Wildlife Services' Control Methods are Dangerous to the Public

Wildlife Services sets traps and uses poison on both public and private land. This poses risks to humans and pets.

· Between 1985-1993, there were 21 reported instances of human poisoning cases with M-44 devices.

· On April 24, 1999, A Virginia couple lost a black lab to an M-44 trap. Their second lab was poisoned and returned home with a swollen mouth and eyes. The owner of the dog suffered secondary poisoning after patting his surviving dog. The M-44s had been set on a neighbor's property, but none of the surrounding neighbors had been notified. None of the local hospitals or the local poison center had been notified as is required by law.

· In Denver, Colorado, on March 3, 1999, a seven-year old boxer-retriever mix was killed by an M-44 trap as his owner, Paul Wright and his 3 year old daughter watched. Wildlife Services had placed the M44 on Wright's land at the request of his neighbor who reported problems with coyote predation. The agency did so without notifying Wright, in violation of its regulations.

· In February 1998 in rural Oregon, a golden retriever puppy was found trapped alive in a government snare. The imbedded snare had to be surgically removed by a veterinarian.

· In 1994, a woman's dog was killed in Oregon by an M-44 set on her property without her permission. The woman suffered secondary poisoning after attempting to resuscitate her dog