18 August—This is a leghold trap waiting to be taken off the tree and used by some cruel, inhumane bastard to torture yet another animal. Only seven states ban these barbaric devices. No surprise that Connecticut is not among them. We tried. We’ve been trying. And we came close. But you know the Connecticut General Assembly.

Each year, millions of animals are caught in traps, killed in the name of so-called nuisance wildlife control or for their fur. Countless house pets and non-target animals are also caught in traps, sometimes even people. And, contrary to the self-serving lies of torture proponents that trapped animals die or are killed quickly and humanely, animals caught in traps die slowly and in indescribable pain—by drowning, predation, exposure, shock, injury, or blood loss; they frequently suffer unceasing physical and mental agony for days on end. Many trapped animals are driven to chew off their limbs just to free themselves. Sometimes the tortured creatures succeed.

Trappers should be made to suffer the torture they subject their victims to . . .