Dogs Forever

11/16/2025

🐾 DOG Fosters Needed! 🐾

You guys, tomorrow we are accepting 12 dogs into our care. Twelve and only seven kennels. We’re full. We already have Mowgli and Nova living at the shelter and fosters are the only way we can make this work. We need your help. We couldn't say no, these dogs needed a safe place to go. 🥺 There are puppies, small dogs, medium dogs, large dogs, all kinds coming.

We don’t know much about the new dogs, but a foster home gives them a safe place to decompress and helps us learn their needs. We cover everything — food, supplies, vet care. You just send photos/videos and bring them to the shelter on Saturdays (10–2).

Fill out the foster application, note “foster,” and we’ll contact you and get an idea of what type of dog/size/energy level etc would work for your home, check references, and review vet records if you have pets.

🏡 Fenced yard required? Not always. It depends on the dog — some are totally fine without one. Once they settle, we can test them with other pets. If it’s not a good fit, we always take the dog back.

Look at sweet Elroy!! You can see how much his demeanor changed by being able to go into a foster and then on to his forever. Please help us make this happen for these dogs. Fill out the Foster application ASAP.

❤️ Apply here: https://dogsforever.org/adopting-from-dogs-forever/adoption-foster-form/

11/15/2025

🐾 A friendly reminder that we are not open to the public tomorrow, Saturday November 15th. 🐾

If you want to meet any of our dogs, just put in an application! The pups that are in foster homes are happy to have you meet them there. The pups that are at the shelter, we can arrange a one-on-one meeting or you can come visit them next Saturday!

🐶 You can view our adoptable dogs on our website through this link below:
➡️ https://dogsforever.org/adopting-from-dogs-forever/adoptable-dogs/

📝 Get a head start by fill out an application: (No pressure — it just helps us get to know you!)
➡️ https://dogsforever.org/adopting-from-dogs-forever/adoption-foster-form/

♻️ Bonus way to help:
Bring us your redeemable cans & bottles (glass too!). Drop them off ANYTIME, bagged up, in front of our shed (see last photo). Every nickel helps cover vet bills and care for our pups.

Please share to help spread the word. 💛

11/14/2025

This is today! If you're in need for your pet, please go.

Remember the food has been donated so don't squawk at them if they don't have your SPECIFIC food, they're doing the best they can to help folks in our community who need a little extra help.

🚨 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟐 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲! 🚨

Join us this 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟏𝟐–𝟒:𝟑𝟎 𝐏𝐌 at 𝐂𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 & 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 for our 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲!🐶🐱

We know times are tough, and we want to help Cedar Rapids residents keep pets happy, healthy, and at home. If you’re experiencing pet food insecurity, stop by for free pet food while supplies last. Please bring a 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐃 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲.

We’ll also be offering $𝟐𝟓 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 for friendly pets — no appointment needed! Microchipping is one of the easiest ways to make sure your pet finds their way home if they ever get lost.

💛 We’re also 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 of unopened pet food and supplies now, during the event, and year-round!
Donations can be dropped off 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲–𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟕 𝐀𝐌–𝟓 𝐏𝐌 — just ring the bell at the side door.

Every can, every bag, every dollar makes a difference. 🐾
📍 Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control
📅 Friday, November 14 | 12–4:30 PM

📣 Flyer attached with more info!

11/14/2025

🍪🐾 Call for Bakers! 🐾🍪

Are you a planner? While you’re making your list (and checking it twice!) for ingredients for your holiday baking list, please consider whipping up a little extra to donate to our bake sale fundraiser during our 14th Annual Holidog Bazaar!

We need human AND puppers baked goods to help support our fundraiser — and all proceeds go directly to the dogs in our care. ❤️

📅 Please drop off all baked goods by Thursday, December 4th at our shelter 809 Rockford RD SW. We’ll have two donation totes outside the main building that volunteers will be checking. If you knock and no one answers, they’re likely out walking dogs and will be back shortly.

Drop-off times:
6–8 AM
11:30 AM–1 PM
6–8 PM

✨ A few important notes:
• Clearly label if your goodies are for humans or dogs (you have no idea how hard it is to tell sometimes! 😂)
• Let us know what it is and list any allergens (nuts, peanuts, etc.) Please nothing that needs chilled or refrigerated.
• Please have items individually wrapped or bagged and WE will take care of the pricing.

