue, Zegna Group, Rudsak, Mytheresa and Moose Knuckles all pledged to go fur-free by the end of 2022, and Neiman Marcus by March 2023. While only a few companies still sell animal fur, one of the last major holdouts is the corporate conglomerate LVMH (parent company for brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Loro Piana and Fendi). That this conglomerate still sells fur has made it the target of persistent global outreach from animal welfare advocates calling on the corporation to ban fur sales once and for all.

We should absolutely celebrate California banning fur sales and other recent wins in our fight against fur, but there is still much work to be done, and you can help. If you are interested on working toward a fur sales bans in your area, check out our ordinance toolkit, which provides an easy guide for taking action in your own community. You can also find plenty of additional information and resources on our Going Fur-Free webpage.

Read this article on the Humane Society of the United States blog

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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 acres of New Mexico public lands.

This journey began in 2004 and many of you have been with us for years if not the entirety. You have shared trapping stories, written letters to the editor, liked Facebook posts, talked to your friends and neighbors, collected petition signatures, waited for hours at legislative hearings, and been the stubborn advocates this world needs.

In short, you have helped shepherd in a new era for the Land of Enchantment, one that values our native wildlife for their ecological and intrinsic value rather than a paltry price for pelts. You have helped redefine humans’ relationship with wildlife and ushered in an era that regards public lands as a place for recreation and solace, not exploitation and danger.

And you’ve lent your voice to the voiceless wildlife that have, until now, been killed by the thousands every year for private profit.

We may need you to raise your voice again. But for now, we can rejoice in and on New Mexico’s trap-free public lands!

Sincerely,

The TrapFree New Mexico Family

The post Roxy’s Law Banning Traps, Snares, and Poisons on New Mexico Public Lands Goes Into Effect appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

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 »

The post Finally, recreate safely with no harmful traps on public lands appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

It was the passionate work of the TrapFree New Mexico coalition, the genuine leadership of state legislators, the courageous testimony of trap victims from around the state and, ultimately, the governor’s signature that turned this tragedy – and countless others like it – into a positive outcome for New Mexico. Roxy’s Law will make public lands safer for everyone.

It is likely that millions of animals in New Mexico have been tortured, maimed and killed by cruel, limb-crushing traps and strangulation snares. This indiscriminate slaughter continued for so long because one state agency – the Department of Game and Fish – kept it going despite massive, clearly stated opposition. This self-serving department operates with state authority, but without any real accountability to the constituents it is supposed to serve, the people of New Mexico. The behavior of the Game Department illustrates a basic failure of governance in our state.

With its relentless “hunting is conservation” propaganda, the Game Department essentially operates New Mexico as a pay-to-kill game farm, selling the state’s wildlife as “products” on its website. Let’s be clear: killing wildlife is not conserving wildlife. This is the same state agency that did nothing to stop the obscene coyote-killing contests. The state Legislature had to step in and stop that slaughter.

The Game Commission that ostensibly oversees the Game Department has positions for seven commissioners, only one of whom represents conservation interests. Commissioners are appointed by the governor, but are not required to have any training or expertise in wildlife, biological sciences or public trust duties, and can be removed at any time without cause. This is a purely political exercise that is subject to abuse. Wildlife management should never be politicized.

Wildlife is a public trust in which all New Mexicans have a legitimate interest, not just those who hunt and fish. But the 95% of New Mexicans who do not hunt or fish are systematically excluded from state wildlife policy. This arrangement is profoundly anti-democratic and lacks basic legitimacy.

Basic components of good governance include accountability, inclusivity, responsiveness and transparency. New Mexico state wildlife management lacks all four. The Game Department’s backward policies are badly out of step with mainstream society and show little sign of improving. There is no reason we should allow any state agency to pursue an agenda that is clearly at odds with what most New Mexicans want for the state’s wildlife: respectful coexistence. Without deep reform and repurposing of state wildlife management, we can and should expect the abuse to continue.

