‘Lately, they are catching dogs'

To the editor: Last Sunday, a deer hunter approached me as I drove down my driveway and asked if I had lost my dog. She was in the house, as usual. The man told me that a Husky (mix) was caught in a jaw trap in the woods across the street. As I was on my way to an appointment, I called my husband and he, the hunter and a neighbor were able to release the poor creature which bolted before anyone could read the license. Three days later, a Chocolate Lab fell victim and had to be sprung. To compound the situation, the traps are not flagged “because people steal them,” claimed the trappers when confronted. Much to my surprise, trapping is legal in Warwick and the trappers have permission from the absentee property owner to snare fox and coyote. Lately, they are catching dogs. My intention here is not to pass judgment, but I do have some questions. Do you know where your dog is? Yesterday, my husband rescued Penny, a Retriever mix, who was standing in the middle of our road about two miles from her home. Tonight, he just missed hitting a large black dog, again in the middle of the road. This time he called the police. The Warwick Humane Society does an exceptional job of dealing with these occurrences but they cannot do it alone. Isn’t there a leash law in Warwick? What happened to responsible pet ownership, or are others responsible for your pet? And Warwick is a residential area, not an outpost of the Yukon Territory. Why is trapping permitted here? One further note: When a creature is captured in a jaw trap, it can remain there for 24 hours before the trapper must check. This could be your dog. Then, if the desired animal is still alive, it is killed by the trapper while snagged in that device. At least with hunting, the animal has a chance. I believe these issues need to be addressed. What say you, Warwick? Miriam Muse Warwick