The Animal Rescue League of Iowa provides a service to animals that must continue and we appreciate your continued support. Like many other organizations, we are taking necessary precautions for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and ask our visitors to do the same.
During your Adoption Visit
All adoption visits to ARL Main are by appointment only at this time to help maintain social distancing. (Please see section below for details)
We are now requesting that all visitors also follow CDC guidelines to wear non-medical face covers, since maintaining full social distancing in our process is not always possible.
Appointments to meet a pet in-person will be limited to 2 people from the same household per appointment. This change will help further reduce person-to-person exposure through minimized contact.
Because we understand that selecting a new pet is a family decision, we encourage our visitors to video chat with their family/household to make the decision to adopt (from their own device).
Know Before Booking an Appointment at ARL Main
By booking an appointment at ARL Main, you secure a set time with an adoption counselor to view adoptable pets and meet with them to ensure they are a good fit for your family
- Pets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To see a current list of available pets and where they are located, visit our Find a Pet page.
- To see our locations and hours, visit our Locations & Hours page.
- To learn more about the adoption process, visit our Adoption Process page.
**Please note that appointments are only to visit pets at ARL Main. Visits to ARL West and Ankeny PetSmart do NOT require an appointment. If you are interested in a specific pet, please check the pet’s location in our pet listings to make sure you need an appointment before booking.
Social Distancing & Other Safety Measures
Adoption staff have all been provided with face covers and are encouraged to wear them to do our part in minimizing contagion.
We are continuing to maintain a clean facility by routinely sanitizing handles, doors, touch pads and other surfaces between uses. We are also continuing to maintain social distancing with 6+ feet of distance between visitors, staff, and volunteers.
Taking care of our animals, staff and guests remains our top priority. We continue to monitor the situation and consider additional safety measures as needed and will update this page as necessary.
Hours of Operation
ARL Main
Monday through Friday
12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
ARL West (inside Iowa Pet Foods & Seascapes)
Sunday 4/26 — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday 4/27 — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday 4/28 — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday 4/29 — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday 4/30 — 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday 5/1 — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 5/2 — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday 5/3 — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
