I would like to thank you guys so much especially Josh he’s a amazing worker, friendly, respectful,etc. he helped me and my girlfriend found a perfect dog today we adopted Rambo he’s a very sweet dog and I really appreciate Josh so much he was on top of his that guy is amazing I can’t thank him enough. Thanks again Josh you’re a excellent work & Rambo said Hi lol

My partner and I adopted Rambo today. We had an amazing experience, specifically with Josh! He was honest with us, friendly and you could tell he genuinely cared for these dogs and the homes they end up in. Rambo is doing great already and I can’t wait until he gets even more comfortable.

I adopted Baby Moo from the ARL on April 25th Brian Madison was my Adoption counselor. (I think that was his name)He was very friendly and professional. He also gave great suggestions as well.I changed Baby Moos name to Moo- Moo.He is adjusting slowly and coming out more and not hiding as muchHe is my morning wake up alarm.

7/2/21 ARL was right there to help me with the care my dog when he needed emergency kidney stone surgery and I couldnt afford it. I applied for assistance on their website and the next morning they called and had me setup with a vet that could do the surgery that day. They saved my boys life. I will always be grateful for all the donations they recieve to provide programs like this to help people who are trying to give the care best for their pets.

Very friendly staff, all the cats we saw had clean cages as well! We love our new member of our family. ❤️ Id highly recommend going during the name your price event!

I have tried calling the main ARL phone number provided. Waited 20 minutes in line to ask a question, I was hung up on as soon as I was in the number 1 spot. I called again, waited another 20 minutes, same thing happens. If youre going to have a phone number, answer the phones or make sure its working.

Love the place and they were amazing with my beautiful dog brother duke sadly pass away doing everything to get my brother duke back home 💕😭

I personally didn’t adopt a dog there but my daughter did a husky & German Shepard mix sweet dog! But they sent him out of the ARL with Kennel Cough. When we notice we called the next day but they didn’t think it was serious enough even though the cough was terrible after 5th day I went down there! They were forced to help him! He is doing pretty good now! They didn’t put any effort into training him whatsoever! I am a monthly donor for this organization a bit disappointed!

Staff and volunteers need to work on communication. Not the 1st time weve had problems. 1st time 2yrs ago with a kitten 2months of backnforth finally got to adopt. Was told she was available and was shown kitten by volunteer. After paperwork was done staff said she wasnt even adoptable yet and no holding her yet other kennels had holds. In the end we got her 2months later. Now 2yrs later call to make sure they are open so we can look at dogs as we live 45minutes away was told yes .no mention by staff that a reservation had to be made. Get to shelter and turned away as we had no reservation time. Will not return. Will adopt elsewhere. Having worked in a shelter I get things happen, when you make a mistake admit and fix it that is the best customer service. Adopting a pet should be an enjoyable experience for everyone not a hassle and shelters wonder why they are full. There is an animal for everyone in a shelter but then the staff of shelters wonder why people go to breeders.

I was a little skeptical at first about the arl, thought it was just a money for pets, however if you see what you really get its probably the best deal you could get on a pet. The staff is friendly, you can see the really care about their mission. We adopted a neglected dog named max and yes he was a handful at first but everyday gets better. What we got was a cat dressed as a dog he Flys all over the house, is very entertaining and loves attention. We had a big hole to fill in our family and max truly doesnt give us time to be stuck anymore. Im glad the ARL is here to do the things they do.

Please dont foster through them. I received two kittens and they were a little condescending when they handed them to me. When I asked about food because they were transitioning to solids they told me to just google it. I was transparent from the start that this was my first time fostering. I felt overwhelmed and like I had no resources. They got diarrhea and I brought them in and instead of pulling me aside they told me in front of a bunch of other people that they both tested positive for parvovirus. They made me feel like it was my fault and the literally came out saying I was afraid this would happen, youre not getting those kittens back, and youre not allowed to foster for six months. No explanation on the last one, I had to google it at home later that the virus can live on for six months. I only had them for a week and my one cat is an indoor only vaccinated cat so they had to have come with the virus. They made me feel responsible. they said I could email for updates but in the last week I have emailed twice with no response. and even though I am banned from fostering they continue to send me the lists of kittens that need fosters. Broke my heart.

