Stop Using Traps that Maim and Crush Animals to Death

Target: Amanda Beal, Commissioner – Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Goal: End the use of inhumane and indiscriminate animal traps in Maine to prevent unnecessary suffering of animals.

Trapping is a popular activity in Maine, with thousands of licensed trappers operating in the state every year. However, the traps used in this practice are often cruel and indiscriminate, causing immense pain and suffering to animals, including endangered and threatened species. In Maine, cruel devices such as body-crushing and leg-hold traps are still legal, despite being banned in many other states.

These traps not only cause unnecessary suffering to the targeted species, but they can also have negative impacts on wild or domestic animals that wander into them accidentally. For example, the indiscriminate nature of traps means that non-target animals such as domestic dogs and cats can also get caught, leading to tragic outcomes for pets and their owners. Additionally, these traps can harm animals that are critical to the functioning of ecosystems, such as predators that help control pest populations.

To combat the use of cruel animal traps in Maine, it is important to raise awareness about the suffering that they cause to animals and the negative impacts on ecosystems. Furthermore, it is critical to push for the adoption of more humane and effective alternatives to trapping, such as live-trapping, which allows for the safe capture and release of animals, and exclusionary methods, which prevent animals from accessing certain areas.

Sign the below petition to urge the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to take action to protect animals from being cruelly trapped.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Commissioner Beal,

I am writing to urge the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to ban the use of inhumane animal traps in the state of Maine. The use of traps such as body-crushing traps and leg-hold traps is cruel and indiscriminate, leading to immense suffering of animals, including endangered and threatened species.

The use of these traps also poses a threat to entire ecosystems, as non-target animals can also become trapped and harmed, and critical species that play key roles in ecosystems can be inadvertently targeted.

It is time for Maine to join the growing number of states that have banned the use of inhumane traps and adopt more humane and effective alternatives to prevent unnecessary animal suffering. We urge you to take action now to protect Maine’s wildlife and prevent needless animal suffering.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Ardeshir Etemad