My name is Anjali Ranadive and I’m the founder of Women for Wolves, a wolf-dog sanctuary and conservation group dedicated to protecting wolves and empowering women. Every day, we fight for wolves’ right to exist—and as a result, we’re often taunted by hunters/trappers with videos of wolves and wildlife suffering in traps.

I’ve rescued over 200 wolves, wolf-dogs, and other animals in need. This work saved my life; it helped me heal from my own self-harm and reminded me of love, loyalty, and resilience. So when I see these same family-oriented, intelligent beings writhing in pain, it breaks my heart and makes me question how we can treat America’s wildlife with such cruelty.

Trapping is inhumane. It betrays the respect, coexistence, and compassion we owe the wild—something Indigenous peoples have always understood—because wolves are family, and we share this home with them, and we need wildlife to thrive for our own survival too.

Every year in the U.S., millions of wild animals suffer in cruel traps: steel-jaw leghold traps, snares, cable restraints, body-grip (Conibear) traps, and glue traps. These devices do not discriminate and often leave animals to writhe in agony for hours or days. In 2018 alone, over 2.7 million animals were killed for fur; many more die as non-target casualties.

3,000 unintended animals are killed per year by our very own U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services, including eagles, wolves, bears, and even family pets. More than 100 countries have banned these devices, yet they remain legal across the United States. That must change.

We demand a federal ban on all body-gripping and indiscriminate traps. These barbaric devices include:

• Steel-jaw (leghold) traps that clamp down with bone-crushing force
• Snares and cable restraints that strangle animals slowly
• Body-grip (Conibear) traps that crush the neck or chest
• Glue traps that cause panic, injury, and slow death

These methods are indiscriminate, outdated, and cause immense suffering. Studies show that over 30% of animals caught in so-called “killing traps” remain conscious and struggling long past humane limits.

 
What We’re Demanding
We call on the House Committee on Natural Resources to hold hearings advance Representative Jerry Nadler’s Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act (H.R. 4108)—a vital first step toward banning body-gripping traps on National Wildlife Refuges.

But the fight cannot stop there. We urge Congress to introduce and pass a broader federal bill that bans steel-jaw, snare, cable-restraint, Conibear, and glue traps on all lands—for both commercial and recreational use—nationwide.

These traps are cruel, ineffective, and opposed by the majority of Americans. Over 100 countries have already banned them. It’s time the United States did too. We’re also raising funds for billboards, national media, and grassroots outreach to make sure Congress and the public see what’s happening—and demand change.

Petition Summary
Every year, millions of animals suffer in cruel traps—wolves, coyotes, eagles, and pets.
Over 100 countries have banned them. America hasn’t.
Sign and share to demand a federal ban on all body-gripping traps and help us bring this cruelty into the light.