Traps that killed three St. Bernard dogs near Casper were legal

“The traps were set in accordance with all the Wyoming laws and regulations, including the trap locations and size of snares,” said Brian Olsen, Casper Region Wildlife Supervisor at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “The identification on each trap, that was there. There (were) breakaway devices on the snares, and the snares were anchored properly so.”

The traps were set on the south side of Casper at the base of Casper Mountain.

The incident began when the Cardenas family’s 4-year-old dog Brooklyn went missing last Saturday. The family posted on social media and put signs around town with no luck.

On Tuesday, Cardenas children Savannah, 20, and Braylon, 18, searched for Brooklyn in the pastures near their home with their two other St. Bernard dogs, 2-year-olds Jax and Barkley. While searching, Barkley ran off and got trapped in a snare, and soon after, Jax was also trapped about 10 feet away.

Both snares wound tight around the dogs’ necks, killing both in front of the children. When a neighbor came to help, they found Brooklyn not far away, also caught and dead in a snare.

“It’s just one of those circumstances where you can’t blame anybody,” Olsen said. “It’s just a very unfortunate circumstance where three dogs are actually caught in snares and perished. It’s a very, very sad story.”

The Cardenas family could not be reached for this story, but Jamie Hazelton, the sister of Ashley Cardenas (the mother), spoke. She explained that the family was devastated but wanted to make sure people understood the dangers of being unaware about snares on public lands.

“(The family had) been walking their dogs out on that same land for the last four years. They’re worried about predators like snakes, coyotes and badgers,” Hazelton said. “This was just one thing they weren’t aware of being back there. Had they been aware, they would have been prepared, been more careful.”

There are no rules mandating signs in areas that are being trapped. It is a very regulated hunting method, with specified traps you can or cannot use, and areas open or closed to trapping. Winter is the most active season for the devices, since fur from caught predators is most valuable.

In his time in Casper, Olsen has seen situations where dogs are trapped and killed in snares, but never a story like this. He’s met with the owner of the snares, saying he was “extremely devastated.”

“Just being aware that (snare trapping) could be going on is probably the biggest thing that could come out of this,” Olsen said. “Just knowing that trapping can occur on just about any public land in the state of Wyoming. It’s just an awareness of it.”

“People who are hiking back up there (with their dogs) should take a heavy duty pair of wire cutters, just in case,” Hazelton said.