Just WOW! The staff was so patient with me as I shuffled back and forth between kittens on display waiting to be adopted. Spent a total of two days looking for my new best friend. Just as I thought one was already adopted, she was still there the next morning. Nala (previously known as Lola) ended up coming home with me. It was clear her and I were meant to be from the first time we met in the play room. I am so lucky to have her. Thank you to all the staff at ARL who assisted me in finding my new best friend!

We learned this week that they are now labeling animals with anxiety unadoptable and euthanizing them. They are completely skipping all of the intake and quarantine procedures and having them assessed by behavior specialist Cassandra Johnson, and euthanized all in the same day. In their policy it states We only euthanize animals that are dangerous or suffering, and that is only after we have exhausted all other humane and responsible options. We do not euthanize for lack of space in the shelter. Ending suffering and enhancing public safety is a responsibility we take seriously. They prematurely and unethically murdered a family dog because she was diagnosed with separation anxiety.Shame on the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

We have been to the Main ARL a few times looking for another dog and we finally found the one that we absolutely love. As long as you are patient for the right one they will do their best to match you. They go over everything with you. So we got Storm(half Boxer/half American Bulldog to go with our Mini Aussie.

I will always rank the ARL as one of the best shelters in the state of Iowa. The staff is always professional and I always find what I need in the Animal House for the best prices. They always keep the kennels clean and provide more than just adoptions for those who are seeking behavioral and classes. Recommend for anyone who is seeking a pet.

I have called 5 times and every time it hits 20 mins and im number 1 waiting it hangs up. then you call again and your futher down the list. whats the point of having a phone service if you guys there is limit in the wait time makes no sense to me seems pointless if you ask me. extend the wait time stop taking forwver to answer a phone getvthe info you need and go to the next simple. its irritating bc now this little baby bunny might notake it. thamk guys

I rescued a cat from the ARL and it was a wonderful experience! My cat Mandi is an important part of my family! She is so very much company; as it’s just me and her! She is beautiful and has such pretty green eyes! So glad I rescued her! ❤️

I’m giving only one star because that’s the lowest that’s allowed. Sat on hold for 45 minutes to be hung up on twice by the company. Never did get through to a person

My husband and I stopped in to look at what was available to adopt. We live on an acreage and our dog is getting old with health issues. Our dogs and cats are family to us. The girl at the counter didnt smile once. She seemed like she didnt like her job, like we were bothering them and interrupting them. We came ready to adopt but left because it was such an unpleasant experience. We are an older couple. When I updated my will recently, I took out the donation to ARL. There are are other similar places that could use a donation.

I scheduled an appointment online, flex appointments, and got myself waiting in the virtual line. My girlfriend had been wanting a dog, but I didnt tell her I was doing any of this beforehand. So a few days later after I get off work I tell her to make sure shell be ready in twenty minutes, just enough time for me to get back home. I go pick her up and we head out, unbeknownst to her, to the A.R.L. I took the back way there so she didnt have a clue where we were going the whole time. I turned to her and asked her if she knew where we were going yet, since we were cresting the last hill to get there. When she finally figured it out she exploded into a ball of excitement and happiness!!! One of the best experiences of my life!! Now we have another member of the family, Ross, a two year old chocolate Labrador. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a good pet.

The adoption process was quick and easy. Plus the ARL has some great programs for anybody who is looking for a new pet, we have adopted 2 cats using the rent a cat program. For 2 months you get to have a cat, at least 8 months old or more, in your home to see if they are a happy and enjoyable match for you and then at the end you pay a small fee and the cat is yours, its great for families who arent sure, meanwhile the cat is still the ARLs and if there are any health problems etc the cats entire vet bill is covered.

