If you've purchased a Havahart trap to get rid of that destructive critter on your property you could be breaking the law.

A destructive raccoon has been running wild in our neighborhood. He's been knocking over garbage cans, visiting swimming pools and leaving his or her telltale footprints everywhere. To rectify the problem, my neighbors and I have contemplated setting up traps to catch the raccoon and then drive him somewhere nice across the river so he never bothers us again.  Unfortunately, it turns out that we're not allowed to do that.

Looking down at a young raccoon stuck in a garbage container
JillianCain
loading...

The Havahart trap was developed as a humane way to deal with nuisance animals. Instead of killing or injuring the animal, it safely captures the critter so homeowners can relocate it and allow the animal to survive somewhere else.  New York State, however, would rather you just kill it.

That's right.  The DEC has an extensive list of regulations when it comes to trapping and killing nuisance animals. According to the law, it's perfectly fine to shoot, drown or suffocate a raccoon that's causing damage to your property, but you're forbidden from trapping it and setting it free somewhere else. This sounds terrible, but it's true. According to the DEC, the reason relocating animals like raccoons is illegal is that it could help spread disease or cause "unnecessary stress" to the animal. I don't know about you, but I'd take a little stress over being lethally shot in the head with a BB gun.

Children's Miracle Network Classic - Round One
Getty Images
loading...

So just how much trouble could you get in for moving that destructive raccoon to a new home? According to Poughkeepsie attorney Jonna Spilbor, the DEC would be responsible for enforcing the law, which usually results in a ticket. She recommends if anyone wants to humanely get rid of a nuisance animal to call a licensed animal wrangler or the DEC directly who may be willing to come out and handle the issue for free.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

More From Hudson Valley Post