Bill to Ban Cruel Body-Gripping Traps Introduced in House

In October, Representative Alma Adams (D-NC) reintroduced the Public Safety and Wildlife Protection Act. A longstanding AWI priority, this bill would prohibit the import and export of, as well as interstate commerce in, two of the most notorious types of body-gripping traps—steel-jaw leghold and Conibear traps. Steel-jaw leghold traps operate by slamming shut with bone-crushing force on the limb of any animal who trips the device. Left in agony for long periods, victims may chew off their own trapped limb to escape. Conibear traps are intended to kill instantly by breaking or crushing animals’ spinal columns but do not reliably kill quickly, resulting instead in severe injuries and prolonged suffering.

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