Having your pet altered is the number one way that you can help control the population of cats & dogs in Polk County. In addition to preventing unwanted litters, having your cat altered can prevent “spraying” by male cats, can quiet the cries of female cats in heat and can even help protect against serious health problems.

LOW COST SPAY/NEUTER for both cats & dogs IS AVAILABLE in Polk County. Please visit our Friends & Partners page for a list of local Vets who can provide this service at a low price.

The animals are plenty but the workers are few. Often under-funded, our local Polk shelters need your help walking dogs, caring for cats, transporting animals, washing food dishes, doing laundry, and assisting in adoptions. Plus, you get to love on and play with the animals to prepare them for the love they’ll receive at their forever homes. Please visit our Friends & Partners page for a list of local shelters in need of volunteers.

Fostering is important because it helps reduce overcrowding in shelters and opens up space for other animals to be saved. Whether a shelter is crowded or not, each cat, kitten, puppy, or dog requires time and resources that could be conserved if those animals were in foster homes. Fostering is a way to give animals a chance to live in a home where they can fully express their personality, work to overcome fears, or recover from an injury or illness.

Not only does fostering prepare animals for forever home, it also helps prepare families for the responsibilities of caring for a pet prior to the commitment of adoption. Fostering is an excellent way to determine how your family’s routines will change and how your current pets would react to a new pet in the house. Please visit our Friends & Partners page for foster opportunities with shelters we trust.

Yay, you’ve chosen to open your home to a new fur baby! With the No Kill philosophy in mind, we strongly encourage you to adopt from a local shelter instead of a breeder. By adopting a pet from an animal welfare organization, you will free up space for another homeless cat, dog, puppy or kitten to have the opportunity to find a forever home.

Please see the Local Polk County Shelters section on our Friends & Partners page for a list of locations where you can adopt.