ARL Animal Services

ARL Animal Services To create a safe and humane community through education, outreach, and enforcement.

ARL Animal Services is a division of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa that is contracted by the City of Des Moines to provide animal control services for all neighborhoods within city limits. The division also offers pet programs, resources, and clinics to the local community. This program is a partnership with the Des Moines Police Department, and a member of the DMPD serves as Chief Humane Offic

er. ARL Animal Services operates out of the city's Des Moines Animal Services building at 1441 Harriet St., and the program is supervised by the ARL's Director of Animal Services. Through this partnership, the citizens and animals of Des Moines benefit because the ARL is able to offer programs and services through grants and donations that would not be offered by a strictly tax-funded animal control program. Learn more about ARL Animal Services here: https://www.arl-iowa.org/community/animal-services/.

RESCUED: This young barred owl was found in a concerned citizen’s yard thin, reluctant to move, and missing tail feather...
06/22/2025

RESCUED: This young barred owl was found in a concerned citizen’s yard thin, reluctant to move, and missing tail feathers. Our ARL Animal Services officer was able to carefully move him to our vehicle and transport him straight to our partners at Iowa Bird Rehabilitation so he could get the help he needed. We're thankful to have such great partnerships to help the wide variety of animals we live with in our community!

RESCUED! What’s black and white and stuck in a window well? These 3 baby skunks! Painters found these little guys while ...
06/18/2025

RESCUED! What’s black and white and stuck in a window well? These 3 baby skunks! Painters found these little guys while working and tried lowering a board in the 4-foot-deep space so they could climb out on their own, but unfortunately the skunks didn’t budge. When our ARL Animal Services officer arrived, he was able to quickly net all 3 babies and lift them out so they could run off to safety.

Baby season for wildlife is in full swing right now, and while these particular babies clearly needed saving, it’s important to know what to do if you find baby wild animals. Find more info in our online Resource Library at https://ow.ly/ZJVZ50WbZf6.

Thanks to the painters who called to get these babies help in their time of need!

WILD
06/17/2025

WILD

AWESOME DOG ALERT: Douggie is looking for a new best friend! This good boy recently went on a Dog’s Day Out field trip a...
06/12/2025

AWESOME DOG ALERT: Douggie is looking for a new best friend! This good boy recently went on a Dog’s Day Out field trip and loved getting a break from the shelter and visiting a pet supply store, going on walks, eating pup cups and more! Here’s what his human companions had to say about him:

“He loves people, including little kids. He gives the sweetest kisses and snuggles. I bet he'll be a velcro dog. He was very interested in food and may have had a little bacon. He walked pretty well on a leash and can jump super high! He definitely has a lot of energy and is truly a sweet, sweet dog!”

Learn more about Douggie at https://ow.ly/nxJH50W8sUW and come meet him at ARL Animal Services!

Want to give an adoptable dog like Douggie a day out? Learn more and get started at https://ow.ly/O64c50W8sUX.

LAST CHANCE: $40 ADOPTIONS! Today is the LAST DAY of our Stray Pride adoption event! Adoption fees will be just $40 for ...
06/08/2025

LAST CHANCE: $40 ADOPTIONS! Today is the LAST DAY of our Stray Pride adoption event! Adoption fees will be just $40 for dogs and cats 6 months and up at ALL ARL adoption locations!

See all our adoptable pets, plus locations at hours, at ARL-Iowa.org.

Pictured: Cosmo, just one of the pets adopted from ARL Animal Services during this event!

Adoption event presented by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

❤️🧡💛 $40 ADOPTIONS CONTINUE! 💚💙💜 Our Stray Pride adoption event continues today and tomorrow with $40 adoption fees for ...
06/07/2025

❤️🧡💛 $40 ADOPTIONS CONTINUE! 💚💙💜 Our Stray Pride adoption event continues today and tomorrow with $40 adoption fees for dogs and cats 6 months and up at all ARL adoption locations! What’s a better way to celebrate love than by bringing home a new family member?!

AND TODAY ONLY: Come find us at PrideFest! We’ll have adoptable dogs in the pet pageant and at our booth today, so swing by to see who you meet! Pets at PrideFest will have a location of “Adoption Event.”

As always, this adoption event also includes pets spending time in foster homes and available by appointment. To meet those pets, contact us using the info in their website bios by 6 p.m. tomorrow and we’ll honor the discounted adoption fee when you visit – even if you visit after the promo ends!

See all our adoptable pets, plus locations and hours, at ARL-Iowa.org.

Pictured: Josephine, available for adoption at ARL Animal Services and ready to share her love with you!

Adoption event sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

MICROCHIP SUCCESS: We reunite lost pets and families every day at ARL Animal Services, and Poochies, Ziggy and Oscar are...
06/06/2025

MICROCHIP SUCCESS: We reunite lost pets and families every day at ARL Animal Services, and Poochies, Ziggy and Oscar are just three pets who were reunited with their people recently – all because they had microchips. Click on their photos to read their stories!

A microchip is the best way to ensure you are reunited with your pet if they ever go missing. Already have a microchip? Check to make sure your contact info is up-to-date! Need a microchip? The ARL offers low-cost microchipping to help as many pets as possible be reunited with their families. To learn more, head to https://ow.ly/Wh8H50SrbtS.

