Illegal Leg-Hold Traps: PETA Offers Reward for Information
On 15 April 2025, a fox was severely injured by a so-called leg-hold trap in the area of the Sonnenschein allotment garden on Mahlerstrasse in Brandenburg an der Havel.
The trap was seized by the hunting authority.
The animal had to be euthanised due to its injuries. So-called leg-hold traps — indiscriminately pressure-activated killing or catching devices — have been prohibited under hunting law in Germany since 1934, a ban renewed by EU regulation in 1991; however, their sale remains legal.
The infliction of pain by means of a leg-hold trap constitutes a criminal offence under § 17 No. 2 b of the Animal Welfare Act and may be punished by a custodial sentence of up to three years or a fine. Even the setting of leg-hold traps for the purpose of catching vertebrates, regardless of further hunting regulations, constitutes an administrative offence under the Animal Welfare Act.
The lower hunting authority is therefore appealing for public assistance: Who knows the owner or the person who set the trap?
In order to shed light on the case, PETA is now offering a reward of 1’000 euros for information leading to the legally binding conviction of the person or persons responsible. Anyone who has witnessed or otherwise learned anything is requested to contact the police or to call 0711-8605910 or via email to report to the animal rights organisation — anonymously if preferred.
The animal abuser who set the illegal snap trap must be found and held accountable, says Peter Höffken, specialist advisor at PETA. When an animal steps into such a device, it is often trapped with severe injuries, suffering from mortal fear and excruciating pain until it is found or dies in agony. Anyone who sets such traps must be aware that people and animals can sustain serious injuries if they come into contact with such a device. Such snap traps are freely available for purchase, which is why we are calling on the federal government to impose a blanket ban on their sale and use in Germany.
Snap traps still frequently in use
The amendment to the Federal Hunting Act, presented in 2021 by the “GroKo,” was intended to finally include a ban on the trade of leghold traps. However, the draft was overturned at the last minute. Other types of snap traps are permitted in some federal states to continue to be used by those authorised to hunt under certain conditions.
