Animal Rescue League of Iowa 3.5 ★ 21 reviews Start an adoption application

Animal Rescue League of Iowa

Des Moines, IA

3.5 (21 reviews)

Iowa's largest nonprofit animal shelter.

Hours Monday - Friday 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Saturday - Sunday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm (main NE 22nd St location; other ARL locations keep separate hours).
Areas served Des Moines metro and statewide Iowa (multiple locations: ARL Main, ARL Animal Services, ARL West, and Second Chance Ranch)
Adopting

Fees, requirements & process

Fees vary by animal and are not published as a fixed schedule. Cat adoption fees include a feline leukemia test, a general physical exam, spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccinations, deworming, a microchip, free behavior advice, dental work if needed, and 10 percent off the ARL Animal House store for the life of the pet.

How it works

See arl-iowa.org/adopt/adoption-info/adoption-process/ for the full process and current fees

Location

Find Animal Rescue League of Iowa

The area

Polk County at a glance

Population 503,175
Housing units 218,486
Est. households with a cat 65,920

Estimated by applying the AVMA's 2024 national cat-ownership rate (32.1% of households) to the county's real household count from the Census Bureau — a national rate applied locally, not a local survey. Population and housing figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Reviews

What adopters say

Rated 3.5 out of 5 from 21 Yelp reviews . See the full rating above.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is included in the cat adoption fee?

A feline leukemia test, general physical exam, spay/neuter surgery, initial vaccinations, deworming, a microchip, free behavior advice, dental work if needed, and 10% off the ARL Animal House store for life.

Get involved

Support Animal Rescue League of Iowa

Surrendering a cat

Surrender information at arl-iowa.org/pet-services/help/surrender-your-pet/

Looking to adopt right now?

Browse cats and kittens available from breeders and shelters in Iowa on Petfinnly.

Browse in Iowa

Other shelters in Iowa

Is this your organization? Claim this shelter profile