Today, 4/30/2020, I heard a scraping noise outside my window at 7:30 AM. I stepped outside but couldn't locate the source if the noise. 2 hours of intermittent noise went by before I located it. A squirrel body was poking out of a black box. It had dragged itself onto the sidewalk outside my front door. The squirrel was frantically trying to puIl itself free. I put on a pair of gloves and tried to help the squirrel escape, but it's head was pinched in a snap trap. Looking inside from the hole on the other end of the trap, I could see one terrified eye and a small head, pinned down and smeared with peanut butter. I couldn't open the box because bait traps require a manufacturer key to open. I put the squirrel and trap in a carboard box, and left a voicemail on the emergency line for our association. By the time I got a call back, the squirrel had died. I believe the squirrel died a slow, painful death from asphyxiation.
I discovered that my condominium community has been regulary using kill traps (a bait box with a baited snap trap inside) to manage the squirrel and chipmunk population. I started reaching out to neighbors. A witness reported that this is not the first time a squirrel has been dragging around a bait trap while suffering a slow, tortured death. In fact this has been witnessed in at least 2 other instances.
I am an advocate for humane catch and release trapping to manage rodant populations. My goal is to get our association to change the method of trapping to the most ethical choice: livetrap.
We are part of a community with many beautiful trees and I truly believe we can cohabit with the squirrels. We know these creatures can feel pain and terror. Please help change the trapping policy by signing this petition.
