A Derby-based cat rescue has alleged that a kitten was found severely dehydrated and malnourished in an Emporia apartment after being left alone for nearly 72 hours over the weekend. The property management company is disputing the claims.
Hannah Spelts, president of Save the Kitties — Big Hearts 4 Little Paws — a 501(c)(3) cat rescue organization that serves the Wichita-Derby area — said her group was informed Saturday that two of their fosters were locked inside of an apartment located at 1020 Commercial St. The apartments are owned by Haag Management Company.
“The foster had gone into police custody,” Spelts said. The foster’s mother, who also volunteers with the organization, traveled to Emporia to attempt to retrieve the cats in her daughter’s apartment herself. “She was told that there were no cats in the building, which we now later know not to be the case.”
Spelts said the volunteer called Haag Management multiple times and received no answer, and was not able to get into the apartment. That’s when Spelts got involved.
“I initially made contact with Emporia Police and animal control on Saturday morning after I had spoke to the foster’s mother and I immediately tried to contact Haag Management as well,” she said. “I called the emergency maintenance line multiple times as well and left voicemails letting them know that there was two cats in that apartment that were the property of Save the Kitties organization. We did not get any callbacks or anything. The police were also not getting any callbacks.”
Spelts said she did not receive any return calls until Monday, when she was told Emporia animal control had retrieved a kitten — Meeka — but Gibson, a gray adult male who has been neutered, was reportedly seen running out of the apartment.
Meeka was “extremely dehydrated and very thin” when she was recovered, Spelts said.
“She was very dirty and just unkempt looking,” she said. “She was immediately taken back into the care of the rescue who placed her with a foster who was able to get her on fluids.”
The kitten was taken to the vet Tuesday.
Haag Property Management owner Cory Haag told The Gazette Tuesday that claims made by the rescue were inaccurate. “There are a few social media posts from an organization and an individual that are inaccurate and are complete slander and defamation,” Haag said. “This is an issue between the Emporia Police Department and the tenant. We have worked with the Emporia Police Department the entire time. This is police matter with the tenant and the police are handling it. Since there is an ongoing criminal investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
According to Emporia Police Capt. Ray Mattas, the police department was not told about the cats until 9:30 a.m. Monday morning when Haag Management called in with an animal complaint.
“The resident of the apartment was arrested Friday, Aug. 23,” Mattas said. “We didn’t know there were cats in the apartment until Monday morning. Haag management called us because they found two cats. One had gotten out and gotten loose before we arrived. The other cat was picked up by animal control and taken to the shelter.”
While on the phone with The Gazette Tuesday, Mattas performed several searches of the Lyon County Emergency Communication Center’s dispatch logs and only found one animal call between Saturday and Monday.
In situations where arrests are made and animals are involved, Mattas explained that officers will try to find a caregiver for the animals.
“Typically, we try to ask the owner of the animals if they have somebody they’d like us to contact that they could care for the animals, because a lot of times they’ll call and have a friend say, ‘Hey, they can come over and care for my animals while I’m gone,’ and that will be handled that way,” he said, adding that animals will be taken to the animal shelter as a last resort. “We don’t leave them there and shut the door. We don’t do that.”
Spelts said Save the Kitties is still hoping for Gibson’s safe recovery.
“We hope that he is found alive and well,” she said. “We hope that maybe somebody has taken him into their apartment, or into their home in the area and maybe just hasn’t seen the missing posters yet. We’re hoping that he’s safe.”