Found my puppy here 6 years ago and they are amazing. And these two still need a good home. Monarch and zebo

We loved our experience here! The obvious care and love for every animal in there was apparent as soon as we entered the building. We were there to find a kitty to become a part of our family and it seemed like the people helping us has known every cat for their entire life. They knew their tendencies and their moods. It really showed how much time and care they out into those cats.We eventually picked out our new kitty Rue and have been in love since. These guys know what theyre doing and Id recommend to get your new animal here!

I absolutely love this place. Got a beautiful tortoiseshell kitty here and a different kitty at their clive location. They are always friendly and knowledgeable about the animals and always seem to know how to help. Nothing brings more joy then a fluffy bundle of joy. I heard about the bunny a while ago and my condolence go to your organization. I can only hope things will be better from here.

The dogs & cats looks very well taken care of and happy so theyll be even happier when they find their forever home! Their pet accesory store is awesome too!

We adopted an adorable husky named Loki from the ARL, and everyone there was so incredibly nice and friendly. The facility is high tech with lots of room for the animals to sleep, play, and eat in. I highly recommend coming here if you want to adopt a new dog or cat. Ciao! ♥

I love everything they are trying to do to help or furry friends get forever homes! Their policy of letting you adopt a pet and if its not a good fit you can exchange it for another one is a great way to make sure both animal and person are well suited for each other! I think they give you two weeks to decide . Also, I think they should do back ground checks on people just to make sure they dont have any animal cruelty or abuse charges. And one last thing is, it would be great if they had a hot line or a web page where new pet owners could go to get help with potty training and other common issues that owners are faced with. Or make sure they know the basics before they even get to take the pet home. 😊

We adopted this beautiful rooster named Matt. He is the sweetest boy! He was seized from a fighting ring sometimes you never know what youre going to get. He loves to be held and as you can tell that is my six-year-old son holding him he is not aggressive whatsoever we love him. Now for the ARL this place was beautiful they helped us out in every way that they could super sweet girls working there beautiful gift shop an area for you to play with a dog or have some quiet time with the cat and then right across the street is the barn and they are very well maintained beautiful horses and roosters and a pig named petunia

My experience was abysmal. They wouldn’t allow me to surrender my dog for adoption despite being told they have resources for behavioral training. They said they DIDN’T have resources for behavioral training.I traveled 45 minutes after having to do a bunch of leg work proving certain things. They said my mini dachshund was not adoptable. These were untrained staff making decisions.When recalling my experience to Ames Shelter, they were appalled by what happened. 0/5 stars.

We got the newest member of our family here.. staff was friendly and helpful... place was clean and they seemed to really care about the animals...

Everyone here is so friendly and has a true love of animals. All my pets have been adoptees from the ARL and Ive had nothing but good experiences. If youre considering a pet, please adopt! They have so many sweet animals and no one will share your excitement more than the staff and volunteers at the ARL!

The workers were very friendly and very attentive to my issues. I left there with no worries about my concerns and I would like to say I have looked into donating my time here. And will be donating my money every month. I love their mission and want to be part of taking care of animals lives.I would recommend this place to anyone.Way to go ARL!!

My dog passed away very unexpectedly from Pyometra and I rushed to get her cremated but arrived 10 minutes after they closed but there were still plenty of workers inside. This was very inconvenient since my dog was very big and I had to leave her in the car overnight in the hot summer. I hope in the future it is possible to drop off a fur baby for cremation and not have to deal with looking at them lifeless.

