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