Man Charged With Animal Cruelty For Allegedly Trapping Coyote Pup That Had To Be Euthanized From Injuries

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VALLEY VILLAGE (CBSLA) — A man has been charged with a felony count of animal cruelty for allegedly setting a trap in Valley Village that caught the foot of a coyote pup who eventually had to be euthanized.

Richard David Wallem was also charged with a misdemeanor count of using a trap with saw-toothed or spiked jaws to take fur-bearing mammals, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

The coyote pup reportedly had its foot stuck in the trap for more than 24 hours over the Fourth of July weekend before a local teenager heard its cries and alerted authorities, according to PETA.

Authorities then had to euthanize the pup because of the severity of its injuries, PETA said.

"Coyotes are curious, playful, loyal animals who love their families, and maiming them with torturous steel-jaw traps is not only hideously cruel but illegal," Lisa Lange, PETA's senior vice president, said in a statement Wednesday.

"The terror that this pup endured only ended when a kind teen stepped forward. We must be good neighbors to our local wildlife and stop demanding the extermination of sensitive animals who are simply trying to survive."

It was not immediately said when Wallem would be arraigned.

KCAL 9