Animal in a Live Trap: What Should I Do?
Different people answer this question in different ways.
Some people handle it themselves. Others call a friend. Some call a business like ours.
All of these are good options.
Then there are those who are frozen by indecision, fear, or a lack of information…those who do nothing. This is not good for animals and the topic of our blog today.
Be Nice (and Legal) to Animals
We bring up the animal-in-the-live-trap topic because we have had a few more unsavory calls this year than we’d like to.
So, we offer the following advice:
- Before setting a live trap, consider the possible outcomes. You may miss the groundhog you were intending to catch and end up with a skunk or an oppossum. What happens then?
- Cover the trap before you set it. Take a towel or cardboard or anything inventive and cover the trap. This keeps the animal out of the sun and gives it a lot less stress because of a feeling of security-not being exposed.
- Consider providing water and food if the animal will be legally relocated (know the laws)
Again referencing the State of Ohio’s nuisance animal laws, Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-03, we quote,
It shall be unlawful for any person who is not a licensed commercial nuisance wild animal control operator to possess such trapped or taken nuisance wild animals longer than twenty-four hours from the time of capture.
This is very clear: choosing to do nothing and leave the animal in the trap more than 24 hours is not legal. A decision on what you are going to do needs to be made.
Off the Soap Box
Ok, we’re off the soap box.
Hopefully, it’s all preaching to the choir anyway.
And if you think this advice is a little hypocritical or ironic coming from a nuisance animal removal company, we can only offer that we do, indeed, like animals and seek to treat them with respect.
For help with an animal in a live trap in the Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area–call us today.