🌈 STARTING TODAY: $40 ADOPTIONS! 🌈 Our Stray Pride adoption event starts TODAY and runs through Sunday (6/8)! Celebrate ...
06/06/2025

🌈 STARTING TODAY: $40 ADOPTIONS! 🌈 Our Stray Pride adoption event starts TODAY and runs through Sunday (6/8)! Celebrate love by adopting a pet this weekend – adoption fees will be just $40 for cats and dogs 6+ months at ALL ARL adoption locations!

Pro tips for this event:
❤️ See all our adoptable pets, as well as our locations/hours at ARL-Iowa.org! We recommend coming as early in the day as possible to ensure you’ll be able to adopt that day.
🧡 If you’d like to introduce your dog to another dog or your child to any pet, please bring them with you when you visit!
💛 This event also includes pets in foster homes and ones available by appointment. To meet those pets, contact us using the info in their website bios. If we receive your request by 6 p.m. Sunday, we’ll honor the discounted adoption fee when you visit – even if the visit happens after the promo is over!
💚 Use the money you save on your adoption fee to spoil your new family member! We make it easy to load up on supplies, treats and toys at our Animal House store at ARL Main!
Please spread the word to help more pets find homes during this event!

(Pictured: Patrick, available for adoption at ARL Animal Services!)

Adoption event presented by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

All ARL locations are closed today for Memorial Day in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to...
05/26/2025

All ARL locations are closed today for Memorial Day in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Our animals are still being cared for by amazing staff and volunteers, and we will reopen tomorrow with normal business hours.

As always, our dedicated ARL Animal Services officers are on duty, serving pets and people in our community. If you see an animal in distress in the city of Des Moines, call (515) 283-4811. If you see an animal in distress in any other area, call the non-emergency law enforcement number for that area.

You can see adoptable pets, hours and locations at ARL-Iowa.org.

REUNITED: Buddy was reunited with his family this morning after going missing last night! A good Samaritan found Buddy a...
05/23/2025

REUNITED: Buddy was reunited with his family this morning after going missing last night! A good Samaritan found Buddy and brought him to ARL Animal Services, where he became an immediate staff favorite. This morning, Buddy’s mom called to see if Buddy was here and was so relieved to learn that he was! When she came to pick him up, Buddy was just as happy to see her and jumped up to give her a big hug.

Animal shelters across the U.S. see a spike in lost pets arriving at shelters around Memorial Day. To help keep your pet safe this holiday weekend, keep them indoors during celebrations and make sure their ID tags and microchips are up-to-date.

For a step-by-step on what to do if your pet does become lost (or you find a lost pet), check out the Lost & Found Pets page on our website at https://ow.ly/w5W450S5Hge.

CHANGING LIVES: We see the importance of the human-animal bond every single day here at the ARL, and we know that in the...
05/15/2025

CHANGING LIVES: We see the importance of the human-animal bond every single day here at the ARL, and we know that in the most challenging of times, it’s often a pet that holds families together and provides stability, comfort and unconditional love. To preserve this bond, the ARL strives to keep families together by making critical services available.

Over the weekend, the ARL and Joppa Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to helping unhoused people in our community, teamed up to host a free pet wellness clinic at ARL Animal Services and provide vaccines and microchips to pets whose families may not have otherwise had access. We’re happy to share that more than 60 pets received vaccinations, microchips and other preventative care at this clinic to keep them healthy, out of the shelter, and with the people who love them!

In a time where access to basic veterinary care is becoming increasingly difficult for many, this event helped bridge the gap and provide essential veterinary care to even more pets in our community. Thank you to Joppa for partnering with us to help provide vet care and keep people and pets together!

UPDATE: Our phone and internet systems have been restored!INTERNET/PHONE SYSTEM ALERT: We are currently experiencing Int...
05/11/2025

UPDATE: Our phone and internet systems have been restored!

INTERNET/PHONE SYSTEM ALERT: We are currently experiencing Internet and phone issues at ARL Animal Services and are unable to send or receive calls. If you have been trying to get ahold of our office to reclaim your pet or to get other information, please come visit us at 1441 Harriet St. in Des Moines. We are open until 6 p.m.

We are also only able to process cash payments at this time for reclaims, adoptions or any other transaction.

If you need to report an animal in distress in the city of Des Moines, please continue to call (515) 283-4811 to have an ARL Animal Services officer dispatched.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Address

1441 Harriet Street
Des Moines, IA
50317

Telephone

+15152846905

Website

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The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is contracted by multiple municipalities to provide animal control services and housing for stray animals. In Des Moines, the ARL is contracted to operate the city's animal control program. This program is a partnership with the Des Moines Police Department, and a member of their department serves as Chief Humane Officer. The ARL currently operates out of the city's animal control facility and the program is supervised by an ARL Animal Control Services Manager. That position employs all of the Animal Control Officers (ACOs), animal care staff, and medical staff, including a city veterinarian as defined in the city ordinance. Through this partnership, the citizens of Des Moines and their animals benefit because through grants and donations, the ARL as an organization is able to offer programs and services that would not be offered by a strictly tax-funded animal control program. Learn more about these programs at www.ARL-Iowa.org/AnimalControl.