Owner's warning after cat found caught in trap on Lancaster street

Monday, 30 June 2025 18:41

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Jessica Stanford, Anne's daughter, with Ozzy, and (right) the trap Ozzy was caught in

A pet owner has spoken out about her cat's ordeal after he was found caught in a trap on a Lancaster roadside.

Anne Stanford's cat Ozzy was found near her home in a gin-trap, a device which has been banned since the 1950s.

Anne believes three-year-old Ozzy was caught in the trap in another location and dragged it along with him to get home.

He was discovered by Anne's son near their home in Beaumont, Lancaster, on Friday morning.

"My son was walking towards the bus stop going to school, at around 7.45am, when he heard loud meowing," said Anne.

"Ozzy was caught in the trap. He'd been caught in it somewhere else and dragged it all the way home.

"We don't know how long he had been there."

Anne took Ozzy to the vets where he was given painkillers and anti-biotics, had some X-rays, and his wound was cleaned.

Ozzy is now back home recovering from his ordeal.

"The wound is taking time to heal but he's been very fortunate," said Anne.

"If the trap had been fixed to the ground, he would have struggled to get away from where he was caught in it. That's been a saving grace.

"We want to put the message out to other cat owners. We don't know if there are any more out there."

Anne described the device as "like a fox or rabbit trap".

The trap is pictured below.

"We don't know if it was set years ago, or whether somebody is actively using them now," she said.

"He's had a lucky escape."

A Lancaster Area Police spokesperson said: "Morecambe, Lancaster and Wyre Rural Task Force are currently investigating a cat being caught in a gin-trap which have been illegal since 1958.

"If anyone has any information about this, please contact us on WestRTF@lancashire.police.uk."

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