The public opposes the use of steel-jaw leghold traps. Polls consistently show strong public disapproval for the steel-jaw leghold trap and for trapping animals for fur. During the 1990s, voters in four states Arizona, California, Colorado, and Massachusetts succeeded in outlawing or severely restricting the use of these traps. The use of the steel-jaw leghold trap is also prohibited or restricted in Florida, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Leghold traps are banned in eighty-eight countries.
Veterinary groups oppose leghold traps.
The steel-jaw leghold trap has been declared inhumane by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the World Veterinary Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. Leghold traps pose a threat to non-target animals. Steel-jaw leghold traps are indiscriminate and can harm a wide range of wildlife and domestic animals. They catch any animal that triggers them, including family pets and protected species such as kit foxes, eagles, fishers, and wolverines. Banning steel-jaw leghold traps will satisfy U.S. Trade Agreements.