Banning traps, snares and poisons on public lands is a victory for basic decency in our relationship with each other and what remains of our wildlife. There is no reason we should tolerate the cruel, indiscriminate killing of our companion animals or wildlife. There is no excuse for repeating the mistakes and abuses of the past, no matter how longstanding.

Read this piece in the Albuquerque Journal »

The post Roxy’s Law a win, but wildlife governance needs reform appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

The governor of Montana recently made news by sadistically – and illegally – trapping and killing a wolf as that state gears up to slaughter more of its native wildlife.

Despite protests from numerous professional wildlife managers, the Montana legislature recently passed several bills that will allow gruesome, unethical and unsustainable wildlife baiting and killing methods that were outlawed a century ago.

Fortunately, the New Mexico Legislature has chosen a more sensible and humane path in regard to wildlife and public lands by passing Senate Bill 32, “Roxy’s Law,” that would restrict traps, snares and explosive poison devices on our public lands. If enacted, this law will protect people, pets and wildlife from these cruel, indiscriminate devices on public lands. SB 32 is widely supported in both rural and urban areas across the state, and would offer numerous benefits to residents, visitors and the state’s economy.

But be warned: SB 32 will not become law unless Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs it. She has until April 9 to do so.

Call the office of Gov. Lujan Grisham at (505) 476-2200 or submit written comments at https://www.governor.state.nm.us/contact-the-governor/.

Trapping on public lands continues to be a source of intense conflict. Limb-crushing steel jaw traps, steel cable strangulation snares and M-44 explosive cyanide devices are present unmarked on our public lands, and all are notoriously indiscriminate killers. Current regulations on these devices are almost nonexistent; trappers can set as many traps and kill as many animals as they want for a mere $20 trapping license, and sell the body parts for personal profit without even paying gross receipts tax. This lax approach by state wildlife managers has led to widespread illegal trapping and snaring, and is a clear and present danger to all public lands users.

The presence of traps on public lands is not compatible with other uses of public lands or with the demands of basic decency in contemporary society. Animals caught in traps often suffer for days before they are killed and are subject to extreme and agonizing body mutilations. Trapping and snaring inflict some of the most extreme animal cruelty that still persists in our society. Traps, snares and poisons have destroyed many lives, and they will continue to do so unless they are restricted from public lands.

As a member of the TrapFree New Mexico coalition, I have seen too much destruction to ignore or trivialize this issue. Roxy’s Law is named after a snare victim, a dog, who died struggling in her owner’s arms on New Mexico public lands in 2018.

New Mexico wildlife managers have done an abysmal job of protecting people and wildlife from the cruelty and unlimited exploitation of trapping. SB 32 is a rare opportunity to make significant improvements to public safety, wildlife protection and public lands management. Banning traps on public lands would open up the potential for a robust outdoor recreation industry, diversify the state’s economy and drive employment in a truly sustainable way.

Should it become state law, SB 32 has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of wild lives and improve many others, both human and nonhuman. But this legislation will not go into effect unless the governor signs it.

Please take a minute or two and be heard! Call the office of Gov. Lujan Grisham at (505) 476-2200 or submit written comments at https://www.governor.state.nm.us/contact-the-governor/.

Urge her to sign SB 32 into law.

Read this Guest Column in the Albuquerque Journal »

The post Guest Column: Urge the governor to sign ‘Roxy’s Law’ appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

Contacts:
Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, 505-395-6177, csmith@wildearthguardians.org
Jessica Johnson, Animal Protection Voters, 505-220-6656, jessica@apvnm.org

Senate Bill 32, AKA “Roxy’s Law,” advances to the House

SANTA FE, N.M.—Today by a vote of 23 to 16, the New Mexico State Senate passed Senate Bill 32, the Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act, aka “Roxy’s Law.”

Senate Bill 32 makes critical strides towards protecting all those who enjoy the outdoors, humans and animals, by prohibiting traps, snares, and poisons on public lands (with a few important exemptions). The bipartisan vote demonstrated strong legislative backing for a bill that is supported by the majority of New Mexicans, from hunters and nature enthusiasts to dog walkers and park visitors.

