NJ Woman Sentenced to Jail for Setting a Bear Free from a Trap

Sometimes doing what you think is the right thing can actually be the wrong thing. And sometimes that thing can land you in jail like it did for a woman from Vernon.

Catherine McCartney, who is an animal rights activist, has been sentenced to 15 days in jail for freeing a bear from a trap. The trap was originally put in place because there have been two incidents reported of a bear charging at residents. Luckily no one was injured. However, the trap was put in place as a precaution.

Mind you, McCarthney has previously been arrested in 2016, 2017 AND 2018 at bear protests. So as you can see she has a huge passion for bears.

As an alternative to spending 15 days in jail, the judge is  letting her enroll in the Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) program instead. However, McCartney is appealing the sentence. She says she does not regret here decision to set the bear free.

In a statement to NJ Advance Media, McCartney said, “These animals are innocent and so I made the moral decision to let the bear go so he could run back to his mother, and it was the right thing to do.”