We got two dogs from them and they are totally spoiled

I adopted a dog here around 2005. I laid him to rest a couple of weeks ago. He provided myself and family with love and some of the best memories of my life. Thank you a ARL

I came in today with my roommate, looking at some dogs to adopt. We looked at one that didnt seem like a good match so the person helping us suggested another on, Koby. It was like love at first sight LOL. His big brown eyes just melted my heart and my roommate and I decided it would be a good match, especially for her dog who also seems to love Koby. I highly recommend adopting from this rescue, but dont get too attached to pictures of dogs because this place is first come, first serve and doesnt hold any animals, which i can understand why they have this rule. Again, 10/10 recommend this place for adoption.

I went for an event at their dog park, it was very fun! People there are very nice.

Thanks you for all you do for the forgotten animals !!! Our dog Cariba was a rescue dog 6 years ago !!!

I got my dog from here her name was Rory and it is still Rory she is so cute and playful a little nippy on furniture sometimes but not to much.

Payed to get my dogs ashes and never got them because they lady who took my payment filed it wrong. All they offered was a refund for the cremation.

Very friendly and helpful staff and volunteers make this a great place to be. The animals seem well taken care of, staff even seemed to know each by name. There are plenty of places to get pets for sure, but the level of dedication, professionalism, and personality would be very hard to beat. Clean, and new(?) facilities are thoughtful and functional. Go adopt a new buddy!

This place is absolutely horrible. You can never get ahold of anyone online and I sat here for days trying to get ahold of them and they never call back.

Great place. Employee was very friendly and patient as she introduced us to all the cats and dogs waiting for a good home. They currently ask you to wait in line by calling them or using the website. That way only one family is looking at the pets at a time. Also, unlike some businesses, every employee was wearing their mask correctly and our guide frequently used hand sanitizer.

Need to have people to staff emergency line and not cops.

They didnt help me at all. So I bought a Golden Retriever. Best choice Ive ever made.

I had excellent service and all of my questions were answered! Huge shoutout to one of their employees, Shay, for making this process awesome!

We had to say goodbye to our yellow lab, Buddy. He was 12 years old. He donated everything to such a great loving place. We miss him, but are glad his things are going to a wonderful place.

We adopted our older male dog, he was so well-behaved. We were happy to make him a part of our senior home. He has been a positive addition and gets along well with our rescued female. They are a blessing to us both, we were very happy with the staff. The adoption process was smooth and worry-free. He checked out great at the vets and has been living with us now for two years. He is an excellent companion and loves going for rides and gets along great with people. We love our rescue dog Sam.

The ARL have great people working for them! They truly love animals! They treated my baby girl very well and I appreciate, all they did for us!

This whole vitural online is for the birds there is a dog they have that I would love to adopt but the thing is full so I cant get.

Adopted both my kitties from the ARL and they are my best friends. They both had serious medical conditions before adopting, and they were fully treated and cared for, including one having multiple surgeries to correct an eye issue. Now they are both perfectly healthy and they are obsessed with each other. Love the staff there, and I would love to foster or adopt more in the future! :)Edit: 2 years later and Ive adopted two more kitties from the ARL and they are both awesome.

Staff at the front desk is rude and not the friendliest, definitely need to work on there people skillsFirst time there and had a bad experience

Staff was very informative, patient and kind. Answered of our questions about the adoption process. Currently they are doing a virtual line, where you fill out your info online and have a place in line. They then text you with updates about your status in the line. The times were a little off, but overall a good experience.

Lots of pets to chose from that need a forever home. Live that they look into who is actually getting the pet before releasing it. I have also spent time volunteering there and would highly recommend any time, food or money you can offer them in assistance.

