Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
38841
From: "qpekt" <qpekt@yahoo.com>
BC: Governor Musgrove
Created: 3/8/2001 4:59 AM
Subject: THE PAINFUL LEGHOLD TRAPS EXPERIENCE.
Message:
THE PAINFUL LEGHOLD TRAPS EXPERIENCE .
Dear Legislator,
Hunters in Idaho and Pennsylvania are pushing their
Wildlife Services agency to allow them to kill cougars, bears
and bobcats by blaming that those animals had made the elk's
population decreased which deprive hunters "pleasure" of
"killing" and their "trophy" to hang on the wall.
(see enclosed important references on "hunting" at the end of this letter. )
The Wildlife services Department are allowing hunters to use
the most painful and barbaric "LEGHOLD TRAPS" to "KILL" animals.
The pain inflicted on animals are tremendous and extremely cruel.
Pennsylvania hunters had already killed 50 bobcats, most of whom
suffered agonizing deaths in leghold traps.
We enclosed the following article from the citizens who had
experience with the cruel LEGHOLD TRAPS. After reviewing
them you will understand more about the pain from
"LEGHOLD TRAPS".
Dear Legislator, while the hunters and National Riffle Association
colluded together , while the one sided Congress and President are
in favor of "killing" (they call "wildlife management"!), this country
has long been betraying the civilization, humanity, harmony with
millions of other species. The country is the world's biggest animal
killing country.
Wild animals are killed for money, for pleasure, for politics.
Now, under such one sided political climate, the situation will be far
worse as we had predicted.
Animals are sentient ! Please VOICE for millions of innocent wildlife
tortured and killed in this country each year in the HUNTERS hands,
especially those killed by the most cruel "LEGHOLD TRAPS".
While nearly all of the civilized countries in the world had banned the
use of Leghold traps, the U.S. is continuously using such barbaric
and cruel killing machines to kill millions of innocent, sentient animals.
PLEASE STOP CRUEL HUNTERS USING LEGHOLD TRAPS
ANY MORE. PLEASE OUTLAW "LEGHOLD TRAPS " FOREVER.
As always, we are so grateful to you for your kindness, compassion
and help.
Very Truly Yours,
J. Smith,
M. Horng,
L. Thibidore,
G. Fred,
M. Schrieber,
(All US Constituents )
====================================
P.S.: Enclosed the following important article :
THE EXPERIENCE OF WILDLIFE LEGHOLD TRAPS.
OREGON TRAPPING TRAGEDIES
On February 15, 1997 I found a trap submerged in the water of a pond
near my home. There were no signs or warnings of any kind. The pond
is only a quarter of a mile from the nearest house where children live,
and where residents of our rural community walk their dogs along the
creek, as I do.
Out of concern for neighborhood children and pets, I pulled the trap
out of the water. It was a strange heavy gauge wire device that I had
never seen before and I could not tell if it was set or sprung.
As I was setting it down it snapped on my hand. I have never
experienced anything that hurt so badly in all my life. My hand felt
like it was on fire and I knew there was no way I could get it off. I
also knew that I could not allow myself to get shocky or faint, that
I had to keep my head and get help.
I managed to hike the quarter mile back to my car and drive to a
friend's house. Fortunately, he was home. After unsuccessfully trying
to pry it open, he drove two wedges between the metal jaws with a
hammer which gave me just enough space to get my hand out.
The pain did not stop. My hand was paralyzed and had no sensation
but pain. The hand specialist explained I had sustained severe nerve
damage in my wrist that would take at least nine months to heal, and
that there is no medication to alleviate the pain of nerve damage.
For months I lived with the sensation of my hand being alternately on
fire or submerged in ice water. Sometimes it felt like needles being
shoved into it, or that my fingernails were being pulled out by the
roots. The pain never stopped. Some days, all I could do was wrap up
in a blanket on the couch and cry. I had no use of my hand and could
not work, or even carry out my day-to-day tasks without help.
Finally, after several months, the pain began to diminish and function
to return. I will never forget the pain, the shock or the fear and
desperation I felt when that trap (a conibear trap, I later learned)
slammed shut on my hand. I had the ability to get help, and I knew
that one way or another I would get it off. I now know how an
animal must feel when caught in such a trap; terrified, in excruciating
pain, and desperate enough to chew off its own limb to get free.
The agony inflicted on living beings by traps is almost beyond
description.
I know, I have experienced it. Let my voice speak for those who
cannot speak for themselves.
Jennifer Kirkpatrick
Scappoose, Oregon
My wife Kerstin and I were walking on a public dirt road in Colorado in
1984, beginning what we thought would be a relaxing vacation.
Suddenly our West Highland Terrier, who was a little behind us, cried
out. We turned to see her writhing on the ground, her leg caught in a
steel-jawed leghold trap. In the desperate, bloody minutes that
followed, Kerstin was severely bitten twice before we could find a way
to release the traumatized dog. Although two hours of driving finally
brought medical attention to Kerstin, and although our dog eventually
recovered from her injuries, the incident is one we can never forget.
Robert and Kerstin Adams
Astoria, Oregon
Natasha, my German shepherd pup, was missing for two rainy and cold days
in November of 1979 before I found her huddling under a tarp near the
house. She was near death. Somehow she managed to crawl home, her
front paw crushed in the jaws of a steel leghold trap, dragging a log
attached to the trap behind her. The trap severed the muscles, tendons
and nerves in Natasha's leg.
The bone was damaged badly and much blood had been lost.
Veterinarians did not hold much hope for Natasha's survival.
But survive she did, although she never regained the use of
her right paw.
Barbara Kelly
Saginaw, Oregon
===================================
References :
http://www.hsus.org/whatnew/trapping112700.html
http://www.hsus.org/whatnew/mdtrappingalert030801.html
http://www.hsus.org/current/trapping_inside.html
http://www.hsus.org/whatnew/hunting112100.html
- Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\THE PAINFUL LEGHOLD TRAPS EXPERIENCE_\Part.001
- Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\THE PAINFUL LEGHOLD TRAPS EXPERIENCE_\Mime.822
Attachments
the_painful_leghold_traps_expe/part.001
the_painful_leghold_traps_expe/mime.822