**DUBUQUE, Iowa – July 23, 2025** – Early this morning, a bomb threat at Simmons Pet Food, located at 400 Seippel Road, resulted in substantial disruptions, delaying the start of the first shift and extending the third shift as law enforcement conducted a thorough investigation. The Dubuque Police Department (DUPD) received the alert at 4:13 AM and cleared the area by 8:38 AM after determining the threat was not credible.
As a preventive measure, the Simmons Pet Food cannery, which spans 275,000 square feet within the Dubuque Industrial Center, was evacuated. Workers ending their third shift were held in place, while incoming first-shift employees were required to wait until the plant was deemed safe.
Police officers and firefighters conducted a meticulous search of the facility, which features a 5,000-square-foot receiving area, a 10,000-square-foot freezer, and a 75,000-square-foot warehouse, ultimately finding no explosive devices or suspicious items.
This $100 million facility, which has been operational since July 2021, employs over 270 individuals and produces wet pet food for several major brands, contributing approximately $13.7 million to the local economy through annual payroll. The disruption temporarily halted crucial production lines, but operations resumed by mid-morning.
