Cat found in grips of banned leg hold trap

A cat found in the grips of a banned leg hold trap has the Saskatoon SPCA raising concerns about animal cruelty.

According to Tiffany Koback, executive director of the agency, the SPCA received a call Monday night about a cat that had been caught by a trap in the Silver Springs neighbourhood.

The caller had released the cat from the trap, but the animal scurried away. Koback said they are hoping anyone who sees a black and white cat with a injured hind leg will contact them, as the animal will need veterinary care.

Koback noted using a banned device to capture a cat is not right.

"It's very disturbing," Koback told CBC News Tuesday. "There's more humane measures to dealing with animals that are a nuisance or a pest to an individual."

She added the leg hold trap that was found has been banned for years.

"It's been banned in Canada since 2001," she said. "It's a steel leg hold trap with spikes on the back side of it which can cause significant damage and a lot of suffering [and] excruciating pain to the animal."

It was not entirely clear if the trap was set on private property or a park as it was not anchored and may have moved. Nevertheless, Koback said the device is dangerous to children as well as animals.

"The triggers on these are very quick and very effective and the pressure on them is enough that you're not going to be able to remove it on your own without assistance," she said.

She said the last time the SPCA had dealt with a leg hold trap incident was in 2008.