BLESSED HOPE
The following was submitted by Sheila Bichler of Grand Forks, ND, © 1998
"SLOW, LINGERING, PAINFUL, INJURY AND DEATH, PAID FOR BY OUR TAX DOLLARS AND WITH OUR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT'S BLESSING"
My name is Sheila Bichler and I am glad that there is now a web site devoted to the cruelty of conibear traps. I became familiar with the devastation of this trap when a stray dog in North Dakota was found with a conibear trap on her head. I vowed that this little dog, unnamed and forgotten, would not die without her story being told. This is a story of an abandoned female retriever and a government agency that to this day remains indifferent and arrogant to the cruel death it brought to this little dog.
On April 29th, 1996, Sr. Airman Jason Schubert, an aircraft mechanic at Grand Forks Air Force Base was out walking his dog and spending time with his toddler on Kelly's Slough near Grand Forks, North Dakota. Kelly's Slough is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge System. This particular day was one of the very first warm and sunny days of spring. While Mr. Schubert was walking and enjoying the day he came across a small, young, gold-colored, female retriever dog that was attempting to lap water from a puddle. When he saw that the little dog had a conibear trap on her head he immediately brought Grand Forks Humane Society officials to the scene and they, in turn, immediately brought the little retriever to veterinarian Dr. Qual's office.
At Dr. Qual's office it took FOUR people to remove the trap from the retriever's head. She wagged her tail when the trap was removed giving hope to all the staff that she might survive. Her wounds were truly horrific. She had a hole in the back of her head large enough to put your fist into. You could see her vertebrae through her lacerated flesh. The wound was so infected and putrid that Dr. Qual determined that the trap was on her head for AT LEAST A WEEK. Shelter staff did all that could be done for the little dog, but she did not survive. She died early in the morning on her first night at the shelter.
To anyone unfamiliar with the conibear trap - they are unbelievably strong and brutal traps. These indiscriminate traps slam shut with incredible force on anything that triggers the wires that branch down from the set jaws. The traps are so powerful that they are almost impossible to open by trying to pry the jaws apart. The pressure on the head and neck of this little retriever for over a week most assuredly caused uncomprehensible pain. What is even worse is that U.S. taxpayer dollars funded this torture. The unspeakable suffering of this little dog was caused by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service use of the conibear in their predator trapping program. Apparently, even though this area is populated with pets and people, these indiscriminate traps are set out to trap fox and raccoon. The young dog had been strong enough to pull the trap out of the box it was attached to, and leave the immediate area. When the contract trapper (partially paid for by your taxpayer dollars) arrived on the scene, he made a pathetic and inept search for the trap, and then when unable to find the trap, simply walked away and left whatever injured animal he thought was in the trap, to die a slow lingering death. The little female retriever was left to suffer for over a week before Mr. Schubert found her.
This incident triggered several newspaper articles and I personally wrote letters and sent pictures to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still has not answered the questions posed in these letters. I have become very concerned about the dismissive attitude of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department regarding this incident. Not only have they ignored my letters, but they ignore the fact that Kelly's Slough is an area for recreational purposes and that the public has a right to be able to use these facilities without having their children or pets exposed to these cruel devices. Unbelievably, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife places the blame for this incident on the dog. Blaming the victim appears to be a popular defense of trappers. Certainly there are more dog owners than there are trappers in the United States. Why is a federal agency representing the trapping minority?
As long as the conibear trap is allowed, our pets are in danger. This kind of cruel and barbaric device has no place in a civilized society.
Thanks,
Sheila Bichler
Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201
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As the owner of this site, I would like to give a tribute to this retriever. I hereby name her "Blessed Hope". She came and offered her love only to be thrown away by those she sought to serve, and then killed brutally by individuals so incapable of connection with their own soul that they have no remorse. I bow my head and offer thanks to the universe that she can now rest in the gentle, loving arms of her maker. Her death and the equally horrifying deaths of so many other innocent can lead us toward a better world. It's time.
Sheila has sent us several photos of Blessed Hope, WARNING, they are very graphic and not easy to look at. We felt it was important for everyone to see just what kind of horror these traps can inflict. Please visit Blessed Hope's Photo page. She was truly a beautiful animal.
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