By Associated Press
From: OregonLive.com
A West Linn family’s dog whose spine was damaged in a trap and who became a symbol of a push to change Oregon’s trapping rules has been euthanized as a result of lingering injuries and pain.
The 8-year-old, 38-pound wheaten terrier Kieri and her owner, Jack Williamson of West Linn, were on a bird-watching walk in February when she was caught along a trail by a device meant to kill otters and beavers quickly.
She underwent surgery and seemed to be recovering, Williamson told the Bulletin in Bend. But pain returned in April. This month, she again underwent surgery, but debilitating pain began again last week. She was euthanized Tuesday.
Kieri is among a half dozen dogs reported to have been caught in traps last winter in Central Oregon, three times more than usual.
State wildlife officials think that trappers have responded to high gasoline prices by staying closer to town and that a dry winter has enticed more hikers to use land where traps are set.
Williamson wants the state to ban the use of large body-gripping traps on land and require more ethics training for trappers. He also wants warnings at trailheads in areas containing traps and says traps should be marked if they are within 100 feet of a trail.
“There just isn’t any good reason to put a trap on a trail,” he said.
A member of the Oregon Trappers Association agrees, saying such traps should be in water or in rough or brush-covered riverbank.
“To set (one) close to a public walkway like that is beyond bad judgment,” said Don Nichols, the fur sales manager for the Oregon Territorial Council on Furs, which holds an annual event in Prineville.
Members of the Oregon Trappers Association have met with Williamson and wildlife officials to discuss rules changes that would keep pets safer. The Fish and Wildlife Commission meets next month for a biennial review of its rules.
Read more: OregonLive.com
