Officials investigate dog trapping

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Authorities are investigating how a family dog in Alaska was ensnared in a bear trap set in a neighborhood full of pets and children, officials said.

Tony and Natalie Lazenby's 4-year-old dog died Wednesday, hours after being trapped in a Conibear 220 spring-loaded trap, The Anchorage Daily News reported Saturday.

The trap is designed to kill foxes, beavers and coyotes. The family says they believe one of their neighbors might have set and baited the trap.

The newspaper reported it is illegal to negligently set a trap in city limits. The offense is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in jail. The case is being investigated by the Anchorage Police Department, the newspaper said.

The Lazenbys said they want to see the person responsible for their pet's death held responsible.

"We want to make sure it's properly prosecuted and properly handled, so the law does what it's designed to do," Natalie Lazenby said. "We're going to fight this until we don't have any breath left."