It happened again. We can’t believe we’re having to tell you about another large cat rescue so soon after the last one. This time it was an evening call from the Johnston Police Department on Wednesday asking for help with dozens of cats in a single home.
When a private individual suddenly and unexpectedly became the caretaker for 62 cats, they were overwhelmed to say the least. Not knowing where to turn, they reached out to us for help.
With severe winter weather in the forecast, here are some tips from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) to keep your pets – and the pets in your community – safe in these cold temperatures.
Yesterday, ARL Animal Services officers assisted Des Moines Police in rescuing two dogs, named Supreme and Legend, after an investigation into a 911 call about a man violently abusing a dog in a downtown neighborhood.
When our Animal Welfare & Response Team responded to an urgent call from law enforcement to help dozens of animals living in a single-wide mobile home in southern Iowa, they were overwhelmed by the chaos they found.
It just keeps happening. Our Animal Welfare & Response Team has responded to multiple back-to-back calls for help just weeks after our rescue of over 100 dogs, mobilizing quickly time after time to help additional pets in need. In total, we have taken in 162 MORE rescued animals in the span of just 12 days.
No matter how many times we see unimaginable suffering, it never gets easier. When Birdie and Benji arrived at the ARL just a few days ago, our hearts dropped. Two small puppies, one very weak and in severe pain, and the other so near death he was unresponsive.
When we received an urgent call from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s office about 100+ dogs living in dangerous conditions, we were already stretched to our limits. Our kennel space has been at a critical level for months – when one kennel opens, it immediately fills up again. But we couldn’t say no to these dogs.
When Clover and Ivy arrived, the sight of them was heartbreaking. They were dangerously emaciated and dehydrated. Their ribs and hip bones pressed against their skin, and their noses were dry and cracked. Their fur was also heavily stained with urine, indicating they’d been living in their own waste. They didn’t get this way overnight. They had been suffering for weeks, if not months.
11 dogs who had been living in terrible conditions at a Pocahontas County residence are now safe at the Animal Rescue League after our Animal Welfare & Response Team responded to a call to assist law enforcement.
