If the groundhog was in the trap overnight, prior to relocation, that's possibly acceptable. The dates don't line up with the calendar (Sunday was Aug. 5), but if the ground hog was actually left in the trap from Thursday until Sunday when the person finally noticed the trap was missing, that's a worse crime than stealing the trap! No one should ever leave any animal in a trap that long. People who use humane traps to catch feral cats for Trap/Neuter/Return know that the trap must never be left unattended, and as soon as the cat is caught, the trap must be moved to a protected area until transport for spay/neuter. An animal in a trap is helpless and this incident with the groundhog is proof of one of the many bad things that can happen. I only hope the person who took the trap was kind enough to release the groundhog in a safe place.