Contact Us

Animal Lifeline Animal Shelter:
Shelter Street Address: 4521 SE 14th St,
Des Moines, IA 50320
Mailing Address: PO Box 12, Carlisle, IA 50047
Shelter Phone Number: (515) 285-7387

Please call to schedule an appointment if you are interested in adopting.
HOURS:
Sunday - CLOSED
Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - CLOSED
Wednesday - 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday - 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Friday - 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday - 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Closed on all major holidays
Shelter donations can be dropped off during business hours Wednesday-Saturday.

Des Moines Animal Services
Animal Control for the
City of Des Moines is overseen by
ARL Animal Services.
1441 Harriet St. (new building corner of SE 14th St)
Des Moines, IA 50317
Hours:
Monday-Friday
9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Call: (515) 284-6905
Text: (515) 686-8274
Reporting an Animal Emergency:
If you are in Des Moines city limits, please call (515) 283-4811 to speak with DMPD dispatch, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Have a question?
We are happy to help! Please allow 72 business hours for a response.

For information on specific adoptable animals, please call the Shelter at 515.285.7387 during business hours.

Thank you!

!!! STOP !!!!
DO NOT USE THIS FORM IF YOU ARE INQUIRING ABOUT A CAT OR DOG COMING TO ANIMAL LIFELINE (must have a special need such as injury, illness, pregnant/nursing, or orphaned babies), please call 515.285.7387 during business hours & request to speak with Martha.
These requests are NOT handled via email.

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Message

Phone

REMINDER (BEFORE YOU HIT SUBMIT): If you are inquiring about a cat or dog coming to Animal Lifeline (must have a special need such as injury, illness, pregnant/nursing, orphaned babies), please call 515.285.7387 & request to speak with Martha. These requests are NOT handled via email.

Board of Directors

Stephanie Reynolds President
Travis Etchison Vice President + Treasurer
Betty Brim-Hunter Secretary
Brooke Jacobs Immediate Past President
Olivia Brooks Director
Jenna Leaven-Miller Director
Sarah Golwitzer Director
Jessica Shannon Director

Leadership

Executive Director – Martha Wittkowski
Director of Development – Stacie Leinen
Thrift Shop Manager - Ashley Reed

Animal Lifeline of IOWA’s 2022 SAVE RATE = 95%

Animal Lifeline’s No-Kill Shelter Agreement
Our shelter is committed to saving every animal in our care who can be saved.
We do not euthanize healthy or treatable pets even at an owner's request. We only euthanize a pet if:
A veterinarian has assessed that there is no chance of recovering an acceptable quality of life, or It would be clearly inhumane or unsafe not to do so immediately, or
In cases of irremediable canine aggression when (1) a veterinarian has eliminated medical treatment as a solution; (2) rehabilitation by a specialist in canine behavior has failed; (3) staff and public safety cannot be reasonably assured, or other management protocols seriously compromise the quality of life.
The reason(s) our shelter could fall below the 90% benchmark; our shelter has a relatively high number of animals who die in care because:
We have a neonatal kitten program. Neonatal kittens have fragile immune systems and often arrive at the shelter as orphans and with compromised health. We make every effort to treat and care for kittens until they are eating on their own and healthy enough to go to a foster home, but some lives are still lost despite those efforts.
We accept and provide medical care to old, injured, and sick animals. Some do not make it, despite our best efforts.

Animal Lifeline Effectiveness Policy

View Our 2022 990 Tax Form

Animal Lifeline Privacy Policy

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