By Chris Quintana / Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer

CIBOLA NATIONAL FOREST – John Ussery and his 25-pound dog Cub were finishing a hike in the Cibola National Forest on Saturday when Ussery heard “terrible screaming.” Ussery and a friend rushed from the road and through the forest brush to find the unleashed Cub, his front right leg stuck in a metal animal trap.

“He was in terrible pain,” Ussery told the Albuquerque Journal on Sunday. “Those things are indiscriminate. Those things catch anything that comes along.”

Ussery said he fears other dogs – or maybe even an adventurous child – might step on the trap because it is close to a popular trail.