Kitten euthanized after being rescued from steel trap in Covina backyard

COVINA, Calif. (KABC) -- A kitten caught in a rusty steel-jawed trap had to be euthanized after being rescued by two sheriff's deputies in Covina on Thanksgiving.

A concerned neighbor who heard a kitten's cries in the 5000 block of Conlon Street called sheriff's deputies at about 10 a.m.

When the deputies arrived, they spoke with the neighbor, who stated she had been hearing a kitten cry for a few days and was compelled to call authorities to check on the ailing kitten.

The neighbor directed the deputies to a nearby residence where she believed the cries were coming from. Deputies knocked on the front door of the residence and after no response, they hopped over that neighbor's wall and entered the backyard.

They found the kitten with its paw stuck in the jaws of the trap. Using screw drivers to pry open the harsh metal clamps, the deputies successfully freed the kitten and comforted it until Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control officers arrived.

The extent of the kitten's injuries were too severe and it was euthanized, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's officials said it appeared the trap was being used to protect a koi fish pond. They were investigating whether it is legal to use such a trap.