Pearl’s Fight: A Loyal Guardian Dog Loses a Leg in an Unmarked Trap
A family in British Columbia is speaking out after their beloved guardian dog, Pearl, lost her leg to a leg-hold trap set near their farm.
Pearl, an Anatolian Shepherd, was not just a working dog—she was family. On February 3, she vanished from the Hartley family’s property northwest of Fort St. John. For three agonizing days, Clayton and Ricki Hartley searched, only to find her caught in a trap meant for wolves, silently suffering in the freezing wilderness.
Despite being rushed to the vet, Pearl’s injuries were too severe—her front leg had to be amputated. She survived, but her days of guarding livestock are over.
What’s most disturbing is that no warning signs had been posted. The Hartleys had no idea that traps were active so close to their home. This incident follows another similar case near Kitimat just weeks prior—again, no signage, no notice, and another pet victim.
According to The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife advocacy group, this isn’t a rare tragedy. Government data shows over 70 reported cases of pets caught in traps between 2015 and 2021. That’s more than ten incidents a year—and likely underreported.
Lesley Fox, Executive Director of The Fur-Bearers, puts it bluntly:
“Families in B.C. shouldn’t have to fear going on a walk with their dogs, or letting working dogs do their job. But the government’s inaction has made that fear real.”
Despite years of calls for change, no meaningful updates to trapping laws have been made to protect pets, people, or working animals like Pearl.
Now, the Hartley family hopes that sharing Pearl’s painful story will push the government to finally act—before another family has to endure the same heartbreak.