Writing about animals, and specifically animal rescues, can sometimes feel like déjà vu–while on a roller-coaster of emotions. I literally just hit “publish” on an article about 11 poor cats who were taped in boxes with no airways and left to die. Then I open the news and see a family of cats saved in Iowa after being thrown in a trash bin.
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
The two cases have too many sad similarities, regardless that they are 4,300 miles apart.
Our goal is to show cats are being saved every day by amazing individuals that deserve to have their stories shared. Yes, ideally there are NO cats requiring saving, but I don’t like to focus on just the problem. I want to highlight that there are places these animals will be welcomed INSTEAD of being dumped. For the people who are making these heart wrenching decisions, there are those that can help!
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
Happily, like my other article, those helpful people found the cats in the trash before tragedy struck.
Council Bluff sits just on the border of Iowa and Nebraska, East of Omaha. Winters blustery weather brought with it temperatures just reaching into the 20’s throughout the area. Snow mounds piled up and fluffy clothing protected those who must brave the season outdoors. That sounds much better than an old air-fryer cardboard box lined with a greasy blanket, right?
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
That’s all a mama cat and her 6 kittens had to keep warm while trapped within a trash dumpster.
Wednesday, January 23rd, the Midlands Humane Society received a distress call. A resident at the local Chapel Ridge Apartments had found the box at the bottom of the complex’s garbage bin! They were shocked when they heard the meows coming from inside.
Photo: Chapel Ridge Apartments in Council Bluff, Iowa
Animal Control Officer DeAnn Nelson knew the dangers the fur family faced and rushed to the site. When she saw their location, her heart broke.
They were closed in the box then thrown into the metal prison. The box had chew marks all over it so she expects they’d been trapped for quite a while. Disappointingly, there were no clues or information on the box to locate the abuser.
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
The cats were also all very clean, quiet and in good health. Nelson figures they were inside cats who were thoughtlessly discarded in the trash.
After an exam, they found the mother cat had no micro-chip to identify her former “caretaker”. She is between 1 and 2 years old. Her 4-5 week old kittens consist of 3 girls and 3 boys.
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
In an interview with www.ketv.com, she explained how this situation could have gone from bad to worse.
“When those trucks come in, it’s a compactor truck. So, they take the dumpster and dump them and everything gets compacted into the garbage truck. So, the end would not be good had someone not found them,” Nelson said.
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
Besides sharing the wonderful rescue “tail”, the shelter has another reason to want to spread the story. With no leads, Nelson pleaded with the residents.
“We just hope that somebody in the public comes forward and says, ‘I know this person,” and maybe we can get this person help,” Nelson said.
“We want this out there so that people understand that you don’t have to do this. There are places to take them, you don’t have to dump them. We will take care of them,” she said.
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
The laws regarding animal cruelty in Iowa are clearly not deterring this from happening unfortunately. If found guilty, abusers would be looking at a misdemeanor and maximum fine of around $700. Not quite a punishment that fits the crime, if you ask me. It’s MUCH easier to leave them anonymously or honestly where they aren’t going to suffer and die!
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
Thankfully, this litter escaped that fate. They’ll be up for adoption in a few weeks when they are big enough to be fixed.
“One’s persons trash is another person’s treasure.”
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP, MICROCHIP YOUR PETS & SPAY AND NEUTER!
Related Story: Man Who Dumped Five Kittens In Hot Carrier Faces His Day In Court; Kittens All Happily Adopted Into Loving Homes
Related Story: Four Kittens Rescued From Plastic Bag Discarded Near A Dumpster; Find The Purrfect Home – Together!
Video screenshot: www.ketv.com
The people who do these things, do not need help! They need punishment, and just punishment! Don’t think they didn’t know what kind of dumpster they threw them into! They would have left them outside the dumpster, or at the mailboxes where a person with a heart would find and help them!
As for the incident where 11 cats were boxed up in several boxes, and carefully taped up with boxing tape where zero air could get in, this person is a psycho! It won’t be cats next time, it will be a child!!! And, they will wait to see how long it takes the child to suffocate. These monsters be captured, and made to pay! The punishments these days are so lenient, it hardly makes sense to jail them. NOT!!! When they are in jail, the other prisoners will know what they did. They WILL be punished, according to their crimes against animals. There are animal lovers in prison, who will take care of these people. They probably wouldn’t make it to their release dates. Suits me.