Neighbors say traps violate law after dog nearly killed
»Play Video
LONGVIEW, Wash. – An animal trap nearly killed a beloved pet and neighbors think the traps are violating the law.
Anywhere along the slough across from Mint Valley Golf Course you are bound to see a lot of wildlife like birds, otters and beavers. Some animals, though, are considered nuisance pests, like the nutria. One trap designed to capture that animal nearly killed a neighborhood dog.
Melissa Higgins was inside her home Tuesday when she heard an animal yelping outside. She immediately suspected it was her neighbor's dog, Beans, and found him caught in a conibear trap on the bank of the slough.
It took her, and two neighbors, a few minutes to pry the trap open and free the frightened dog.
"I love this dog a lot and to watch him look at me and he couldn't take a breath – he was choking and fighting for air," Higgins said. "And any little movement I made to try and get it off of him made it worse. And it was just – probably one of the worst things that I've ever seen. It was bad."
Beans seemed healthy and happy Wednesday.
Nutria can damage dikes, dams and river banks, and the traps were set on behalf of the Cowlitz County Diking District by a contracted professional trapper.
Neighbors say the traps are supposed to be under water but claim they found many more on dry land.
The Washington Department of Fish and Game is still investigating.
The man who set the traps didn’t return phone calls Wednesday.
A permit for the trapping job mentions the traps should be in water but it didn't say if they have to be completely submerged.
This story came to us as a news tip. If you have a story for us, email us at newstips@katu.com.
poor little guy. i hope he wasn't too shaken up
This comment has been deleted
 @brautigan If you'd left off the last word, I'd "like" your comment.  I'm being polite today so I'm not going to even mention cats or the fact that whoever set the traps was probably only trying to rid his yard of drop-kickers. Â
This "pet" is a loose dog that chases cars down HWY4. He defecates on patios, and has been known to bark incessantly in the middle of the night. I feel for the woman in this story, but would not have been disappointed to hear that Beans had expired. That being said, IF the traps are legal when set properly, then so be it. If they are not legal, then there should be consequences, just like any law that is broken. This canal is the border to a golf course on one side and an infrequent walking path on the other. I hope as much, or more, interest would have been generated had the traps been discovered by a golfer looking for a wayward ball or a responsible pet owner out for a walk with his/her tethered dog..
I see my ankle biter traps are working flawlessly. (also a nuisance pest in America)
Why was the dog trespassing on that property? I think the trap owner should sue the dog owner for all the anxiety the dog owner caused by breaking the law and allowing the dog to trespass.
Keep your dog in the house and on a leash. Â Then there isnt a problem.
These traps are cruel and dangerous. Â Ok, if my dog gets loose in spite of my efforts to keep him home, my bad, but he still does not deserve this cruelty, and if my child wanders? Â Does he deserve to stick his foot in one of these traps? Â Try a humane trap instead!
Â
 @Maggie Weber Try taking responsibility, period. If your dog gets loose (in spite of your efforts), then you need to up your efforts. Invest in a fence, keep him on a leash, or keep him in the house. The only places he should be off a leash is on YOUR property or in an area designated for dogs to roam.
Â
Poor dog. Seriously. I feel bad for your sweet little pet -- he looks adorable! I'm sorry that this happened to him, but if anyone's to blame...
 @Maggie Weber And if your dog defecates on someone elses property, do you go over there and clean it up? Yes... if your child wanders on someone's property and gets hurt, it is your fault. They aren't responsible for your child or your dog... you are.  Let's say someone had a wood pile and your child started climbing up on the wood and fell off and the wood fell on them.  Is that your fault or the home owners?  If you want to buy your preferred trap to help manage your animals, then go for it.  But it isn't the other peoples responsibility to do what you have failed to.
Put dog on Leash issue solved.
There is a leash law in Oregon and generally dogs are required to be confined on personal property or on a leash when off personal property. If pet owners were responsible we wouldn't have all the animal rescues going on and stories like this one. A dog running loose on someone else's property is trespass in Oregon. I don't know about Washington's law. Bottom line: If you own a pet be responsible 24/7.
Â
Â
 @I812 Oh, and by the way, is it true was someone else said here? That your dog chases traffic, etc? Wow. That is soooooo unbelievably dangerous. How can you let this animal that you surely do love put himself at such risk?  Ugh.
 @I812 I work SAR/Recovery dogs for Sheriff and Police depart on call for several states.  We train our dogs off lead except the tracking trailing dogs. We use any and all public access lands as these are the sorts of areas call outs involve.  We do encounter traps and even though we are trained on how to release the devices some traps are kill traps. If a dog is working 1/4 to 1/5 mile from the handler you would be of little use to your dog in the trap.  If it were law that all trap sets must be logged with Law enforcement then we would be informed and better able to execute a safe search.  I used to trap so I can see both sides.  If I loose a dog it would be devastating and very expensive.  Trappers must strive to be good neighbors and function within the reality that people have greater access to the environs and are put at risk by these devices.  Failure to embrace the reality could see trapping banned Statewide or Nationally.
 @Norman McIntosh  @I812 Except on privately-owned property of course.
This lady is all about entitlement. Â Keep yer little dog at home or on a leash. Â What's next? Â The dog runs into the street and we oughtta ban roads and cars?
 @HenryBowman @Benjamin Schniffle At least cars that are automatics...
Nutria are a real problem, and a dog on the loose is illegal. Why blame the trapper who has stopped countless damaging pests when the dog owner's negligence is the only reason that the poor little thing got caught.