Bill sponsor Senator Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales (D—Ranchos de Taos) said, “With the passage of SB 32, New Mexico is helping to protect outdoor enthusiasts, wildlife, companion animals, and all New Mexicans who use public lands. Economic growth and stability come from increased, safe outdoor recreation and other activities on public lands. The dangerous methods of trapping, snaring, and poisoning on public lands have kept us from moving forward like we should and now we are at a point that our neighboring states have enacted similar bills, making them more likely to benefit from outdoor dollars. I am proud to sponsor Senate Bill 32 so that we can move forward in prosperity and in protecting our animals and people.”

Senator Brenda McKenna (D-Corrales) said, “I am proud to be a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 32—alongside Senator Bobby Gonzales, Representative Matthew McQueen, and Representative Christine Chandler and thank my colleagues for their votes in support of the bill. We as a society can no longer condone the barbaric practice of using traps, snares, and poisons on public lands. I have, for years, supported outlawing usage of these cruel methods, especially since I myself once purchased a leghold trap for under $20 and could not open it without carefully using my feet. Imagine trying to free a pet or yourself under highly stressful and incredibly painful circumstances! I look forward to stewarding this bill through to the Governor’s desk, to protect the animals of the state and so we can all enjoy the outdoors in New Mexico.”

Traps, snares, and poisons are not just archaic and cruel, they are also indiscriminate, killing any creature unlucky enough to get too close to them. These victims include not just the fur-bearing or destructive wildlife the devices are nominally set to ensnare but also companion animals like Roxy, the beloved dog who in 2018 was strangled to death in front of her human. Since the 2020-2021 trapping season began, at least 9 dogs been caught in privately set traps and snares on public land. The most recent incidents occurred near Abeyta, Pecos, Rowe Mesa, Cloudcroft, and Dixon and don’t include the unknown numbers who are not reported or tragically never found.

SB 32 will also save untold numbers of endangered wildlife. Nearly 150,000 native creatures have been killed by private trappers since 2008 including the endangered Mexican gray wolf called Mia Tuk who was caught in a trap and bludgeoned to death by a trapper in 2015. Two wolves have been injured in traps in New Mexico in the past 6 months.

“It’s past time this archaic mass killing ended,” said Chris Smith, southern Rockies wildlife advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Public lands should be safe, wildlife should be respected, people should not be afraid to take their dogs or children on a hike. The solution is simple—the House now needs to follow the Senate’s example.”

“Traps are like landmines, catching and harming any creature unlucky enough to step on them,” said Kevin Bixby, executive director of the Southwest Environmental Center. “It’s time to get them off our public lands.”

“As a wildlife biologist, I can say definitely that trapping is not a legitimate form of wildlife management,” said Michelle Lute, PhD, national carnivore conservation manager for Project Coyote. “Our public lands and the wildlife that live on them must be protected from such cruel and wanton waste.”

“No one who visits our public lands should be subjected to finding suffering wildlife in traps or the trauma of their own beloved dog being harmed,” said Mary Katherine Ray, Wildlife Chair of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, who has experienced the anguish of both.

“New Mexico Wild Action Fund believes that wildlife is held in public trust for the protection and continued enjoyment of all New Mexicans and should not be commercialized. We applaud Senators Gonzales and McKenna and Representatives McQueen and Chandler for their efforts to end the practice of trapping on our public lands,” said Mark Allison, Executive Director of New Mexico Wild Action Fund.

Animal Protection Voters’ Chief Government Affairs Officer, Jessica Johnson, noted, “New Mexicans overwhelmingly agree that it is past time for New Mexico to join our neighboring states of Colorado and Arizona and say goodbye to traps, snares, and poisons on the public lands we share. Let’s not wait for more or bigger tragedies to happen before taking action.”

“Mexican gray wolves are the most endangered subspecies of gray wolf in the world. Despite steady population growth over the past 20 years, trapping continues to hinder our ability to recover this important species,” says Michael Dax, New Mexico representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “The time has come to get traps off our public lands.”

