Life is full of hard questions. Here is one: did Mac have to die?
Mac was a rescue dog in Lander. After much work, his new owners helped transform Mac from a timid, head-shy pup into a disciplined companion. That ended on Jan. 3. While walking on public land with his new owners, Mac was caught in a power snare set by a trapper. He choked to death in less than a minute. No signs warned Mac’s owner about local snares.
kAm%C2AA:?8 92D 2 =@?8 9:DE@CJ :? (J@>:?8] $@>6 EC2AA6CD 4@?D:56C EC2AA:?8 2 49FC49 @7 D@CED] xE 92D 566A 4F=EFC2= 2?5 9:DE@C:42= C@@ED] xE :D =682==J AC@E64E65] xE :D 2 H2J E@ 86E @FE5@@CD 5FC:?8 @FC =@?8 H:?E6CD 2?5 6?8286 H:E9 H:=5=:76] u@C D@>6 :E 86?6C2E6D 2 >@56DE :?4@>6 7C@> A6=ED] (9:=6 H6 86E E92E[ H6 3C:?8 2?@E96C A6CDA64E:G6] '6E6C:?2C:2?D E2<6 2? @2E9 E@ AC@>@E6 2?:>2= 962=E9 2?5 H6=72C6[ 2?5 E@ C6=:6G6 2?:>2= DF776C:?8]k^Am
kAm(6 2C6 5:D2AA@:?E65 :? (J@>:?8 v2>6 2?5 u:D9 s6A2CE>6?E’D C646?E 5C27E C64@>>6?52E:@?D E@ :>AC@G6 EC2AA:?8 AC24E:46D] s6A2CE>6?E2= 3:@=@8:DED 925 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 2 4@?46C? 7@C 2?:>2= H6=72C6] pD HC:EE6?[ E96 (vus C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2C6 2 E9:? 8CF6= :?5665] %96 EH@ DEC@?86DE AC@A@D2=D 2C6 7@C EC2AA6C 65F42E:@?[ 2?5 56>@?DEC2E:@?D 7@C E96 AF3=:4 :? 9@H E@ C6=62D6 E96:C EC2AA65 5@8D]k^Am
kAm(6 H:== DA2C6 C6256CD 2 E65:@FD =:DE @7 H92E E96 5C27E 4@F=5 92G6 AC@A@D65] (J@>:?8 EC2AA6CD 92CG6DE65 f[c_c 7FC362C6CD :? a_`h] %96 6DE:>2E6 :D 32D65 @? (vus’D 2??F2= EC2AA6C DFCG6J[ H9:49 92D 2 b_T C6DA@?D6 C2E6] %96C6 :D ?@ C64@>>6?52E:@? E92E EC2AA6CD C6A@CE 2== 2?:>2=D 92CG6DE65[ :56?E:7J:?8 2== DA64:6D 42F89E] (vus 92D 2 D=@82?i r@?D6CG:?8 H:=5=:76[ D6CG:?8 A6@A=6] w@H 5@ J@F 4@?D6CG6 H:=5=:76 H96? J@F 5@ ?@E <?@H 6I24E=J H92E :D 92CG6DE65nk^Am
kAm%96? E96C6 :D E96 C64FCC6?E AC@3=6> @7 42AEFC:?8 @C <:==:?8 5@8D =:<6 |24] ~E96C ?@?\E2C86E DA64:6D 2C6 7FC362C6CD 42F89E @FE\@7\D62D@?[ 2?5 =:G6DE@4< DF49 2D D966A] %C2AA6CD 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ C6A@CE @?=J D@>6 ?@?\E2C86E 42AEFC6D] %96 5C27E =24<D 2 C6BF:C6>6?E E@ C6A@CE 2==[ ?@E ;FDE D@>6[ 72E2= 2?5 ?@?\72E2= 42AEFC6D] xE D9@F=5 :?4=F56 5@8D] %96 4FCC6?E C64@>>6?52E:@? :D E92E (vus’D H63D:E6 H:== 92G6 2 A=246 H96C6 A6@A=6 42? C6A@CE EC2AA65 5@8D @C =:G6DE@4<] !2DD:G6 DFCG6:==2?46 5@6D ?@E 86?6C2E6 4@>AC696?D:G6 52E2] (92E :D E96 :?46?E:G6 7@C 2 EC2AA6C E@ C6A@CE E92E 96 <:==65 D@>6@?6’D 5@8nk^Am
