Dog snared by fox trap

A dog owner has warned of the dangers of animal snares after his black cocker spaniel Bobby became trapped while being walked on moorland near Hebden Bridge.

Justin Gregg of Salford found Bobby caught in a wire snare which was one of three that had been set on a well-used wild animal trail.

“Bobby had run straight into one of the snares, and the wire was caught around him” said Justin.

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“I was lucky to find him so fast and cut the snare off him as the wire was getting tighter and tighter - it would have badly injured or even killed him.

The League Against Cruel Sports says that pet owners in the countryside need to ‘wise up’ to the danger of snares which are often used on shooting estates and grouse moors to catch foxes.

Tom Quinn, director of campaigns for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “Snares are cruel and extremely dangerous, not least because once they are set, there is no real way of knowing which animals will be caught in them.

“They are usually intended for foxes and rabbits, but two out of every three animals caught are unintended victims like dogs and cats.

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“All animals caught in these primitive devices suffer terribly.

“While snares can be found anywhere, most are used by shooting estates to kill foxes who might prey on birds reared solely to be shot for sport. That’s the terrible irony of this whole thing: 1.7 million animals are being killed or injured to prevent natural predation,” he added.

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