Erika Sherk
Northern News Services
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - "He chewed his tail off to get out of it. The other dog got her front leg caught and she just yanked it out. Her whole foot was shredded."

King and Roxy, Ashlee Shermet's dogs, were both seriously injured years ago from getting caught in traps. Roxy had to have her leg amputated.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) recently issued a safety reminder to both dog owners and trappers.

There are traplines near snowmobile trails in and around the Yellowknife area, according to the statement from ENR. People walking their dogs along these trails must be watchful to avoid pets being torn up or killed in traps, it said.

The trails enjoyed by dog walkers began as traplines, said Raymond Bourget, senior wildlife officer for the North Slave region, but then Yellowknife grew to reach them and people started using them as walking paths.

"People have to be aware that there is always a potential that somebody could be using a trail for trapping," said Bourget.

ENR has received calls lately about loose family dogs and traps on the same trails - a recipe for disaster.

There have been no reports of dogs caught in traps yet this year, said Bourget, and ENR hopes to prevent any incidents by reminding dog owners of the danger.

A city bylaw states that no traps can be set within one kilometre of a house or business in Yellowknife.

Further, the Wildlife Act prohibits hunting or trapping without regard for the safety of other people and their property.

This makes it the responsibility of trappers to try to prevent catching non-target species and ensure the public's safety, said Bourget. But dog owners are also responsible to try and keep their dogs out of traps.

"We really encourage people to ensure that they have their dog inside at all times," said Bourget, "and when they're on a trail they keep them somehow in control, preferably on a leash."

The traps are generally meant for marten or mink, and some wolverine traps. They are small, quick-kill traps, he said, which means they aren't always visible.

"If it was a particularly small dog ... there is a potential for them to end up dying," said Bourget.

Francois Rossouw, manager of fur trapping and traditional economy with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), said some sort of signage should be established to identify traplines.

"There's no reason why there couldn't be a system to develop a notice that trappers could nail to a tree, saying this is an existing trap line, be careful," he said.

When traps are illegally set within city limits, people are rarely charged, said Doug Gillard, manager of municipal enforcement with the City of Yellowknife.

"It's next to impossible to figure out who's set a snare so most of them have just been confiscated," he said.

No traps have been officially reported to the city yet this year, he said.

It is against the law to tamper with a trap, according to the North West Territories Wildlife Act.