Three weeks ago I adopted a stray year old cat. She papers to be a nearly if she isnt a pure breed lilac point Siamese. She is a wonderful kitty, and gets along famously with my other cat, Cody. I was looking for a companion for Cody as he missed hid two older sisters. It was a match made in heaven. I have now adopted two cats in two years and the ARL has been great to work with. I am handicapped and in todays Covid 19 world they were very helpful in finding me a companion for my Cody.Thank you very much for your help and the great staff that catered to meJames Schneider

I was very Shook Up when I took my pet to be laid down they assured me they do very well by him and tried to comfort me it was so difficult but they were so kind. They assured me that they would take special care of my pet. Bless you all. Mrs. Nelsen

Kind, compassionate, understanding and sympathy were several things I could most of all they treated my life & dogs life with dignity and complete respect understood situation and took me & Jack to better place so that Jack could be with his best friend Duke who we lost a month ago. Duke top color Jack black & grey

The staff was wonderful when I had to take my fur baby in.

She is the sweetest pig ever. Im glad we are her forever home!

Cant say enough good things about this animal haven! This was such a sad day for us because we had to put our Maggie down! She had turned 19 this year in May. We miss her but it was time. Animal rescue league of Iowa made it possible and kindly enough to be able to go through it all! Thank you much guys!

MY FAMILY DONATES TO THE ARL MONEY AND TREATS IN HONOR OF OUR LOVED DOG ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS BIRTHDAY .WE DO THIS YEAR.

Great strides for the animals so, if you read this donate even if its only a penny!!!

Got a friendly new cat she seams to like her new home

Great friendly staff. Very easy process and super enjoyable experience.

Both of my wonderful pups have come from the arl. The training classes they reccomend really helped alot for new dog owners.

They do a good job and have alot if patience while letting us look around and find the perfect cat.

So very thankful for you guys! Adopted my baby girl RainE, almost two months ago, and it was love at first sight!!! Shes amazing❣️💖💖🐾🐾

First rate facility and staff. I guess its a good thing but few choices are available to adopt a dog.

My friend had a party there and i had so much fun I hope to adopt a puppy someday

I read a lot of negative reviews about this shelter but didnt believe it until I went for myself. This shelter is the WORST run animal shelter I have ever been too and I feel sorry for the animals that are there. The facility is really nice but the way they operate makes it very difficult to adopt. You cant interact with or adopt an animal unless you get on a 1 hour waiting list. I understand that you cant just grab an animal and check out, but they are under-staffed and dont even have an appointment system to try to make it easier and organized. The cages are plastic too so you cant even pet or play with the animals. They look so miserable and helpless in there. The adoption fees are high ($100 for a cat). They should be open to criticism and realize they arent doing whats best for the animals. I suggest the shelter get tips on how to run a successful shelter that actually helps animals from the Cedar Rapids Humane Society or the Humane Society of Stillwater Oklahoma.

My experience was wonderful and We fell in love with two dogs but my first choice was reserved and my second was adopted then they told me the first choice was not reserved for a interested family so I ended up getting June who I wanted. June is now Maisy Griffith-Roland. What a wonderful addition to the family. We have to potty train her and get a couple shots that she needs and it was an easy adoption.I recommend anyone who is looking for a forever fur baby to go here and look for your new family member!

Love this place got my 2 fur babies from here and I couldnt be anymore happier

We are so fortunate to have such a nice facility. I picked up Dog apples today and the place was busy but was greeted by friendly staff members. Get your dog or human apples before they run out. Goes to a good cause.

Got my babies from here they are well loved

One starves being way to generous for this place. We adopted a dog in October 10th. We asked all the questions, vaccinations, illnesses everything. We found out today on October 14th the dog had oarvo and fas infected our year old dog. This place is totally unprofessional abd disgusting how they are dealing with this. We wanted them to treat our older dog too because it was to late to get her into a vet but they refused. Low life and inhumane

A wonderful place to find your best friend. They great care of the furry friends that can be found at the ARL. More importantly, they took great care of my mom as she went in to meet her new pooch.I would recommend The Des Moines ARL to anyone. Many thanks for everything ARL!!!

Took my little boy and got him fixed then everything now hes got a little nicer attitude to and stuff cuz he was a little mean for me thank you.jl

This place is awesome. The staff is extremely caring and kind. They do so much for the animals.

