Other Legislation Steel-jaw leghold traps are brutally inhumane. These traps are designed to slam closed on the leg or other body part of an animal. Lacerations, broken bones, joint dislocations, and gangrene can result. Some animals chew off their own leg in a desperate attempt to escape.
Veterinary groups oppose the use of the steel-jaw leghold trap.
Steel-jaw leghold traps are indiscriminate. They victimize any animal unlucky enough to step into them. This means that they catch not only target animals but also family pets and members of protected species such as eagles and wolverines. In the United States, voters in four statesArizona, California, Colorado, and Massachusettshave recently approved ballot measures to ban steel-jaw leghold traps. New Jersey and Florida have already banned the use of these traps, and many other states have severe restrictions on their use.