This was a blog post I was hoping I wouldn’t have to make. The story starts with losing my Basil three years ago. When I first joined my Corgi—I was one of the first 500 members—I blogged about losing Basil. Basil was my first Corgi and my best friend. On the day before Thanksgiving three years ago I took my two Corgis, Basil and Lizzie, our elderly black lab Golden retriever, Tess and our Leonberger, Rudy for a walk. It was a beautiful day. We live in the country and we walk off leash on a seldom used gravel road near our home. We were on our way back home Basil would run up to check in for a little pat and then scamper up and down the road ditch sniffing for rabbits and anything else that needed a quick chase. It didn’t take long to notice that Basil was absent. I called for him and called as I continued to walk home. I back tracked and found him. Dead in a trap set by a local trapper. I can’t even begin to describe how devastated I was. I still can’t talk about it without crying. I assumed it was illegal to trap in the road ditch, but I was wrong. I couldn’t believe it. The trapper was charged with baiting a trap and using a trap too large. He paid his fine and wrote a pathetic apology note—directed by the game warden. I started to think about how inappropriate it was to legally set traps in the ditch. The game warden agreed. Other hunters are prohibited from hunting in the right-of-way. As a landowner I can’t use the ditch or right of way that is essentially my property for personal use. I can’t graze my horses or hay the road ditch, but at that time…a trapper could set a trap, kill an animal and make a profit off the hide. Not only is that wrong, but, the right of way is for the public use and convenience. When I walk on the road, we always go down in the ditch to get away from cars. The girls would play in the water in the road ditch catching frogs and snakes. My children used to ride their horses in the ditch rather than on the road thinking it was safer. What could happen if one of the horses had stepped in a trap? It scares me to think about it. Think about county workers who mow and manage utilities in the road ditch. It was a bit of a process, but in the following legislative session I (with help from others)was able to have an amendment attached to a bill that made it illegal to trap in the right of way. They called it Basil’s law. The main state newspaper carried his story. Each year since then, one senator has introduced a repeal of the law. Working with the county officials and other interested lobby groups we have been able to defeat the repeal each year. Each year I have to re-live the terrible story and listen to this senator say over and over again “it was just a dog” and have him treat me as if I was a crazy dog lady. Kinda tough since I am also a lobbyist and I need to maintain my credibility, but the issue is important to me and I will work against him for as long as it takes. Ironically this same senator looks to me for support on other issues and for contributions to his election fund. It is important to note that the law only makes it illegal to trap in right of way it doesn’t seek to get rid of trapping, just doesn’t allow it where it is not appropriate or safe. Ditch running is a quick/easy way for trappers to kill furbearing animals so a number of trappers want this repealed as well. If you are from Nebraska please contact your senator and let them know that repealing the ban is not right and that LB 5 should not advance. If you are not in Nebraska check your own state trapping laws. Most states don’t allow it, but if yours does it may be time for a change. Thanks for letting me share this.