FAQs

Pet adoption fees vary by species. Click here to learn more about the ARL’s adoption process and fees.

Click here to find information about the ARL’s adoption process for dogs, cats and small pets.

If you’re interested in adopting an animal from the ARL’s Second Chance Ranch, schedule an appointment by emailing rescueranch@arl-iowa.org or calling (515) 473-9112.

Click here to view pets currently available for adoption at the ARL.

Minimum of 18 years old.

Yes, often.

The ARL has no set time limit for keeping animals as long as an animal is safe and not suffering. An animal will stay in our care for as long as it take to find them a home. If the animal is not coping well in the shelter environment, we will place the pet in a foster home to give them a break from the shelter until they are ready to be adopted.

Please refer to our latest Annual Impact Report to see the ARL’s impact on our community.

The ARL continues to work to reduce the number of animals entering the shelter system by encouraging spaying/neutering to help control pet overpopulation and offering a variety of programs to help pet owners keep their pets.

Yes, in fact, we have multiple full-time veterinarians. They spay and neuter thousands of pets each year, as well as provide general health care and emergency care for animals at the ARL.

Short answer: Dogs visually identified as “pit bulls” are popular family dogs in Iowa (and the 4th-most popular family dog in the U.S.). Affordable housing for medium-to-large dogs in Iowa is also extremely limited.

• The ARL’s dog population is representative of the dog community in our area (a lot of X breed in the community equals a lot of that same breed being found in shelters).
• A lack of pet-friendly housing is one of the top reasons we receive dogs each year.
• Popularity and lack of affordable housing are the reasons many other types of dogs – such as Labrador retrievers and German shepherds – arrive at our shelter, as well.
• Times are tough and many people are finding themselves without jobs, homes, or other resources that force them to turn to the ARL as the last resort to find a home for their beloved pet.

People often think BSL is more prevalent than it is. Nationally less than 4% of cities have bans on certain types of dogs and less than 10% of cities have regulations. In the Des Moines metro, the only cities that have regulations on owning dogs visually identified as “pit bulls” are Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. These cities just require some additional leashing and licensing requirements. No other cities in the metro have any special regulations – they look at all dogs as dogs.

To handle animals, volunteers must be 10 years old. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

To become a volunteer, you must attend ARL’s volunteer orientation. Volunteer orientations are held 3 times a month at ARL Main (5452 NE 22nd St., Des Moines, IA). View our events calendar to sign up for an upcoming orientation. If you have questions, please call the ARL’s volunteer coordinator at (515) 473-9110.

The ARL staff report to the Executive Director who reports to 13 members of the ARL’s Board of Directors. Additionally, 20 Advisory Council members serve as a community advisory board and is non-fiduciary. Both the Board of Directors and Advisory Council members are volunteers. They receive no compensation for their service to the organization. Our animal care and veterinary practices are overseen by 3 veterinarians and are further reviewed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship and are subject to random inspection at any time. A full audit is performed on our financials on an annual basis by an independent auditor.

use or contain dogs or cats, or both, and which is owned, operated, or maintained by an incorporated humane society, animal welfare society, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other nonprofit organization devoted to the welfare, protection, and humane treatment of such animals.

Licensed Animal Rescue: There is no definition for animal rescue in the state of Iowa, so many rescue groups are licensed as an “Animal Dealer”.

Licensed Animal Dealer*: According to IDALS: “Dealer” means any person who is engaged in the business of buying for resale or selling or exchanging dogs or cats, or both, as a principal or agent, or who claims to be so engaged.

Licensed 501(c)(3) Non-Profit**: According to the IRS: To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.

Sources:

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/162.pdf

Internal Revenue Service (IRS): https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exemption-requirements-section-501-c-3-organizations

When helping animals in abuse or neglect situations, it is important to first know and understand what constitutes animal abuse, neglect or torture under Iowa law. Many people have different standards of care for their pets. While someone may not love and care for their pet like you do, it may not be an abuse situation. Ultimately, it will be up to law enforcement, prosecutors, veterinarians and a judge to determine if a particular case is animal abuse/neglect or not, but the following is a basic guideline by Iowa law. View information on cruelty intervention.

If you see someone abusing an animal, you may want to run over and tell the person to stop – but there’s a good chance that confronting that person will not change their behavior. You may be putting yourself at risk as well as the animal. Instead, take photographs or videotape if you can. This evidence will be invaluable to investigators.

In the case of a child or children abusing an animal, the parent(s) may be unaware of the behavior. Animal abuse has been linked with other types of abuse in the home (child abuse, domestic violence). It is better to let law enforcement investigate.

If you are not successful contacting local law enforcement at (515) 283-4811, contact the ARL’s cruelty intervention coordinator at (515) 284-6905.

Remember, it’s important to report animal abuse/neglect. If you don’t, who will? Helpless animals depend on you.

The ARL continues to care for animals as long as they are safe and free from suffering. An animal will stay in our care for as long as it takes to find them a home. If an animal is not adjusting well to the shelter environment, we will place the pet in a foster home to give them a break from the shelter until they are ready to be adopted.

