- A dog was recently caught in a foothold trap near Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
- Jennifer Shepherd advocates for stricter trapping regulations after her dog was trapped in late 2024.
- DWR advises reporting traps near trails; Layton bans trapping on city property.
KAYSVILLE— Residents who frequent portions of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Davis County are concerned after a dog was recently caught in a foothold trap.
The Utah Department of Natural Resources said it was alerted on Jan. 27 to a dog caught in a trap about 40 yards from a portion of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near Kaysville.
"The dog's owner reported that his wife was walking the dog when they observed a dead fox. While examining the fox, the dog became caught in a trap nearby. The dog was successfully removed from the trap and taken to a veterinarian for examination," said Capt. Chase Pili, who works in law enforcement for the division.
He said the man returned later and found the trap near where the fox had been. But when a department officer arrived to investigate, both the trap and the fox had been removed from the site, and no other traps were found in the area, Pili said.
Jennifer Shepherd, a Layton resident, said she heard about the incident on the public trail, and while she doesn't know the dog owner, she sympathizes with them. It also raised concerns about the proximity of legal traps to populated areas.
"I find that so crazy, because people are up on that trail system all the time. They're jogging, they're biking, they are using photography," she said.
But last month's occurrence in a nearby Davis County community also brought back an unpleasant memory for Shepherd.
"It was just like, not again, not to someone else. That poor dog," she said.
In December 2024, Shepherd had a similar experience when her dog "Mac," was caught in an animal trap while they were out for a walk on a public trail in Layton.
"I could not unclamp the jaws of the trap from Mac's leg. He was screaming and crying in pain," she recounted. Fortunately, officers with Animal Care of Davis County responded and were able to free her dog from the trap.
"I thought for sure his leg would need amputation or be badly broken. By sheer luck, the teeth of the trap missed his bone and he is OK," she said.
Though the traumatic incident could have been much worse for her dog, Shepherd wanted to make sure it didn't happen to another dog in the area.
She took the matter to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which investigated and discovered more traps had been placed in the area, allegedly by the same person, but they couldn't cite the individual since Layton didn't formally have an ordinance against animal trapping on city property at the time — nor or any signage stating that it wasn't allowed, according to Shepherd.
She then reported the issue to the city and, during a February 2025 meeting, Layton City Council members voted in favor of adopting an ordinance that prohibits private animal trapping on city-owned property, including parks, public trails and open spaces. City and state officials reserve the right to trap animals that are a nuisance or a danger to the public.
"Within two months, they had taken it to the City Council, passed an ordinance and had signs made and posted," Shepherd said.
Animal traps on public trails aren't the only issue she's taken before elected officials. For nearly two years, Shepherd has been leading efforts in advocating for a designated off-leash dog park in Layton. Despite the passage of regulations against animal trapping in Layton, Shepherd said the recent incident near neighboring Kaysville indicates that broader restrictions are needed.
"When it could harm a human, a child, (or) a pet, why are they putting it somewhere that it could? "I feel like the laws need to be changed to get trapped further away from populated areas," she said.
Animal trapping in the state is heavily regulated and overseen by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which says trappers are required to:
- Put a tag number on each trap.
- Use "spacers" on traps to help prevent injuries to animals that aren't the intended target.
- Check their traps at least every 48 hours.
- Get permission before setting traps on private property.
"We discourage traps being placed near public trails and high traffic areas, due to potential conflicts. We also encourage dogs to be leashed when recreating outdoors. If people have concerns about a trap they locate, they should call the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement to report it, so officers can verify the legality of the trap," Faith Heaton Jolley, spokeswoman for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said in a statement.
It's been more than 14 months since Shepherd's dog was injured and even with the ordinance in place, she and the dog haven't been back to the area.
"I haven't been down there since with my dog, but it has made me want to double down on my efforts — and I have, in getting a safe place to take dogs," she said. I think there needs to be way more off-leash areas that are designated for dogs to go and exercise."
