Residents of the Town of Aurora have been horrified to learn that the town has been setting out cruel and barbaric conibear traps in and around their ponds. Four traps were located at Bayview and St. John's Sideroad in Aurora, Ontario, when they nearly injured a family dog. These traps have been outlawed in many municipalities since they cause animals to endure unimaginable pain and fear… and for what? So the Town of Aurora can preserve some trees and stormwater ponds? There are many other humane and sustainable solutions to dealing with what the Town of Aurora perceives as a "problem" creature. 

Contrary to the claims of “quick kills” made by these conibear traps, most animals are not instantly killed by the trap, but die slowly—by drowning, predation, exposure, shock, injury, or blood loss—sometimes after languishing for days. There are even tales of animals caught in traps left unchecked for multiple days, who feverishly attempt to chew off their own trapped limb to escape the terrible pain.

It’s not just the beavers who suffer from these traps. Traps often capture unintended targets like domestic dogs and cats, and even children. In fact, it is estimated that, for every targeted animal trapped, two non-targeted animals are accidentally caught. A quick google search of these supposedly humane traps reveals heartbreaking images and stories of family dogs, wolves and all kinds of creatures meeting their slow and painful end

Lets follow in the footsteps of more progressive towns like Ottawa, Ontario, and outlaw these cruel traps today.