'The kindest option': Raccoon euthanized after being caught in illegal leg trap in Oak Bay
A raccoon that was discovered caught in a prohibited leg trap in Oak Bay, B.C., has been euthanized, according to the BC SPCA.
Oak Bay Police Chief Ray Bernoties said in a social media post Sunday that the raccoon was picked up by police and conservation officers after it was spotted in the trap by a community member.
The animal was then taken to the BC SPCA's Wild ARC facility in Metchosin, B.C. for care.
However, on Tuesday the animal rehabilitation centre said that the raccoon's injuries were too severe to be treated.
"This poor girl’s paw had been caught in this cruel device that she had been dragging around for at least a day or more before she was finally spotted and contained," said Wild ARC in a social media post.
"The trauma from the trap combined with self-inflicted injuries in her attempt to escape meant that humane euthanasia was the kindest option for this raccoon," said the wildlife rehab centre.
Under the B.C. Wildlife Act, people are prohibited from using foot-hold traps that "have teeth or other projections on the jaws of the traps."
Wild ARC says that anyone who spots a similar trap that was used on the raccoon can contact the provinces' Report All Poaches and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277, or the BC SPCA animal helpline at 1-855-622-7722.
According to Bernoties, the incident is under investigation by Oak Bay police. The raccoon was spotted in the trap in the 2000-block of Lansdowne Road. However, police believe the animal had been dragging the trap for some time, so it's currently unclear where the trap was originally placed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.