THE death of a cat caught in an animal snare has been branded ‘horrible’ and ‘inhumane’ by the RSPCA.
Six-year-old rescue cat, Mango was trapped in the snare by her head on August 31 close to a public footpath near the M5 in Catshill, Bromsgrove.
Mango was later discovered by her owner who had gone looking for her after she went missing from home 24 hours earlier.
RSPCA inspector Ben Jones is appealing for information and has offered advice on how to act if you find a snared animal.
Ben Jones said: ““Mango would have suffered considerably. These traps are indiscriminate and can cause horrible and sometimes fatal injuries to animals, including pets.
“She was very unlucky to have been caught by this trap and my heart goes out to her owner who is devastated by this loss.
“The RSPCA is opposed to the manufacture, sale and use of all snares and traps which cause suffering. They can cause a huge amount of pain and distress and they can be fatal.
“The use of them to trap animals is inhumane and cruel and people leave themselves open to prosecution if they are using illegal snares or not setting and checking them correctly.
“There are strict legal conditions on setting certain types of traps and if they are not set in the right way non-target animals, like this cat, can get injured or even killed.
“If this happens the person setting the trap could potentially be committing an offence.”
Anyone with information should contact Ben Jones via the RPSCA inspector appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
Guidance on snares
Only free-running snares can be used legally in the UK and although not designed to kill, they can be fatal if not set correctly or checked regularly.
Snares should be checked daily by those responsible.
These types of traps can catch unintended targets such as pets and protected species causing fatal injuries.
If unintended targets are caught, whoever set the trap could be committing an offence.
If you find an animal ensnared you should never try to free it, this risks hurting yourself and the animal and could be an offence if the animal was legally caught.
The RPSCA stated animals caught by snares are often more seriously injured than you think so it is best they are examined properly to see if they need treatment.
