MAYFLOWER, Ark — One Arkansas woman is reeling after an evening walk with her dog turned into a nightmare after Gypsy walked into a wildlife trap along a nature trail in Mayflower.
With warmer temperatures starting to roll in following the harsh winter storms, more people like Ann Marks are at the hiking and nature trails.
She visits them often to walk Gypsy, her high energy German Shorthaired Pointer who loves the exercise.
"She's my everything, we don't have kids, so she's priority," Marks said.
Marks tried to get off work early to make sure she and Gypsy could go on a walk, in an effort to settle Gypsy's high energy.
It was during a normal walk along a nature trail in Mayflower when she said the unthinkable happened—Gypsy walked into a wildlife trap.
"She just started yelping, crying. I call it screaming because I've never heard anything like it. And I knew immediately, she's in a trap."
The trap, Marks said, was close to the walking trail and looked to be fully camouflaged with the surroundings. She's wondering how and why it's allowed.
Animal control and firefighters responded, and they freed Gypsy from the trap after nearly an hour.
Marks said that although Gypsy's injury seems to have gotten infected, the vet said it didn't look to be broken.
Arkansas Game and Fish Spokesperson Trey Reid said trapping is not against code in certain parks like the one Marks walks Gypsy often.
"You know, it happens, traps don't discriminate," Reid said.
He said when out walking the trails with pets or children, to watch where you're stepping.
The safest bet, Reid said, is to stay on the designated trail.
For Marks and Gypsy, she said they'll still go on walks. "I'll definitely be more mindful, for sure. But I can't live in a bubble either."
Marks said she now has the number for animal control in her phone and wants others to be more aware of traps in public trails and parks.