“Trapping on public lands is indiscriminate and an ineffective tool for wildlife management, killing thousands of unintended animals instead of targeted predators; it’s primary motive is private profit from a public trust resource,” said Greg Peters, Public Lands & Wildlife Advocate for Conservation Voters New Mexico. “By ending trapping on our public lands, we will make them safer for NM residents and NM wildlife – creating more equitable access to nature while benefiting our local outdoor economy.”

“Today’s vote gives us hope that very soon, rare and beautiful animals will no longer fall victim to cruel and indiscriminate leghold traps and strangulation snares,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity in Silver City. “These killing devices should never have been allowed on public lands.”

Senate Bill 32 will now cross over to the House of Representatives, where it will be championed by co-sponsors Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo) and Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos).

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The post Majority of NM Senate agrees with majority of New Mexicans, says no more traps, snares, and poisons on public lands appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

The bill would outlaw traps, snares, and poisons on public lands with exceptions for the protection of human health and safety, scientific research, professional ecosystem management and the protection of sovereign tribal religious practices. SB 32 establishes misdemeanor penalties for the violation of anti-trapping measures.

SB 32 is also known “Roxy’s Law”, named after a an 8-year-old heeler mix owned by Dave Clark of Española named Roxy who died after being strangled by a trap at Santa Cruz Lake in 2018.

“This vote gives us hope that very soon, rare and beautiful animals will no longer fall victim to cruel and indiscriminate leghold traps and strangulation snares,” Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity in Silver City said.

“These killing devices should never have been allowed on public lands.”

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales (D-Ranchos de Taos), Sen. Brenda McKenna (D-Corrales), Rep. Chris Chandler (D-Los Alamos) and Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo).

“It’s past time this madness ended,” said Chris Smith, southern Rockies wildlife advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Public lands should be safe, wildlife should be respected, people should not be afraid to take their dogs or children on a hike. The solution is simple. The Legislature needs to act.”

Kevin Bixby, the executive director of the Southwest Environmental Center, spoke on the dangers of the traps.

“Traps are like landmines, catching and harming any creature unlucky enough to step on them,” he said. “It’s time to get them off our public lands.”

The Legislative Finance Committee said the Department of Game and Fish “expects SB 32 to reduce the sale of furbearer licenses by an unknown amount. No other agencies reported a potential fiscal impact”.

Michelle Lute, Ph. D., the national carnivore conservation manager for Project Coyote believes the bill will reduce the amount of unnecessary animal deaths.

“As a wildlife biologist, I can say definitely that trapping is not a legitimate form of wildlife management,” Lute said. “Our public lands and the wildlife that live on them must be protected from such cruel and wanton waste.”

The bill now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Read this article in the Carlsbad Current-Argus »

The post New Mexico Senate Conservation Committee supports Roxy’s Law appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

Contacts:
Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, 505-395-6177, csmith@wildearthguardians.org
Jessica Johnson, Animal Protection Voters, (505) 220-6656, jessica@apvnm.org

SANTA FE, N.M.—Today Senate Bill 32, the Wildlife Conservation and Public Safety Act, a.k.a. “Roxy’s Law,” passed the Senate Conservation Committee by a vote of 7 to 2.

Sponsored by Senator Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales (D-Ranchos de Taos), Senator Brenda McKenna (D-Corrales), Representative Chris Chandler (D-Los Alamos), and Representative Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo), Senate Bill 32 would prohibit traps, snares, and poisons on public lands with a few important exemptions including the protection of human health and safety, scientific research, ecosystem management by professionals, and the protection of sovereign tribal religious practices.

The vote demonstrated bipartisan legislative support for a bill that is supported by the majority of New Mexicans, from hunters and nature enthusiasts to dog walkers and park visitors. Senate Bill 32 would spare enormous numbers of New Mexican wildlife from being killed on public lands by outdated and painful methods—nearly 150,000 native creatures have been killed by private trappers in the state since 2008. The bill will also save unsuspecting companion animals and their human families from prolonged suffering. Since the 2020-2021 trapping season began, at least 8 dogs are known to have been caught in privately set traps on public land across the state. The most recent incidents occurred near Abeyta, Pecos, Rowe Mesa, and Cloudcroft and include several trapped pets and a trapped hunting dog.

