There is a worldwide demand for more humane devices to capture animals, both fur bearers and predators. This demand arises for both environmental and ethical reasons. An Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards signed in 1995 by the European Economic Community, Canada, and Russia will ultimately lead to the banning of all steel leg hold traps in those countries.
Foreign patents are also pending.
Testing and development has been taking place for several years in conjunction with the National Wildlife Research Center of the USDA's Wildlife Services division. The end of the capture loop is anchored in the ground. It is unique in several ways. First, it's canine-specific because of the trigger mechanism. The effectiveness of this action for canine specificity has been proven through the years by the M-44 cyanide gun, which uses a similar trigger principle.