Leg hold traps are dangerous and inflict unnecessary suffering and cruelty to animals caught in them. These animals either die an agonizing and prolonged death from the trauma of the trap or infection from trap wounds. The fortunate ones end up at animal control where your tax dollars go to deal with the aftermath of their torture.

I am a director for an animal control agency, and I see animals enter our care caught in these traps. Recently, an opossum entered our care that had its head crushed, and it was clutching the trap, hopelessly trying to free itself from its jaws. It had been in that state, alive, for apparently several days. We euthanized that animal. Then, just a few days later, someone's pet came to the shelter, its paw nearly completely severed by a leg hold trap still gripping the animal's paw. It too had been that way for days because the terrified animal tried to run away and became lost from its owner.

In California, and many other states, this type of trap is illegal, however, it is available for sale on Amazon and can be purchased and shipped to a California address. Amazon has been asked repeatedly and for years to stop offering these traps for sale. Regardless of the illegal status in other states, Amazon should stop offering these products for sale and instead redirect those looking for traps to humane traps.

Whether you are an animal rights activist or a person who traps animals, we can all agree that these traps cause pain and suffering to animals by inflicting horrific injuries to any animal caught in them including pet animals. All animals deserve to live free from suffering, especially unnecessary suffering perpetrated by humans for no reason. Humane traps are available for sale at most hardware stores, and on AMAZON. Make it clear to Amazon that their platform should not be used to facilitate animal cruelty and torture.