From the Alaska Beacon

Dispute between fur trapper and dog owner heads to federal court

Too many dog owners think their dog has the "right of way" any where they go!

Yep. And trappers usually lose.

Huh, the link with Laura McIndoe’s name leads to one of the largest anti-trapper groups focused on Alaska. This is the very same group that AV mentioned as holding a “non-cumsumptive” seat on the Juneau AC.
I would have beat some heads, if confronted in the field, as this trapper was. I haven’t seen a statement from the ATA, yet. Hope the trapper is a member and they have his back, on this.

I never knew this happened till the article came out, so it is someone who doesn't come to the local meetings. I do know it more than likely happened on a walking trail because snow machining was closed last year do to no snow. Last year Snow machining was only open from December 1till the 29 if I remember correctly on the refuge.

Reading the article it says the dog was caught in a foothold trap, then it says that the snare that caught the dog was lost. Which is it? I have hounds and like them better than99.99% of people, I get that you don't want your dog hurt and are upset. But, I can also say that I've had quite a number of my dogs caught in traps over the years, and not a single one of them ever had to go to the vet. They might gimp around for a few minutes, or even a day or so if they had been in the trap for while, but they were fine. Now if the dog was caught in cold weather and held overnight his foot might be froze, and then you're going to have to have it taken off. I've known of a couple hound guys that had that happen back before tracking collars. But as a 'dog walker' one would assume you were close to your dog, particularly since you went past signs saying there were traps in the area. So there should have been no issues with freezing.

As a trapper I get frustrated with all the people in the woods these days, and it seems they all have a dog or two with them any more. What I've noticed is in the snow you can't hardly get away from them. If they are using any part of the area, even if they aren't using where you go, as soon as you go there and make a trail, they will follow.

Personally, with it linking to a major anti-trapping site, and the trapper having signs up, it sounds to me like they went in there looking for a confrontation.

^^^^^
It seems like every tree hugging, Subaru driving woman, feels the need to drag her dog around with her everywhere she goes; especially in the woods.

The ATA has judicial precedent in cases just like this. In Juneau, maybe 8-10 years ago, I forget the date but not the case, A trapper by the name of John Forrest was checking his traps in a remote valley when he encountered a woman carrying a bald eagle that she had released from a wolverine set. She not only destroyed the trap, (a Newhouse 14, if I recall), and also destroyed several other traps on her way out of the valley.
She was charged and convicted for tampering and destruction.
He also filed a civil suit, which he lost.
The ATA funded the prosecution and had the ATA legal counsel.
Randy will have all details of the case.

It written poorly but it said some traded were damaged and the one that caught the dog was lost. Her is a section I copied showing the dog is fine. And the section about the traps below that. Thay use stained meaning the trap that caught the dog not a snare it seems.

According to Hurd’s affidavit, McIndoe said “the dog was doing better” two weeks after the incident, “after a large vet bill.

Two of the trapper’s other traps were destroyed, and the trap that snared the dog was lost