Illegal traps on Hillside trails are snaring dogs

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game Biologist Dave Battle is warning people to keep a close eye on their dogs if they walk on Hillside trails. Battle said they’ve received recent reports of at least three dogs that have gotten snared by illegal traps set in the woods off trails that run between Service High School, Hilltop Ski Area and Abbott Loop Community Park. And while Battle doesn’t believe any of the animals were seriously injured, he said there is certainly the potential for a dog to be killed.

Illegal snare trap found near Hillside trail(ktuu)

John Baker considers himself lucky that his dog, Stormy, wasn’t hurt. He was riding his bike on the multi-use trail that parallels Abbott Road near Service High Tuesday morning when Stormy veered off into the woods. When she returned, Baker saw what he thought was a stick stuck in her collar. Turned out it was a metal wire that was wrapped around her neck.

“I called her over to get the stick out of her collar and then I realized at that point that it was a metal trap,” he said. “It was a snare that had gone around her neck and had broken off.”

Baker was able to remove the snare without injuring his dog but the incident left him upset.

“I was more mad than anything. Who’s going to be trapping along a corridor like this? Where there’s people every single day?”

Battle said all trapping is illegal in the City of Anchorage, although it is allowed in some areas of the municipality. It is not allowed on Hillside trails. Wildlife troopers are investigating and ask anyone who finds a trap to note its location and call 907-352-5401 or ADF&G at 267-2257.

Battle recommends people also go to the ADF&G website where there are several videos that show people how to free a dog who has been caught in a snare trap.