kAm$6EE:?8 EC2AD @? @C C:89E 36D:56 EC2:=D @? AF3=:4 =2?5 :D =682= :? (J@>:?8] (vus’D C2E:@?2=6 7@C ?@E 92G:?8 =682= D6E324<D :D E92E EC2AA6CD H@CCJ 9@H “EC2:=” :D 567:?65] }6:893@C:?8 DE2E6D >2?52E6 EC2AA:?8 D6E324<D] $@>69@H E96J >2?2865 E@ 567:?6 E92E 8?2C=J H@C5 “EC2:=]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D ?@ C64@>>6?52E:@? 7@C EC2A\7C66 2C62D :? 2C62D H:E9 962GJ J62C\C@F?5 FD6 3J H2=<6CD[ D<:6CD[ >@F?E2:? 3:<6CD 2?5 @E96CD] }@?\E2C86E 42AEFC6D 2C6 2 4@?E:?F:?8 D:56 67764E @7 EC2AA:?8[ 2D 5@4F>6?E65 3J @?6 (J@>:?8 }v~] xE >2<6D D6?D6 E@ <66A EC2AA6CD 2?5 ?@?\4@?DF>AE:G6 C64C62E:@?2= FD6CD 2A2CE :? A@AF=2C 2C62D[ 6DA64:2==J ?62C E@H?D] (6 2=D@ ?665 D@>6 C62D@?23=6 AC@G:D:@?D 7@C C64@>A6?D6[ :?4=F5:?8 :56?E:7:42E:@? @7 E96 EC2A @H?6C 3J (vus[ H96? @H?65 2?:>2=D 2C6 9FCE @C <:==65]k^Am
kAm%96 56A2CE>6?E C6BF:C6D EC2AA6CD E@ 4964< EC2AD 2?5 D?2C6D 6:E96C @?46 2 H66< @C 6G6CJ fa 9@FCD] %96 5C27E =24<D 2 AC@A@D2= E@ D9@CE6? 4964< E:>6D] |2?J <:==:?8 56G:46D 2C6 :?DF77:4:6?E=J A@H6C7F= E@ <:== E2C86E DA64:6D 4@?D:DE6?E=J] ~7E6? E96 EC:886C 5@6D ?@E A@D:E:@? 2?:>2=D AC@A6C=J :? 2 EC2A] %C2AD E96? 364@>6 C6DEC2:?:?8 56G:46D] (:E9 E96 4FCC6?E =@?8 4964< E:>6D[ >2?J 42AEFC65 2?:>2=D C6>2:? 2=:G6 3FE :?;FC65 F?E:= 2 EC2AA6C 2AA62CD @C 2 AC652E@C <:==D E96>] %9:D :D 2?:>2= 23FD6] |2?52E@CJ 52:=J 4964<D H@F=5 2>6=:@C2E6 E9:D]k^Am
kAmxE :D =682= 7@C (J@>:?8 EC2AA6CD E@ =62G6 EC2AD @? E96 =2?5D42A6 27E6C 6249 D62D@?] %96C6 :D ?@ AC@A@D2= 7@C EC2AA6CD E@ A:4< FA EC2AD] $?2C6D 2?5 EC2AD 2C6 4962A[ 2?5 C6EC:6G:?8 E96> 27E6C 6249 D62D@? C6BF:C6D D@>6 E:>6 2?5 677@CE] xE H@F=5 36 8@@5 DE6H2C5D9:A 2?5 C6DA64E7F= E@ @E96CD :7 EC2AA6CD A:4<65 FA 27E6C E96>D6=G6D]k^Am
kAm(6 9@A6 E9:D H2D ?@E 2? 6IA6?D:G6[ =2C86=J A@:?E=6DD 6I6C4:D6] (6 H:== 7:?5 @FE @? `f }@G6>36C H96? E96 (J@>:?8 v2>6 2?5 u:D9 r@>>:DD:@? C6G:6HD E96 AC@A@D2=D] |2?J[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 HC:E6CD[ <?@H E92E (vus :D @?6 @7 @FC DE2E6’D 36DE 286?4:6D] xED 6>A=@J66D 2C6 AC@76DD:@?2=D] (6 <?@H E9:D 3642FD6 H6 H@C< H:E9 E96>] %96 5C27E C64@>>6?52E:@?D DF886DE D@>6 72:=FC6 @7 ?6CG6[ >@DE =:<6=J ?@E 2E E96 =6G6= @7 E96 3:@=@8:DED[ H9@ EC:65 E@ =:DE6? E@ 2== D:56D] xE >2J 92G6 366? 62D:6C E@ 2=:8? H:E9 EC2AA6CD’ H:D96D E92? AFD9 E96 6?G6=@A6] x? 255:E:@? E@ DE2<69@=56CD DF49 2D =2?5@H?6CD 2?5 DE2E6 286?4:6D[ (vus :?G@=G65 da EC2AA6CD :? 7@C>2= 4@?DF=E2E:@?[ 3FE @?=J 6:89E >6>36CD @7 E96 AF3=:4]k^Am
kAm(6 3682? H:E9 @?6 BF6DE:@?] (6 6?5 H:E9 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAmu@C >62?:?87F= EC2AA:?8 C67@C> :? (J@>:?8[ 9@H >2?J DEC2?8=65 5@8D H:== :E E2<6nk^Am
kAmk6>msC] ~’%@@=6 :D 2 G6E6C:?2CJ A2E9@=@8:DE :? {2C2>:6[ (*]k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>msC] v2>3=6 :D 2 4=:?:42= G6E6C:?2C:2? :? #:G6CE@?[ (*]k^6>mk^Am