Senate Bill 32 now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“It’s past time this madness ended,” said Chris Smith, southern Rockies wildlife advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Public lands should be safe, wildlife should be respected, people should not be afraid to take their dogs or children on a hike. The solution is simple—the legislature needs to act.”

“Traps are like landmines, catching and harming any creature unlucky enough to step on them,” said Kevin Bixby, executive director of the Southwest Environmental Center. “It’s time to get them off our public lands.”

“As a wildlife biologist, I can say definitely that trapping is not a legitimate form of wildlife management,” said Michelle Lute, PhD, national carnivore conservation manager for Project Coyote. “Our public lands and the wildlife that live on them must be protected from such cruel and wanton waste.”

“No one who visits our public lands should be subjected to finding suffering wildlife in traps or the trauma of their own beloved dog being harmed,” said Mary Katherine Ray, Wildlife Chair of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, who has experienced the anguish of both.

“New Mexico Wild Action Fund believes that wildlife is held in public trust for the protection and continued enjoyment of all New Mexicans, and should not be commercialized. We applaud Senators Gonzales and McKenna and Representatives McQueen and Chandler for their efforts to end the practice of trapping on our public lands,” said Mark Allison, Executive Director of New Mexico Wild Action Fund.

Animal Protection Voters’ Chief Government Affairs Officer, Jessica Johnson, noted, “New Mexicans overwhelmingly agree that it is past time for New Mexico to join our neighboring states of Colorado and Arizona and say goodbye to traps, snares, and poisons on the public lands we share. Let’s not wait for more or bigger tragedies to happen before taking action.”

“Mexican gray wolves are the most endangered subspecies of gray wolf in the world. Despite steady population growth over the past 20 years, trapping continues to hinder our ability to recover this important species,” says Michael Dax, New Mexico representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “The time has come to get traps off our public lands.”

“Trapping on public lands is indiscriminate and an ineffective tool for wildlife management, killing thousands of unintended animals instead of targeted predators; it’s primary motive is private profit from a public trust resource,” said Greg Peters, Public Lands & Wildlife Advocate for Conservation Voters New Mexico. “By ending trapping on our public lands, we will make them safer for NM residents and NM wildlife – creating more equitable access to nature while benefiting our local outdoor economy.”

“Today’s vote gives us hope that very soon, rare and beautiful animals will no longer fall victim to cruel and indiscriminate leghold traps and strangulation snares,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity in Silver City. “These killing devices should never have been allowed on public lands.”

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The post “Roxy’s Law,“ bill to outlaw traps, snares, and wildlife poisons on public lands passes Senate Conservation Committee appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

Santa Fe, NM 

We share this video from New York because animals in New Mexico experience the exact same torture when caught in the same cruel traps that are legal in both states and many others. The good samaritan encountered the coyote while hiking on public lands and discovered the unfortunate animal had both front legs caught in a trap. Fortunately, the hiker was able to free the animal from the leghold trap. During New Mexico’s current trapping season, this same traumatic experience has occurred at least seven times to animals and people hiking on public lands. In six cases, the hikers’ own dogs were cruelly trapped. In another incident, hikers encountered a lone dog struggling in a leghold trap.

“No one—neither residents nor visitors to the Land of Enchantment—should have to encounter the excruciating experience of a wild or companion animal maimed or killed by traps, snares or poisons,” said Michelle Lute, National Carnivore Conservation Manager for Project Coyote. “It’s 2021 and well past time to finally end the egregious and cruel practice of trapping.”

“There’s disconnect, for many people, about what large-scale private trapping means,” said Chris Smith, Southern Rockies Wildlife Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “For every one of the 150,000 animals killed since 2008, there is a story like this one. A story of a desperate or maimed living being on its way to a cruel death.”

The good samaritan remains anonymous because, despite the clearly heroic act, rescuing a trapped animal and tampering with a trap is technically against the law in many states. Other laws governing trapping regulations, such as trap check durations and distance from roads and trails, are rarely if ever enforced.

