As Sunshine Coast governments work to implement a ban on animal traps, Gibsons residents are outraged this week after learning a cat was caught in a trap on Cochrane Road.
Early Tuesday morning, residents Dave Atlee and Chrissy Espley heard what they described as the sound of a cat crying in distress, coming from the backyard of their home. Upon investigation, the couple found a small, black cat caught in a trap on a neighbouring property. The trap was attached to the fence by a hook and the cat lay ensnared between the trap's clamps.
Reaching over the fence, Atlee and Espley managed to grab the trap and then rushed to contact another area resident they thought the cat may have belonged to. The couple, with the assistance of the resident, who was not the cat's owner, was able to release the cat, rushing the animal to Happy Cat Haven seeking medical assistance.
Although the trap was found on a neighbouring property, Atlee and Espley said they were unsure of where the trap may have actually initiated.
"We don't know how the cat got there, but the trap was outside the fence. That's where we found the cat, so where the hell the trap was initially, we don't know," Atlee said.
Town of Gibsons bylaw officer Sue Booth was called, as well as conservation officer Dean Miller.
The trap was confirmed by Miller to be a Conibear, often used to hunt small animals such as mink and beaver. Miller confiscated the trap and is continuing to investigate along with Booth. Miller said no charges have yet been laid.
The Town's parks department checked the surrounding area by sweeping the grounds and checking the drainage areas. No other traps or similar devices of any kind were found.
Sherena Short, of nearby Glass-ford Road, contacted Coast Reporter later Tuesday afternoon saying she was the owner of the injured cat.
"A neighbour of mine came to me this morning and asked if I had seen my black cat," Short said in an interview Tuesday. "I said no. It was just odd that she wasn't around this morning."
Short then found out a black cat had been taken to Happy Cat Haven, so she decided to see if it was in fact her cat, Mui Mui.
Her fears were soon realized when she was told a cat, matching Mui Mui's description, had been caught in a trap and was now at a veterinary hospital getting further medical attention.
Short said Mui Mui was in stable condition after receiving various shots and painkillers, but due to problems with the hospital's X-ray machine, Short took Mui Mui to her own vet at the Eagle Ridge Hospital in Sechelt.
"I left her there in the hands of the vet. There was nothing I could do," Short said.
Later that evening, Short attended the Gibsons council meeting, where she was able to see councillors vote on the first reading of a new trapping bylaw.
While it is currently against the Town's bylaw to trap animals on public property, this new bylaw, once adopted, would ban the use of Conibear traps, leg-hold and snare traps on private and public property within the municipality. It would also carry a fine of $500 for anyone found in contravention. The present bylaw holds only a $50 fine.
Short recounted her day to council, saying she was still in shock.
"As to why somebody would have a trap on their property in Lower Gibsons, I don't understand," Short said. "While I am thankful to everyone who helped, I am also a little bit angry that this happened. I'm not sure what's going to happen to whoever put the trap on their property. What happens if I have a young child? What's going to stop this from continuing to happen? It's not just my cat, it could be the dog, the kids, the whoever next time."
Other governments are also taking action. The District of Sechelt is researching their own bylaw and the Sunshine Coast Regional District, which lacks the power to implement a bylaw, is in the process of trying to lobby the province for trapping regulation changes on the Coast. (See related story on page 12.)
This government action comes on the heels of public outcry after a dog was caught in a leg-hold trap near a walking trail in Sechelt in April.