No. The ARL has never sent pets for research and will not in the future.

In 2021, we had a Live Release Rate of 95% for barn animals, 93% for small animals, 94% for dogs, and 90% cats. However, we do not refer to ourselves as a “no-kill” shelter because that term is unregulated and loosely defined, and creates divisiveness among animal shelters.

We are committed to saving every animal in our care who can be saved and we only euthanize animals that are suffering or have severe behavior concerns, and that is only after we have exhausted all other humane and responsible options – even at an owner’s request. We do not euthanize for lack of space in the shelter. Ending suffering and enhancing public safety is a responsibility we take seriously.

Every decision we make is based on two sets of guidelines:

1. Individual assessments by veterinarians and behavior professionals

• A veterinarian has assessed that there is no chance of the animal recovering and experiencing an acceptable quality of life
• A veterinarian has assessed it would be inhumane or unsafe to not humanely euthanize an animal immediately
• In cases of irreversible aggression when:
  • a veterinarian has eliminated medical treatment as a solution
  • rehabilitation by our behavior professionals has been unsuccessful
  • staff and public safety cannot be reasonably assured, or other management tools seriously compromise quality of life.

2. The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare Under Human Control

1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.
2. Freedom from Discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury, and Disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities, and company of the animal’s own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

Through our expanded community spay/neuter programs, our growing foster program, our creative adoption promotion and financial support from individuals like you, we have not had to euthanize a healthy, adoptable animal for many years. Every day we pull out all of the stops to keep this record, but it continues to be a daily challenge. Pet homelessness and overpopulation is a community problem that needs a community solution. It is not up to the shelters alone to make this happen, it is up to every individual and until people commit to adopt their pet from a shelter or rescue, spay or neuter their pet, and keep their pet for life, shelters will remain full.

We frequently get requests for interviews or information from students that are writing school papers, doing class speeches or working on projects. We are thrilled that so many students are making presentations and doing papers on animal welfare issues. To make it easy for students and as efficient as possible in meeting these requests, we have the following recommendations and procedures:

1.    Review our website. Much of the information you may be looking for can be found in the About and Get Involved sections.

2.    Requests should go to the appropriate person related to the topic being covered as laid out below.

3.    Questions should be submitted at the time the request is made. ARL staff will answer your questions via phone or in-person interview. Questions may be answered in written form by email if a phone or in-person interview is not possible.

4.    Please allow a minimum of one week for response from staff at the ARL.

Visit our ARL Staff page for specific department.

Humane education encourages empathy and an understanding of the need for compassion and respect for people, animals, and the environment and recognizing the connections among these. The primary goal of each program is to identify animals as being worthy of kindness and to encourage people to act responsibly and be compassionate to their own pets and other animals they may encounter.

Research has repeatedly shown that children who are unkind to animals or who are raised in homes where animals are abused are particularly likely to be abusive to animals and humans over time. In providing humane education programs, the ARL hopes to model an appropriate, respectful, and mutually rewarding relationship between humans and animals.

The ARL receives cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, gerbils, birds, ferrets, iguanas, and many other species of animals. Many of these types of animals are regularly available for adoption. It should be explained to children that we are different from a pet store in that we don’t “stock” animals for “sale.” We receive and care for homeless animals in hopes of finding them new, forever, loving homes. Because the population of the ARL changes daily, the ARL cannot guarantee which species will be available in adoption on any particular day. Most every day, cats, dogs, and rabbits are available for adoption.

To offset the cost of staff time, materials, and mileage, we ask for a minimum $20 donation. Groups larger than 15 participants will be split into two groups and charged an additional $1 per person over the initial 15. To register your group for a tour, click here.

Children must be at least seven years old to attend a shelter tour.

Space is limited once we enter the shelter. In order for participants to have the best experience at the ARL, groups are limited to 15 people at a time. Groups larger than 15 people will be split and will tour separately. Please allow an additional 20 minutes for these groups and please give at least two weeks notice. To register your group for a tour, click here.

During the tour, groups will see all of the animals in adoption, but for safety reasons, we will not be taking animals out of the cages or handling them.

The ARL will send a humane educator to your classroom for a lesson tailored to your students’ grade level and topic of interest. The primary goal of our classroom programs is to provide engaging content that educates students about issues related to pet responsibility and animal welfare. While some programs include an appearance by a companion animal, participants should not expect significant animal contact as part of these presentations. All programs are 45-60 minutes unless otherwise specified. We do require that groups provide a classroom presentation space, a small table for presenter’s materials, internet access, and a screen for presentation. Programs can accommodate up to 50 students, however, programs can be scheduled back-to-back to accommodate larger groups. Cost is $50 and mileage charges apply for locations further than 15 miles from ARL Main.

To register your classroom for a presentation, click here.

Yes, the ARL offers classes from puppy and beginner levels to advanced. All classes are taught highly trained ARL volunteers under the direction of the ARL’s Pet Behavior & Enrichment department. Click here for more information.

ARL training classes emphasize positive reinforcement through clicker training.