Went in looking for one and left with 2 pups! 😍

I love the labor they do. Very kind

I am looking for a friend for our cat, Simba. We just lost our 16 year old cat, Blue. We had him put to sleep. Now we are ready for a new member of the family. I love the easiness of the web site to see what is available.

Great customer service! Staff was helpful and genuinely love animals. Pens are clean with fresh water. Dogs all well nourished. Great place to find your next best friend.

Friendly, non-judgmental, immediately showed animals love.

Pretty upset that I took my kids to look at getting a kitten as I had promised them. We got to look at the kittens and my kids picked one out. I was ready to pay and do the paperwork only to find out that the kitten had just gotten out of surgery. That was fine until I was told I couldnt pay for the kitten until the next day and the only way I could get it was to try to be in early enough to adopt. With work I couldnt get in until about 4pm and all the kittens had been adopted. Pretty messed up youre advertising them while they cant be adopted and I have to try to explain to 5 and 4 year old why we cant bring home this kitten. Really hoping someone can explain to me the thought process behind this because I cant explain something to my kids that makes absolutely no sence.

Helped my friend find his new best friend. The helpers were very nice and explained details when we met some of the dogs. When we were loosing hope Cleo walked into the room and sat next to my friend and he knew that was his best friend.

Sadly understaffed and scattered but still definitely worth the visit

We have adopted two cats from ARL, and we cant imagine a better shelter. The interior is spotless, the workers are always open for questions and know a lot about the individual animals, the animals are no doubt taken care of extremely well... We cant think of one negative aspect of ARL!

An amazing organization where I met my best buddy!

I got my first dog from here. They do a good job of finding animals homes.

The staff were friendly & AWESOME with the animals. They demonstrate patience and flexibility when handling/showing and genuinely care for each animal there. All animals were in good condition in clean areas. We rented a cat for 60 days before adoption to make sure it would be a great fit for our family and the cat; and $0 down. Would recommend to all.

We all need to get behind all the hard work the staff do every day. Dogs can fill every aspect of a life. I should say any pet can. The best place a person can visit to be rewarded instantly. Pets show more love than we can ever know about. The staff is top notch as usual. Thankyou for all you do.

Adopted our lovable senior dog, Todd, there. Staff was friendly and very knowledgeable about the animals. They had a great pet supply shop inside where you get a discount if you are adopting but you can go there anytime its open. We got a discount on adoption fees for our Todd because he was a senior. Their website has the listings and info about the different animals they have available and was helpful to us for window shopping before we arrived.

I love this place. Love the people to animal ratio.

I was going in for surgery and needed someone to watch my dog till i was out of my cast and called them to get people who were doing this but the lady took my dog and then left him in an apartment and never could contact her the next thing i see is my dig at the arl and they neutered him and i didnt want this and i will never trust these people again i got my dog back but hes not the same. NOT HAPPY AT ALL WHAT HAPPENED NOT RIGHT

The staff are nice. Ive adopted 2 cats from them and I love them dearly.

Sadly, we needed to have our 14 year old dog put to sleep. ARL was very respectful and caring in the process. They even provided a private room for time to say farewell. Good people

I love this place. Its filled with positivity and possibilities. I was there this time to just drop off a donation of supplies. While I was there I was glad to see a family completing their adoption of a Springer spaniel type dog. Who is going to his forever home. Enough said!

We had such a great experience adopting the newest member of our family. Everyone at the ARL from the staff members to the volunteers helped to make it a positive and memorable moment! Just give yourself ample time to both look and go through the adoption process. The wait was long but definitely worth it!

Waited over an hour and could only pet orville... Who is cute... But I wanted to go in a hug room which all remained empty the entire duration of my visit.

We’ve had the pleasure of adopting two pets in the last few years from ARL Main. the volunteers there take the time to find just the right match for your specific needs. it’s a beautiful, clean facility with well cared for animals.