Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter

08/22/2025

This gal right here is prime barn cat* material. Meowth does not want pets or love, she wants to hunt in your fields. She will not prey on you but she does mean business when it comes to mice.

*Any cat that is labeled as a barn cat has been observed to not be adjusting to indoor life in any meaningful way and would actively do better in a working environment.

08/21/2025

Nado was adopted! Many blessings to Nado and his new family 💜

08/19/2025

Update: Owner has been found

This guy was found on N H St and C Ave W. If he is yours please call the shelter at 641-673-3991 or message us on Messenger.

08/19/2025

We have scheduled our next Cat clinic. Sign up today as spots are limited. We are still accepting neighboring counties to sign up. Payment is due at time of scheduling.

08/17/2025

Happy International Black Cat Day
We have something special in store🐾

08/16/2025

Something amazing happened today!
We got a call about a dog that wandered into somebody's garage in New Sharon. The kind gentleman brought the dog in and we scanned it for a microchip right away! To our delight, he had one and we found out his name is Prince.
While our director was on the phone with the microchip company, we received another call. This time, from the owner who had been notified via email by 24PetWatch when we put his chip number in our system.
They informed us that this dog was taken from his home in Des Moines a whole year and a half ago!!😱
The family quickly got in their car and headed our direction. Prince was so happy to see his family and we were happy to see them reunited.
With permission from the owners, we wanted to share Prince's story as a valuable reminder of just how important it can be to make sure your pet's microchip is registered and up to date.🐾

08/15/2025

08/14/2025

We love to see our doggy friends find new homes 💜 congrats to our recent adoptees, Ginger and Slinky :)

08/14/2025

Meet Calypso!
This adventurous kitten would love to help keep you on your toes. She is playful and loves to be held. Her roommates think she is the best thing since sliced bread and she can often be found cuddling with them!

08/13/2025

This girl was picked up on the 300 block of N C St. If she is yours please contact the shelter at 641-673-3991 or message us on Messenger.

08/11/2025

We’ve seen the comments and we get it. Being in rescue is not easy—it’s hard, emotional work that involves tough decisions, complicated situations, and the deep responsibility of speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves.

In Taylor’s case, we’re doing our best to balance her needs with respect for her family during a tough time. We know it’s frustrating when you don’t have the full picture, but some details simply aren’t ours to share publicly. And yes—some of what’s being said is based on assumptions, partial information, or things taken out of context.

We also want to address a few of the claims being shared:

“Former employees who were screamed at for comforting dying animals?”
Every dying animal here is comforted. Always. But we do have to make sure sick animals (like those with parvo) aren’t carried around the shelter in ways that could risk the health of others.

“The kennel conditions these animals have to endure?”
Our kennels are deep-cleaned twice a week—one more day than required by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. That means everything is cleared out and replaced fresh each time.

“Donations ending up on Marketplace?”
Any donated items we can’t use in the shelter are sold, with 100% of that money going toward programs like our low-cost spay/neuter clinic—so those items still directly help animals in our community.

“The director writing paychecks out of her personal account?”
This has never happened. The director has personally donated to the shelter, but staff are paid through normal payroll, not personal accounts.

“Using another rescue’s data to get funding?”
We don’t use other rescues’ data. Our director compiles our own shelter data for grants and funding.

We’re not perfect. No shelter is. But we care deeply about every single animal that comes through our doors—and the people who love them.

If you’re upset, confused, or just want to understand more, come talk to us. Not here in the comments—come see us. We have a board meeting every second Wednesday of the month at 3pm, your welcome to come. Let’s talk like humans, not usernames.

Let’s work toward change, not chaos. Let’s have the conversation, not the confrontation.
—Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter