You have to see this
A few days ago when our team arrived to begin caring for the dozens of horses at our Second Chance Ranch, there he was: A clumsy, adorable foal gazing wide-eyed at the world.
She couldn’t stop scratching
When Dalila arrived at the ARL, it was clear she was in pain. Her skin was red and raw, and she was missing fur all over her body. She was covered in scabs from scratching intensely at her inflamed skin. She shied away when we tried to touch her.
Help save Ozzy’s eye
The ammonia in the air was stifling. Every room in the house was covered in cat feces and trash that clung to ARL rescuers’ boots with each step they took. Cats were everywhere.
He was injured and alone
Danny was found on a rural Iowa road, alone and in severe pain. We can only image how terrified he was – just 4 months old and injured with no one to help him.
New year brings new calls for help
It’s only a few days into the new year, and we’re already receiving calls for help. A law enforcement agency reached out asking for assistance rescuing pups living in terrible conditions in a home in northern Iowa. When our team arrived, the residence smelled strongly of urine and the floors were covered in feces and debris.
33 animals crammed into small house
As ARL Animal Services officers entered the small Des Moines house, they were overcome by what they saw, heard … and smelled. There were 33 animals (31 dogs and 2 cockatiels) crammed so tightly into the tiny space that our rescuers could barely move. Every dog was barking at the top of their lungs – as if they were pleading to be saved from the conditions they had been living in.
It’s worse than we thought
When we initially rescued 46 horses from a Dallas County property, we could immediately tell it was bad, very bad … but after we had equine veterinarians come to the ARL Second Chance Ranch to thoroughly examine each one, we learned it’s actually far worse than we originally thought.
ARL joins global network promoting human-animal bond
The ARL has become a full member of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO), a leading global network of organizations specializing in human-animal interactions and animal-assisted interventions.
Nearly 100 dogs rescued, most trapped inside mobile home
It was just before midnight when the ARL Mobile Rescue Team arrived with a final load of dogs after responding to an urgent plea from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Over the span of 12 hours our team had removed 96 dogs from a property, most rescued from an unoccupied trailer home that was absolutely horrific.
Our city, our animals
A new Des Moines Animal Services building is nearing completion, bringing expanded services to the pets and people of Des Moines and the surrounding community.