Be careful with animal traps, dog owner pleads after tragic death of her pet

Cathy Gagnon is haunted by the sight of the dog she loved struggling to breathe while caught in an animal trap she tried desperately to pry open.

Her beloved dog, Ruby, was killed Saturday afternoon in the clutchesof a conibear trap just north of Winnipeg. Gagnon said thetrap, hidden along a treeline near a rural road, shouldn't have been there.

"I can't get outof my head the sound of her yelp when [the trap] hit her and then watching her suffer, and I couldn't help her,"Gagnonsaid, sobbing.

The trap was intended to target coyotes, but happened tolure Rubywho was walking with her owner and her otherdog last Saturday afternoon besidea drainage ditchnear the Perimeter Highway.

The Winnipegger believes no animal strangledin a trapshould face the agony Ruby endured, and if such trapsexist, there should be warningsigns.

"It literally took [Ruby]about 30 minutes to die because ofthat thing I couldn't get it off of her," she said.

The provincial government said in a statement that the trap was legally set and the RM of Rosser landowner, wholost livestock to wild animals, hasthe right to protect his property. Theconibear trap is designed to close on an animal's neck so it'skilled quickly.

But the legality of the trap doesn't comfort Gagnon, who has walked along that drainage ditch, just north of some rural properties,for roughly 20 years. She lets her pets run freely because she's always felt comfortable in the area.

"It's supposed to be a safe place for me to go," she said.

Veered off the path

On Saturday, Rubywas scampering off-leash when she veered off the berm to the row of trees where the trap was waiting.Gagnon ran over when she heard her dog squealing.

"I called and I screamed for people to help," Gagnon said.

WATCH | Cathy Gagnon recalls the momenther dog Ruby died in an animal trap:

Owner recalls moment when dog died in animal trap

4 years ago

Duration 2:16

Calls are growing for warning signs to be placed around animal traps in Manitoba. It comes after Cathy Gagnon's dog was killed after getting caught in one near a drainage ditch north of Winnipeg.

She tried to use branches to free Ruby, but it didn't work. The dogdied after around 30 minutes, Gagnon said. Emergencypersonnel didn't make it in time.

"Traps that cannot instantly kill should not be legal," she said.

"It was my dog, and that's very personal, but it's just as upsetting if it was a coyote trapped in there that it didn't kill it."'

Gagnon believes Ruby was led to the trap by the smell of fish. It was the first time she'dseen a trap in the areain two decades.

The property owner who pulled out the trap said he is gutted by what happened.

The man, who did not want his name used,installed the trap because coyotes were venturing onto his property, including one occasionwhile his children were playing outside. He feels "absolutely sick," but felt he had no choice but to protect his family.

He was told by a provincial conservation officer that he could get another trap that wouldn't kill a coyote.

The Winnipeg Humane Society said in a statement it is devastated by Ruby's death.

"Traps do not discriminate.Dogs, children and non-target wildlife all run risk of being caught and slowly killed by these traps," the organization said.

"TheWinnipegHumaneSocietyis taking this tragedy very seriously. We are currently coordinating a campaign to target the dangers associated with kill traps."

In the days since Ruby's death, Gagnonhas been alternating between bouts of anger and breaking into tears.

She appreciates the remorse shown by the land owner, but it doesn't make up for losing Ruby, a spaniel, beagle and terrier crosswho was the "sweetest, funniest little dog," she said.

"What happens if it was a young kid walking their dog that had to experience what I did?" Gagnon said.

"I am not going to get past this for a very long time."