Two men could face felony charges for illegally using dangerous traps set to kill skunks.
But instead, one killed a family dog.
Animal hair remains on the heavy metal frame of what's called a conibear trap.
The same trap animal control officers say killed a forty pound dog named Kye.
"I'm just really depressed because we lost our best friend, you can't put a price tag on your best friend and we'll never see her again," said Jason Greenman, Kye's owner.
Jason and Heather Greenman say they were out when 18 month old Kye got out of their yard and caught in the powerful trap.
Ingham county animal control officer Timothy Martin responded to the Lansing neighborhood after someone reported hearing a dog in distress. But by the time he arrived, it was too late.
"It was very upsetting when you first saw it. And it was a little hard to keep my composure together," said Officer Timothy Martin with Ingham County.
The trap was set on this stake between two homes. Animal control officials believe the dog struggled for its life as evidenced by scratch marks left on the sidewalk from the trap as the dog tried to come home.
"It did look like he tried fighting for himself. I do believe there were signs of a struggle," Martin said.
Martin says two men set a pair of traps next door to the Greenman's.
Greenman says he saw them that morning and was very concerned.
"Our neighbor, she contacted her landlord that day and told him he needed to remove these as soon as possible because she didn't know what they were and I knew what they were," Greenman said.
Officials with the Department of Natural Resources say it's against state law to set these traps out of season and on the ground. Animal control officials are now seeking charges.
"I think it was just very negligent of the person that set the trap there in a public neighborhood where kids, anyone could really access it," said Martin.
The Greenmans say they're fortunate their young children weren't hurt, but now want justice for their beloved dog killed in a trap that should never have been set.
"It should be forbidden. I mean there are children in the area. I mean that's just a heinous thing," said Greenman.
