Controversy, Cruelty and Cats: North Iowa Town in Uproar
by Linda Thieman
On
Monday morning, February 20, 2006, Joel Kolker, manager of Kiefer Built
Trailers in Kanawha, Iowa (Hancock County) stood in front of a meeting
of approximately 120 employees and announced that he was going to take
care of Kiefer’s cat problem. Kolker allegedly said that
if he could not trap the cats live during a two-week time period
beginning that day then he would “trap them dead.”
Kiefer
Built Trailers is a large company, producing in the neighborhood of
forty animal transport units a week, although they shut down production
during the night. That is precisely when the cats come out to
play. For some undetermined time, a large number of feral cats
and their kittens have been calling the Kiefer factory home.
The cats
“aren't hurting anyone,” said one Kiefer employee. “I wish
[Kiefer] would just leave well enough alone.” But it appears that
that is not going to happen. Kiefer began trying to live trap the
cats on Monday with little success. Apparently, the traps they
were using were too small and the cats would walk into the traps, take
the food and back out again. One Iowa member of the Humane
Society, a keeper of feral cats herself, had requested of one of the
owners, Joyce Mattson, to be allowed to measure the traps, but was
allegedly rudely rebuffed. Mattson also refused to disclose what
kind of food she was using in the traps.
There is
some concern about how the traps are being handled. According to
a Humane Society document, live traps that are improperly set can
become death traps. Burrs and sharp edges need to be clipped or
filed down. Food/bait placed in traps in metal cans will cause
tooth and foot injuries. Traps need to be checked frequently in
order to prevent other injuries such as nose rubs and facial
lacerations. If night trapping is going on at Kiefer Built and
temperatures in the factory fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, that in itself is considered
inhumane treatment.
One
local involved in the uproar alleges that owner Mattson claimed that if
the live traps were not effective, she intended to poison the
cats. The poisoning of animals causes a slow, agonizing death and
is illegal in Iowa. [Iowa Code 481A.58]
At this
point, one of Blog for Iowa’s readers – an employee at Kiefer Built –
contacted us. The employee remembered reading about Blog for
Iowa’s recent informal association with PETA (People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals) and asked for our help. BFIA contacted PETA
and within two days, PETA had assigned Cara Stutzman, a Cruelty
Caseworker, to the case.
Blog for
Iowa informed Stutzman that locals were in contact with the Animal
Rescue League in Des Moines, so Stutzman contacted the ARL and they
agreed to pick up and relocate the live-trapped cats. (Whether
Kiefer will cooperate in this regard remains to be seen.)
Stutzman
also spoke with Kolker, the manager at Kiefer Built. Kolker told
Stutzman that he would not poison the cats and that he would send her a
letter at the beginning of next week stating as much. He also
told her that he knew a local farmer who was willing to take the cats.
According
to many first-hand reports, those who have contacted Kiefer Built about
the plans for trapping the cats have met with a less-than-cooperative
spirit. Because of this, there are still many in the local
community who question whether or not Kiefer Built will follow through
on plans to avoid animal cruelty. It is the wish of these
community members to make this situation known publicly in hopes that
outside pressure will help ensure that no animal cruelty takes place.
If you
would like to help, you can write a Letter to the Editor about this
situation. Please be respectful yet concerned. You can send
your letter to the following local newspapers via email:
Globe Gazette in Mason City
(the biggest paper in the area)
Joe Buttweiler, Editor
joe.buttweiler@globegazette.com
The Garner Leader and Signal
(Garner is the county seat; this paper is a weekly)
Rebecca Peter, Editor
gleader@trvnet.net
The Kanawha Reporter
(the hometown paper; goes to press once a week)
(the office is closed until Monday, Feb. 27)
Click here to use a webmail form.
Britt News-Tribune
(a local weekly)
Angie Johannsen, Editor
editor@brittnewstribune.com
Blog For Iowa 
I would like to thank Linda for all her hard work in this matter. I am the empolyee from kiefer built that contacted her. I would like to see this go a little further, with your letters to the news papers, we can come together and help the cats. I have seen many of them in the plant, some of them you can pet, they are very beautiful, curious creatures, its a shame that kiefer built can't see this. also they are helping keep the rodent population down, so maybe they do surve a purpose, and a service to kiefer built a unpaid service, a unthanked service and now they are to be evicted from the home they know.
I beg for your help in making sure that these wonderful cats go unharmed, and that they find open and loving people to care for them.
thanks so much
forthecats
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I work at Kiefer Built also and I think the cats are a pest
as much as mice or rats are. The people worried about
these cats don't care about those animals so whats the big
deal. These animals are unhealthy and carry diasease
and parasites so they should be dealt with!!
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cats cannot transfer just any disease or parasites to humans, unlike mice and rats. The only thing they can transfer is rabies and I think that someone would have been bit by now if that was the case.
Ignorance in BLISS you must be very very happy!
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No one is debating Kiefer's right to get rid of the cats. We are, however, for doing it in a humane and careful manner, and we haven't seen that happening yet.
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KIEFER has every right to get RID of these cats
because they are spreading feces and uneaten
food thru the plant and get into trailers that not
only are “new” but also customer trailers that have
living quarters in them!
I think we should take it on to our selves to rid
ourselves of these animals that could threaten our
jobs and health.
“”22s”, dogs, poisen, whatever!!!
I,M FOR IT
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Linda is right no one is questioning that Kiefer has a right to rid the cats. They do not have a right to do it in an inhumane matter.
thats just that no one is above the law
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Where are the Animail Control Cops???
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It is unfortunate that one cannot explain compassion to someone who does not already understand it. I, for one, find it ironic that people who build trailers to keep animals safe during transport have no qualms about treating animals inhumanely.
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