I live in Dixon surrounded by lots of BLM land. My dog’s name is Ceniza, she is extremely smart and until yesterday didn’t know exactly how strong she was. On January 25 she got out of our gated area (we live in Dixon, and as long as dogs are friendly, most people don’t have issues with loose dogs) It was right before dark, and as usual I called my dogs in for bed (I have two other GSD) the other two came in, so I called her a few times, when she didn’t come I went back in and continued my business. At bedtime around 10, I got my snow boots, jacket and flashlight, and went outside to call her again (we live next to a river and she often hangs around there, but always comes when I call). I searched my property thinking she may be around and couldn’t hear me through the blizzard. Nothing. The next morning I woke up in a panic, went outside immediately and found nothing. I was worried, so I woke my kids and we drove around looking and calling for her. Nothing. My husband is a firefighter, and was coming home from shift on January 26 around 9:30 am, about an hour after looking for her, he drove down our arroyo and found her dragging her back legs and her eyes bulging out of her head, blood shot and gasping for air. He jumped out of our truck scooped her up ran her inside. I saw what was going on, we both frantically dropped everything and dumped out our tool bag and found wire cutters. I would have watched my dog suffocate to death with our three kids watching, if my husband wouldn’t have come home that morning. That cord was so thick, my strength would have never been enough. As I had mentioned the snare worked just as it should have it was so very tight right under her jaw and on the base of her skull up by her ears. We are all very lucky that she had a little extra neck skin to get the needle nose in. When we put the wire cutter in she cried and immediately stopped breathing because of the added 1/4 inch pressure. When she was freed we evaluated her and pieced her story back together. We are hunters, but this was not hunting. What an inhumane way to die, by suffocation.
Unfortunately, this happens where I live, in rural New Mexico. Old style bear traps, snares, and others have been found and destroyed as people are enjoying our beautiful land. My family and my community has to be careful when hiking around, we should’t have to say that when referring to man made traps. I urge you to support HB 32 because every family/hiker, needs to feel safe when hiking around their community and surrounding lands.
–Dixon, New Mexico
