06/14/2026
Just a friendly reminder, feel free to pass this info along and to help us help them, by being a Responsible Pet Owner. This also includes being a good Community Cat / Working Cat colony manager. Also help thy neighbor by reminding friends and family we are a VOLUNTEER ran shelter. Which means we are here for them.
* If you find a dog/cat, the best way to help is to take a picture of the animal, note where you are located, and send info to us on messenger. We try to catch all the messages, but also work and have things here or there that come up in our lives too. So if you also post on a swap/announcement/personal pg, make sure to provide your contact info. A reminder with "private" settings, the average community neighbor can't always share. But if you share on a personal pg and it's "public" others can share and tag until we can put on our pg. Include a picture of the animal, general location, if the animal is in danger or injured, this will hopefully give the owner a chance to claim so they can make medical decisions, if necessary. Some animals can be nippy if injured. Do your best to keep them off the road if they have been clipped, and call the sheriff/town cop for assistance in blocking traffic so you are not hurt.
If the animal is not hurt, but on a very busy street, you should still send us the picture and info and we will post. Some dogs are skittish and can be nippy, if you try to grab at them.
* Per Iowa code all dogs should have a collar with rabies tag visible. It would be helpful if all dogs have an id tag for the owner to be directly contacted before calling us or the police, if possible. Chips are great but only for those of us with the scanners. So collar, id tag, city licensing, rabies tag, and chip, if possible.
* If you see a dog in your yard, we will gladly post info. But we should be the last resort. A few hours on FB with friends and relatives sharing and tagging should get them home safely. If not please be in touch with us for the next step.
* Injured animals should not come straight to the shelter. We are not a vet clinic and do not have vets on sight. We are a No Suffering Shelter, which means we will take medical ownership of an animal suffering or in pain. If the animal is able to receive life saving choices by a medical professional and that vet and our board agrees upon a procedure (such as an amputation or something like that) we may make that call. So pictures to our FB pg, your phone numb, and you may be asked to transport. The sheriff department, and police department can transport but ask that we work on FB posts first, and wait a bit to call if it's a non emergency in hopes family can come pick up directly.
* Do not call and yell at us for "never being there". We are in and out around 4-5 times a day with shifts. We have 2 wonderful part time staff who take animals to and from vet appointments, do deep cleaning, order and fill supplies, document and update data that is needed to keep a pound and a shelter license with the Board of Agg. Volunteers and staff do chores rain or shine, day and night, weekends, holidays, with several scared or sick critters. Be kind.
* If you are "on a waiting list" to bring in a cat or dog, it depends upon the following type of situations... the owner had an indoor cat or dog that has never lived outside and has passed away, gone into a nursing home, had a change in life such as not being able to care for a pet due to a car accident, house fire, loss of home. These are just a few, but they trump all the other reasons for owner surrenders.
* Here are reasons we are "always full". Every single intake gets a chance. Mind body and soul so to speak. If they are injured and "stray" we patch them up and they stay until adopted. If they come in as a stray, they are here for 7 days, then our property, fixed, shots, chipped, and wait to find the "best match for their needs". Which seems to take a lot longer than it used to. Some have been here a year now. No fault of their own, just because no one came for them. But we love them through it every - single - day.
* TNR cats are Trapped, Neutered, and Released due to an over abundance in city limits, in our towns, in Harrison County. We work with several feeders to manage the colony for a hand up to get control of their colony. But that is a lot of blood, sweat and tears and of course, money to make it work properly. So please, please, please if you feed it, fix it. We are working on updating our Cat Clinic sign ups, but TNR work has been hot and heavy since April. So please help by not letting your pets roam if they are not altered. Sooooo many unwanted animals, so few quality homes.
* Now, if you have taken the time to read this, thank you. Thank you for at least trying to understand. As a reminder we are a 501c3 non-profit and have a 28e with our county and towns. We only receive $1.52 per person per year for all of the county. We use that towards water, electric, and building maintenance. ALL ANIMAL CARE is funded by fundraisers, memorial donations, and general donations. We work hard for grants as well. Our 28e only generates about $21,000 a year. In 2024 we spent around $100,000.00 on vet care alone. Yep, that's right.
So please remember, when you call and leave a message, or FB with unwanted kittens, dogs at large, kids don't play with the dog anymore, we are not ignoring you. We are always planning and strategizing.
In closing it's not a shelter problem. It's not a dog or cat problem. It is a Responsible Owner problem. Please help us by taking care of your own back yard. Help thy neighbor, and help keep pets safe, but the shelter is a last result. If you are missing your pet, please be actively looking. If you haven't seen them in days, and haven't called or messaged us yet, yes they are probably with us and we are doing our best to provide them with love and compassion while taking care of them physically and working through behavioral issues.
* If you do not have time, or money, or time to raise money for your pet to have care, please do not get more. Or even one. We could always use volunteers, so you are welcome to take care of these, they appreciate all the love they get here.
Save these numbers in your phone in case you need them.
* HCHS: 712-644-3003
(The phone is checked once or twice a day, but FB is always the best form of communication because we can see it from home/work.)
Call law enforcement for abuse/neglect, or an animal is on your property and causing trouble, harming your pets, or on a busy hwy, or injured. If they are on an emergency call they will call back afterwards.
* Harrison County Sheriff Department: 712-600-9774
* MVPD: 712-642-3605
* Woodbine Police Department: 712-647-2345
* Dunlap Police Department:
712-643-5221
Our current emergency vet clinic is Twin Valley at 712-269-5190. Call and leave a message with the emergency and they will contact us asking if we will assume responsibility and make medical decisions on behalf of the animal, if there is no collar or chip. We ask that you also send us this info in messenger so we know what to expect or if it is something we can assist with.
Thank you for your continued support. We run on love, but we also need adoptions. â¤ď¸