The ARL does not recommend declawing cats, but we do offer alternatives. We have a cat behavior expert who can give you tips on how to redirect any inappropriate scratching your cat may be doing. Having a scratching post for your cat can give them a positive place to scratch, which is a natural behavior for cats.

Unfortunately, declawing a cat can lead to physical, emotional, and behavioral complications – like avoiding their litterbox because it can be painful for a cat to scratch in their litter after they have been declawed.

If you’d like to speak to the ARL’s Cat Behaviorist and you live in Central Iowa, call our Free Cat Behavior Helpline at (515) 262-9503, and when the recorded greeting begins, enter extension 311. Leave a message with your name, phone number, and behavior concern and we will return your call.

The ARL’s Animal House Store at ARL Main sells a variety of toys and scratching posts to encourage appropriate scratching. The store is open during regular ARL hours, seven days a week.

If you live in an apartment, we also have a list of pet-friendly housing on our website, some of which do not require that cats be declawed.

In the city of Des Moines, call the Des Moines Police Department dispatch line 24/7 to dispatch an ARL Animal Services Officer during scheduled hours or a police officer during off hours.

If you are able to confine the animal to a garage or other safe area until an Animal Services Officer arrives, that will help to ensure the animal is safely brought back to the shelter. You may also find it more convenient or faster to bring the animal to ARL Animal Services during open hours.

All stray animals that arrive at the ARL are placed on IowaPetAlert.com within 24 hours.

Outside of Des Moines, call your non-emergency police department line.

The Des Moines City Council sets the fee structure for all animal service fees. If your pet is spayed/neutered, microchipped, licensed, and rabies vaccinated, you will have the lowest fees possible in the event your animal is ever found “at large”.

Animals that are not reclaimed within the city’s “stray hold time” are then transferred to the ARL to enter our adoption program.

Email arl@arl-iowa.org to request a presentation.

The ARL offers wellness appointments for owned cats and dogs. Find more information here. 

ARL Animal Services is a unique public/private relationship between the City of Des Moines and the ARL, operating out of the ARL Animal Services location, which opened in December 2023. This program is funded without governmental assistance or taxpayer dollars. The ARL secures grants and donations to provide free and low-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations, and other assistance for under-served families in Des Moines.

Visit our Lost & Found pets page.

Contact ARL Animal Services at (515) 284-6905 to discuss the fees for your specific pet or stop by in person during open hours. Some fees increase each day, so it is important to act quickly to avoid additional fees.

The ARL’s spay/neuter program has appointments based on a first-come, first-serve basis, please view the page for more information.

ARL Animal Services will take injured and sick wildlife calls within the city limits of Des Moines. Call dispatch at (515) 283-4811. Outside of city limits, contact your animal services department first and if unsuccessful, you can try one of our Wildlife Rehabilitation Partners. Please visit our resource library for specific wildlife information.

Learn more about our Cruelty Intervention program here.

Each class has a specific number of weeks that you will come in for class. This will be specified on the class page. For example, if you sign up for Good Manners (6 week class) starting on Tuesday at 6pm. You will be meet every Tuesday at 6pm for the next 6 weeks.

All pets should be kept current on vaccinations in accordance with their pet’s licensed veterinarian’s recommendations. At minimum, puppies attending classes should have started their distemper/parvo series. All dogs’ ages 4 months old or older should be current on their rabies as well as distemper/parvo. While Bordetella is not required, it is highly recommended. Proof of vaccinations should be submitted to the ARL Training Department prior to the first day of class. Please fax your dog’s vaccination records to 515-266-4549 ATTN: Dog Training Class or you may also email a copy to: dogtraining@arl-iowa.org. Include your name, your dog’s name, class and session start date.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa will be closed on the following holidays; New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If your class happens to fall on one of these holidays there will not be class. This will also be noted in your “Session Notes” when you register for class.

In the event of a weather cancellation, you will be notified via email 2 hours prior to your class start time. It is a good idea to check your email prior to heading out during severe weather or heavy snow. An additional class (same day and time as the class you signed up for) will be added to make up for the canceled session.

Please carefully consider your schedule, commitment to training, and your dog before registering for class. Our class sizes are small to ensure quality. By enrolling, you are reserving a space in one of our courses, i.e., specific sessions in specific classes (at specific times and dates). Class fees are due at time of registration and are nonrefundable. Exceptions apply only in cases of emergency, illness or class cancellation.

“Make-Up” Policy
If you do have miss a session of your class please make sure to call or email our Training Department ahead of time. To ensure quality, your Registration Fee purchases sessions in a specific class. Consequently, we do not offer “make-ups” for missed classes.

Rescheduling Policy
Requests to transfer to another class (at no extra cost) must be made at least 5 business days before the original class start-date.

Low Enrollment Policy
All classes require a minimum of 2 dogs for the class to run. In the event a class has low enrollment, we will either call or email you at least 24 hours before the class was scheduled to start to let you know there is a possibility the class may be cancelled and to offer you a full refund, or the opportunity to transfer to another class (at no extra cost).