I am also a trapper and can attest to the fact that I have seen dogs (foxes, coyotes) in leg hold traps that were released with little to no foot damage at all. I released a large dog from a MB-750 a few years back which is a very powerful leghold trap and it did not even limp when released. The dog just kept following me around. Of course the trap was triple swivled with shock spring so that helped alot. I have also seen dogs that had to have their foot removed due to heavy damage from something as small as a 1 1/2 coil spring. It depends on how the dog fights the trap and also how the trap was or was not modified with swivels, springs, etc.. No dog I have ever released myself was damaged in any way that I could tell as I do love dogs and would feel very badly to have injured one. With so many coyotes around its hard to trap with light traps around here.