[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 53 (Monday, March 27, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             LIMITING INHUMANE FEDERAL TRAPPING (LIFT) ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 27, 2017

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, I am reintroducing the Limiting 
Inhumane Federal Trapping (LIFT) Act, which would severely restrict the 
use of inhumane body-gripping traps on public lands and by public 
officials. Every year, countless dogs, cats, and wild animals are 
injured and killed in body-gripping traps such as leg and foothold, 
Conibear, and snare traps. The animals caught in these traps are 
subject to intense pain that can last for hours, or even days. If they 
don't die immediately from the injuries, animals can suffer from 
dehydration, predation, or when a trapper eventually finds them. 
Furthermore, pets and other companion animals can be the victims of 
these traps. Body-gripping traps are non-selective in their victims, 
and can be particularly dangerous if set in popular areas. There are 
many effective non-lethal methods that can be deployed in place of 
these cruel traps.
  Despite these serious risks, body-gripping traps are used by federal 
agencies, local governments, private entities, and individual trappers 
to catch creatures for their fur, keep animals away from livestock and 
crops, and even for recreational purposes. Wildlife Services, a federal 
agency notorious for its secrecy and use of inhumane animal management 
techniques, often uses body-gripping traps as a first resort. This 
results in the death or capture of thousands of animals per year in 
these cruel body-gripping traps. Federal agencies too often avoid more 
humane, effective, and non-lethal control options to control animal 
species. The LIFT Act would ensure that federal agencies, including 
Wildlife Services, do a better job of regulating trapping by non-
federal entities on public lands, thereby limiting cruelty and 
protecting public safety.
  Inhumane trapping is a problem in Oregon and across the country. 
There have been too many unfortunate examples of wild animals and pets 
falling victim to these traps. This bill complements efforts by other 
colleagues in the House and Senate to crack down on the use of body-
gripping traps in light of the growing public acknowledgement that we 
cannot and should not continue to endorse the widespread use of these 
inhumane devices.

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