Options for Re-Homing an Animal on Your Own

The Humane Society of North Iowa is considered a “no-kill” facility, meaning that we do not euthanize animals in our care based on the length of time they’ve been with us or due to a lack of space.  While this is great news for the animals, it means that our kennels are almost always full and we often don’t have room for animals that are brought in without an appointment.

We maintain a Waiting List of animals that are waiting to come into our care.  When an animal is adopted, we pull up the next name on the list and call it in to our shelter.  Depending on the species and time of year, this can sometimes take as little as a few days or sometimes several months.

If you are in a situation where you cannot add an animal to our Waiting List and need to re-home now, listed below are some options you may consider:

• If you have found a stray animal and your community does not have an animal control service, call your local Police Department (if you live in town), Sheriff’s Department (if you live outside city limits) and local Veterinarians to ask if they are able to help in your situation.
• The Globe Gazette newspaper in Mason City offers a free 2-day ad in their “Giveaway Guide.”  To ensure your pet goes to a good home, you should be prepared to “screen” interested callers.  Ask us if you need advice.
• Many area grocery stores, convenience stores and community centers have bulletin boards where they allow individuals to post notices about giving away a pet. (Most require that you ask permission before you post something though, so double-check!)  Be sure to include pictures and point out your pets best attributes! (Are they spayed/neutered? House-broken? Declawed? Etc…)
• If the reason you cannot add your pet to our Waiting List is because you cannot currently house them, do you have a friend or relative that can temporarily house your pet until we can work them into our shelter off the Waiting List?
• Lastly, if you are truly in a desperate situation, there are some animal shelters out there that are willing to take in any animal that walks through the door.  However, these shelters are not considered “no-kill” facilities and they cannot assure you that your pet will be adopted.  Two reputable shelters in the state of Iowa that work very hard to find homes for their animals are:
  • Cedar Bend Humane Society (Waterloo): (319) 232-6887
  • Animal Rescue League (Des Moines): (515) 284-6905