Written by Michelle Sherrow
As if we needed another reason why steel-jaw traps should be banned outright, PETA received a call about a man in Georgia using the cruel devices to injure squirrels who approached his pecan tree.
A distraught neighbor called PETA when she saw a squirrel fall victim to one such trap that the man had set on top of a nearby fence post. The animal was alive, hanging upside down by a crushed leg and in agony.
Despite the best efforts of PETA caseworkers to persuade animal-control officials to assist this suffering squirrel, the agency refused, stating that it does not respond to wildlife calls! But we persevered and got police to the scene instead. The suffering, badly injured squirrel was released from the trap and rushed for euthanasia.
Under Georgia law, the man is allowed to use these traps to harm squirrels if he considers them a nuisance for eating some of his pecans—but rest assured that PETA provided him with effective, humane alternatives for keeping squirrels away from his pecan tree in the future.
For every situation involving unwanted wildlife, there's a humane way to handle it. PETA's guide to living in harmony with wildlife is a great resource for everyone.
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If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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