ASK YOUR NEW MEXICO LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT SB 32 “ROXY’S LAW”

Roxy’s Law has been introduced as Senate Bill 32. If the proposed legislation does not become law, the video will continue to be illustrative of how to save your dog or a wild animal from archaic and cruel traps. If successful, this important legislation will prevent future residents and visitors from the traumatic experience of encountering traps on New Mexico’s public lands and save countless animal lives. To read more about SB 32, click here.

The post Video Released Showing the Excruciating Experience of Rescuing a Coyote Caught in a Trap appeared first on TrapFree New Mexico.

Marie Curie said, “nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” And yet men driven by fear want to convince you that New Mexico’s wildlife should be feared and that science tells us so. In response to a proposed bill to ban traps on NM public lands, trappers are desperately pleading that we not listen to the bill’s proponents because they’re “bunny-huggers” who don’t know what they’re talking about and that we all should listen to scientists.

I am a wildlife biologist with a Ph.D. from the wildlife and fisheries department of a land grant university. I learned how to set leghold traps to collar wolves from an expert trapper. I’ve tracked and studied monkeys, lemurs, jaguars, herons, hyenas, wolves and swift foxes across four continents for the past 15 years. I also happen to hug bunnies every chance I get.

As a wildlife scientist, I state confidently: Science doesn’t support trapping any more than it supports my bunny-hugging.

Here are some undisputed facts about trapping. Trapping targets individual animals indiscriminately. Leghold traps and neck snares kill slowly (as do often ill-functioning Conibear traps). If your weight exceeds a certain limit and you step on a trap, your foot will trigger steel jaws that ensure you remain in or near that place until you starve, freeze, chew off your limb or a trapper extinguishes your life with a shovel or strangles you after hours or days of pain. Trapping, at the level it occurs in New Mexico, may not impact populations of raccoons and coyotes (although no one is tracking those populations, so this is an assumption). It does, however, threaten the perilous recovery of endangered Mexican gray wolves, with 43 wolves trapped and either injured or killed in traps in the past 18 years.

We know trapping causes suffering and harm to individual animals to an extent outlawed in almost every other circumstance. We also know wildlife populations need no management by humans to maintain a certain threshold or carrying capacity. Wildlife populations are just fine left to their own evolutionary devices of self-regulation and predator-prey cycles.

Science is not prescriptive. Science tells us wildlife populations can support certain levels of mortality and still be around in 10, 50 or 100 years. Science doesn’t tell us if we SHOULD add our own selfishly motivated sources of mortality to natural sources. Questions of “should” are best left to ethicists.

Trappers would have you believe the world will run amok with wild beasts if they’re not working to keep everything in “balance.” That’s not science, though – that’s superstition and fear-mongering. So, yes, Marie Curie, there is a boogie man and his name ain’t Santa Claus.

If we took Curie’s advice and spent more time trying to understand animal lives, we’d see them for what they are: complex, beautifully intricate and intrinsically valuable. At the very least, we wouldn’t fear them and would understand that no life should end with cruel entrapment, a confusing and terrifying imprisonment that ends only with blunt force or a choking lack of oxygen. We would understand that if we don’t believe a family dog should suffer that fate, a coyote shouldn’t, either.

Lastly, in case you haven’t noticed, animals aren’t the only entities trappers ensnare. State agencies are captured by their business-as-usual model of kowtowing to anyone who wants to pay a pittance to the agency to kill animals. Don’t look to them for neutral, science-based decision-making. Look to this legislative session for evidence-based common sense and decency to prevail with a ban on traps on public lands.

We don’t need science to tell us trapping is wrong. We know traps that catch and maim our beloved dogs are wrong. We know that neck snares and body-crushing traps that kill wild and domestic animals in sadistic ways are wrong.

Please support Roxy’s Law to ban public lands trapping. Go to trapfreenm.org to learn how.

Michelle Lute of Santa Fe is the national carnivore conservation manager of Project Coyote.

Read this Guest Column in the Albuquerque Journal »

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