The Animal Rescue League says the facility will increase its capacity to handle emergency situations and ongoing animal welfare cases.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Animal Rescue League of Iowa began construction last week of its planned Rescue Intake & Rehabilitation Center, which an ARL release calls “Iowa’s only dedicated space for housing and recovery for animals rescued from cruelty and neglect situations.”
The ARL says the facility, which is part of the second phase of a project to expand its rescue facilities, will increase its capacity to handle emergency situations and ongoing animal welfare cases.
Construction plans include a medical intake area, new HVAC system, eight specialized behavioral support areas and two play yards that the ARL says “will provide enrichment for dogs who may need more time in the ARL’s care.” It expects construction for this phase to cost $1 million.
So far this year, nearly 1,000 animals have been rescued across Iowa, according to the ARL’s release. During one 12-day stretch this summer, the ARL took in 162 animals; in September, it assisted in the removal of 111 dogs from a property in rural Plymouth County; and, just last month, the ARL rescued 37 cats and dogs from a southern Iowa home.
