SPCA warning after cat caught in trap put down
‘‘We want to get the message out that setting traps is not right.’’
The SPCA has had to put down a cat caught in a gin trap next to a childcare centre in Porirua.
The cat was found on Wednesday near Mungavin Ave. Its front left paw had been caught in the trap, and the trap had caught on the fence as the cat had tried to jump it.
SPCA chief executive officer Steve Glassey said the cat did not appear to be socialised, and was unlikely to be a pet.
‘‘Unfortunately for this poor cat ... either owned or unowned, .... [it] has experienced some awful pain, and has had to be put down.
‘‘We want to get the message out that setting traps is not right.’’
The traps themselves are not illegal, though no-one is allowed to set one within 150 metres of a house without the resident’s permission, or anywhere it is likely to catch a pet.
Glassey was asking anyone who might have information to call Wellington SPCA so its staff could investigate.
Animal inspector Ben Lakomy said it was hard to tell how long the cat had been caught in the trap, but it did not appear to have been snagged on the fence for long.
The fence had a childcare centre on the other side, Glassey said.
‘‘It would not have been too far away from where it was set.’’
The SPCA had not had issues with people illegally setting the traps in Porirua, but the organisation had had problems in the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa.
Recently it had successfully prosecuted someone for setting a trap in Wairarapa, where a cat had been killed in a similar situation, and found dead by the children who owned it.
Trap-related offences had a penalty of up to 12 months in prison or a $50,000 fine under the Animal Welfare Act, Glassey said.
It was ‘‘really concerning’’ that people did not understand the traps were restricted, and could not be set in urban areas, he said.
Lakomy said while it might have been ignorance that led to someone setting the trap in the area, that was not an excuse.
He said anyone thinking of using a trap of any kind should check with the local council, or on the Ministry for Primary Industries website.