Your baking helps us make this event extra special and raises much-needed funds for the pups who rely on us.

Thank you so much for your support! 💛 Let us know if you have any questions!

11/14/2025

The sweetest little lady, Jancey, is just popping in to remind everyone that our shelter is closed to the public tomorrow — but don’t worry, you can still meet her! 💛

Since Jancey lives in a foster home, if you send in an application and you’re a good fit, we can schedule a meet-and-greet just a few minutes outside of Cedar Rapids. She’s just under a year old, around 40 lbs, and her foster family says she blossoms into the most glowing, loving girl once she feels safe. She’d adore a fenced yard and a canine buddy to play with!

Quick Jancey facts:
🐶 Dog friendly
🐱 Cat friendly
👧 Kid friendly
💛 Shy at first but becomes pure sunshine
🌳 Would enjoy a fenced yard
🐕 Would love a dog friend

If this sweet baby sounds like your match, send in that application — she can’t wait to meet you!
👉 https://dogsforever.org/adopting.../adoption-foster-form/can

11/14/2025

The sweetest girl, VooDoo, just popping in with a little reminder that our shelter is closed to the public this Saturday — but don’t worry, she’s still available to meet! 💛

Since VooDoo lives in a foster home, if you send in an application and you’re a good fit, we can schedule a meet-and-greet with her right at her foster home in Cedar Rapids. This girl walks beautifully on a leash, is a Grade-A snuggle bug, loves her zoomies in the yard, and still has plenty of playful energy to share.

Quick VooDoo facts:
🐶 Dog friendly
👧 Kid friendly
🚫 No cats
🌳 Needs a fenced yard
🍽️ Eats meals separately (She's working on this quirk with her Foster family!)

If she sounds like your kind of girl, get that application in — she’d love to meet you! Let us know what questions you have about our sweet sweet girl. Please tag your friends and share her with them.
👉 https://dogsforever.org/adopting.../adoption-foster-form/

11/13/2025

🐾A reminder for Open Hours THIS Saturday: WE’RE CLOSED! 🐾

A few of our pups have come down with a mild case of a treatable bug. 💛

We’re taking a quick pause being open to the public to keep everyone (including you!) healthy and safe. Our pups are already getting treatment, rest, and plenty of TLC, (and snacky snacks of course!) and should be back to their happy selves soon! 🐶✨

You can still apply online for any of our adoptable dogs, and we’ll welcome visitors again once everyone’s feeling better. VooDoo and Jancey are in foster homes and have WONDERFUL fosters who would gladly have you meet them at their houses! Fill out the app and if you're a good fit, we'll schedule a one on one. 🖤

See our adoptable dogs here: https://dogsforever.org/adopting-from-dogs-forever/adoptable-dogs/

Thank you for understanding — and for sending love and healing thoughts to our four-legged friends! ❤️

Application: https://dogsforever.org/adopting-from-dogs-forever/adoption-foster-form/

11/13/2025

🐾DOG Fosters Needed!🐾

We have 10+ dogs waiting for a spot to come into our care… but here’s the thing: we only have seven kennels and they already have wagging tails in them. That’s it. Seven. We’re a small shelter doing big work and right now, we need your help to keep saving lives. 💛 We have puppies, small dogs, medium dogs, large dogs.. all kinds waiting!

Here's the thing though - we don’t know much of anything about the dogs when they first come in. Sometimes we don’t know if they’re good with other dogs, cats, or kids… or if they’ve ever even lived inside or had the sweet kindness of a loving human in their life.🥺 But that’s where you come in. Fosters give them a soft place to land while we figure it all out, together.

When you foster for Dogs Forever, we cover everything: food, treats, supplies, kennels, vet care, you name it. All we need from you is:
📸 Photos and videos of your foster dog so we can help get their sweet face seen and adopted.
🚗 Bringing them to and from the shelter on Saturdays (10–2, just drop off/pickup) so visitors and adopters can meet them.

➡️ You can fill out our adoption/foster application (it’s the same form — just note “foster” where it applies - link below). Once we get your application, our foster committee will reach out to chat about what kind of dogs you can help with. We’ll call your references (so give them a heads-up to answer!) and check vet records if you have other pets, just make sure they’re up to date on their visits.

