TRAPS: A local animal rescue group expands efforts to trap, advocate, and educate the community

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A local volunteer-based organization known as TRAPS—short for ‘Trapping, Rescuing, Advocating, and Providing Support’ is working to ease overcrowded shelters by humanely trapping stray and lost dogs, directing them to foster care, while also educating the community.

“What we are primarily known for is trapping loose and lost pets for the purpose of shelter diversion,” said Mandy Sperrey, Director of TRAPS. “We typically tell people, if you don’t have a plan, don’t pick the dog up.”

She shared advice on finding stray dogs in your own communities.

“We find that most of these dogs are very resilient. A lot of times, by the time we’re called in to trap, dogs have already been out on the street for several weeks, if not several months,” said Sperry.

Advising not to pick them up immediately, but says to leave food and water while trappers work to get the animal.

Sperrey also spoke about some statistics here locally. “Probably 80% of our lost pet cases have actually been lost by pet sitters or dog walkers. We also end up with just a lot of dogs that are unclaimed in Chatham County, and our shelters remain full most of the time, so we will not take on a trapping case unless we’ve got a foster and a rescue already lined up for that dog, and once they’re trapped we take them straight to their foster home.”

TRAPS relies entirely on volunteers and donations, with every case requiring significant resources. According to a recent post, a single trapping operation can involve costs for box traps, cameras, batteries, and food, often totaling several hundred dollars each month per dog.

Beyond rescue work, the group is focused on community education.

TRAPS will soon host a full-day certification course for pet sitters. The course, which includes safety equipment and training, will certify participants in the organization’s TRAPS safety program.

The next opportunity is September 20th and 21st.

Certified pet sitters will also be added to the group’s referral list, offering pet owners in Savannah and nearby, some trusted options when they need pet sitters.

The organization emphasized the multiple volunteer opportunities outside of just trapping.

Volunteers can help by hanging flyers, setting up and monitoring feeding stations near their homes, assisting with social media, or supporting public events. “Part of the reason we made TRAPS official is because we wanted to be able to start getting the public more involved,” Sperrey explained.

Recent success stories shared on the group’s Facebook page include the safe trapping of “Trudy,” a dog who spent 65 days on the street before finding safety, and “Miller,” who was brought to safety after weeks of carefully planned work.

By combining rescue operations, education, and volunteer involvement, TRAPS’ mission is clear: give pets a safe path off the streets while empowering the community to be part of the process.

If you’d like to get involved with this organization, you can find them on Facebook and their website!