A Marine Drive resident is searching for answers after discovering a raccoon suffering serious injuries from leg-hold traps.
The raccoon, which Frank Groff noted is a mother, came to his back porch in the 1400-block of Marine Drive Monday with a leg-hold trap on her back leg.
The same raccoon had also fallen victim to a trap four weeks prior, resulting in her chewing off her front foot, he said.
“It’s animal cruelty at its worst,” Groff told Peace Arch News Wednesday, noting the traps must be set by someone close by, as the raccoon had not been able to get far after her initial injury.
After realizing the traps were not a one-off incident, Groff attempted to find out who was setting them in his neighbourhood, but has been unable to identify the culprit.
He noted raccoons might not be the traps’ only victims.
“It’s a little frustrating for anyone who has small animals or children,” Groff.
Despite attempts to capture the injured critter and take it to get medical attention, Groff said that because of the traps, the raccoon has become leery of humans.
Groff has opened a file with the SPCA, but said that there is little that can be done.
“We need some sort of evidence of who is doing and where,” he said. “Unless they have a little more information, there is not much they can do.”
According to the BCSPCA's Cruelty Branch, Groff has alerted them to the situation but they are unable to proceed without an address to investigate.