🏡 Do you need a fenced yard? Not always! Some dogs are fine without one or even in a dog friendly apartment/condo! Though for safety reasons, we sometimes prefer it if we know the dog has a high prey drive, is not okay with other dogs/cats, or has a tendency to bolt. You’ve seen the lost pets pages around here... it’s wild out there. 😅😳🫣

Once a dog has a few days to decompress, we can see how they do with other dogs or cats. If you have pets, we’ll coordinate a safe meet and greet before placement. We know it sounds like a process, but we take extra care to make sure the match is a good one for you, your pets, and our dogs. And here’s the most important part: if something changes or it’s not the right fit down the road, we will always take the dog back. You’ll never be stuck or left helpless. EVER. 🖤

💬 If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to help, but I can’t adopt right now,” fostering is truly the next best thing. You’re giving a dog the chance to start fresh, to heal, and to find their forever home and we’ll be right here with you every step of the way.

Ready to help? Fill out the foster application here: https://dogsforever.org/adopting-from-dogs-forever/adoption-foster-form/

Let’s get these dogs out of limbo and into loving homes, even if it’s just for a little while. ❤️

📸: Enjoy some pictures of some of our past dogs living the dream in their fosters while they waited for their happily ever after. (If you haven't noticed from the photos.. they sleep a LOT! haha!) Peep that first one of the sweetest boy, Elroy. Look at the difference from shelter to foster!!

11/12/2025

Donate your unwanted clothing, linens, and accessories to our lime green donation bin from Clothes Bin. It is NOT at our shelter, please do not bring your stuff to our shelter. Take it right down the road! We get a percentage based off of how many pounds are donated. It'll be easiest for your donation if you use a 13 gallon kitchen size bag, anything bigger you really got to squeeze it in there! And it could get stuck on the way down! 🤣🫣

📍 Where’s the Clothes Bin? NOT at our shelter... But!!
It’s right down the road from us on the south side of the ImOn Ice Arena Building (if you’re looking at the front of the building, it’s to the left!). You can even see it from Rockford Road SW. Pull into the parking lot, swing through the loop at the back, and drop your bagged donations in the bin. Easy peasy!

What to donate:
👕 All clothing (any season!)
🧥 Coats, jackets, gloves, hats
👟 All footwear
🎒 Backpacks, purses, totes, wallets
🧣 Hats, belts, ties, scarves
🛏️ Towels, sheets, blankets, comforters
✨ Even though we don’t have a need for towels, blankets, comforters, or sheets ourselves (thanks to your amazing generosity and our stocked-up shelves), placing them in this bin still helps us raise funds. Every pound you donate turns into a percentage that comes right back to us!

♻️ Bonus: You’re also helping reduce waste and give your items a second life — donations are repurposed, recycled, or passed along to someone in need.

So go ahead — gather up your stuff, bag it, and drop it off at the donation bin.💪🐶💚

11/12/2025

Hey there, it’s me — Mowgli! 🐾

Professional Hug Giver. Toy Toss Champ. Aspiring Lap Dog (yes, all 67 long-legged pounds of me).

I’m a 3-year-old Lab-ish mix with a heart the size of my smile and a simple life goal: stay as close as possible to my favorite human at all times. If cuddling were an Olympic event, I’d be bringing home the gold. 🥇

Here’s what I bring to the pack:
🎾 Fetch skills that’ll make you proud
🐶 I’m dog friendly — and I even passed my cat test!
🚶‍♂️ I’ve got solid leash manners and make an excellent walking buddy
🏡 I’m a big fan of fenced yards and zoomies
💛 I believe hugs are a love language

My motto? Play hard, snuggle harder. If you’re looking for a loyal, happy-go-lucky best friend who thinks you hung the moon, that’s me — Mowgli. 💛

Some of my friends at the shelter caught the ick (kennel cough - ewe germs..), so we’re all laying low for a bit while they rest up and heal. Don’t worry, I haven’t caught it, but for everyone’s safety, there won’t be any visitors this Saturday, November 15th.

You can still apply to meet me online and once my buddies are feeling better, we’ll schedule a meet and greet or you can hopefully come next Saturday! I’ll be right here waiting — toys in one paw, heart wide open ready for hugs in the other. 💕

👉 https://dogsforever.org/adopting.../adoption-foster-form/