This is a nice shelter. The people are very friendly and helpful. It is out of their home, and they…read morehave a huge yard for the dogs to play in (which is nice to see in contrast to the city shelters)..but you're paying for it. Their adoption fees are the most expensive ones I have found. It was $250 to adopt our puppy and $225 to adopt the 1 year old. Now here is my complaint and thus why I can not give them full stars: When we were there, we bought both a harness and a leash for both dogs. Each piece was about $16 (so doing math you're looking at $32 for the set, per dog). The nice lady who helped us, Karen, tightened the harnesses for us and off we went. When we were at PetSmart getting supplies, my husband set the 1 year old dog down, fully harnessed and leashed, so I could take her and he could get our toddler out of the car seat. In that split second, the dog wiggled out of her harness and was gone, never to be seen again. Ok, I understand that they won't give us our money back, and I never even asked (though their contract says nothing about it). That is not my complaint (though I struggle with not being extremely irritated at the situation in general lol). No matter how innocent it was, it was still our fault she's gone, even if it was the shelter that tightened her harness for us. So we can say bye to the $225 we spent. The harness/leash however was used once, so I assume they would return that at least. It's not like they can't resale it, it's brand new!! WRONG!! They will not return them! So, lesson for you to learn from my mistake: If you have the money to adopt a dog from here, make sure you tighten the harness yourself, that way all of the blame is on you and will give you peace of mind there. Don't EVER set the dog down fully harnessed and leashed. For that matter, you may as well not buy them since they are apparently pointless. Lol. But if you do, make sure it's one you like bc you will have it forever, even if you don't have the dog anymore. Better yet, save yourself the hassle and buy your harness and leash from PetSmart or Walmart. At least there you can return it. :)

volunteering there since January 2016. the adoption process is easy as I adopted a special needs…read morecat on August 1,2019

The shelter that doesn't have a lot, but gives so much to special needs animals in our community…read more They put the life and health of animals first and their interest in the well-being of all creatures is inspiring.

Everyone was very nice and helpful. The cats seemed to be well cared for. My niece enjoyed every…read moreminute in the room and was well worth bringing her in. It was hard not to adopt every cat in there. LOL

As if this wasn't the most relaxing place in DSM already, they now have the Cheshire Cat from…read more"Alice in Wonderland." You must visit and meet Cosmos the ginger boy with the striped tail and loving personality.

If I could, I would give them a zero. Submitted an application for a puppy and it was approved, but…read moreapparently they didn't submit it to the foster. By the time the application was provided to the foster, after I followed up several times, the puppy was already adopted. Caught the Adoption Coordinator in several lies about the application process and breed (1st saying it was a Yorkie/ Dachshund mix and later saying they didn't know what the breed was). We had another puppy lined up to buy, but waited on seeing the puppy for adoption and now both are gone. If you find a puppy from a breeder, buy it. Don't wait on AHeinz57. They are worse than most breeders in Iowa who they constantly label as Puppy Mills.

We adopted a puppy from AHeinz in July 2024 after following the rescue for a long time. I felt…read morereally confident adopting through them, and it was a wonderful experience. I so appreciate the work they do. I really encourage visiting the adoption center, and considering adoption of a kitty or doggo from AHeinz57. They are thorough and adding a furry friend to your life is always worth it!

Last night, my beloved calico sphynx, Thea, escaped from her absolute prison of a loving, very…read morespoiled household to go on a neighborhood adventure. Thankfully, the neighbors found her not long after and she was delivered to Furry Friends. I was hysterical and bawling after posting her missing on Facebook and a close friend told me where she was jailed. I immediately called, sent her documentation, and cried on the phone partly in worry and partly in relief. Furry Friends not only released her to me and we bailed her out, but during after hours. We re-microchipped her for a fraction of the price of the vet and they definitely didnt do any cruel or unusual punishment to my felon of a daughter. She is now home, safe, warm, and on house arrest. Here is her mugshot. She may never show again now that she has a record. She is also getting a GPS tracker (equivalent to an ankle monitor) as well as her sphynx sister. For an exotic breed lover, I am SO THANKFUL to Furry Friends for their clean, tidy facility and loving demeanor with understanding how incredibly upset I was.

Wow the irony in all the poor reviews isn't surprising. My friend Jamie just adopted 3 cats from…read morethere and two started immediately having issues. One got better and one has had on going problems since she got it. She tried taking it to the vet but still nothing helped. when she politely reached out to the manager and asking if she can return the one, the manager was a snot and very demeaning. Making Jamie feel like she was a crappy pet owner and having to defend herself. Thankfully I am not as sweet as her and have no problem speaking my mind. She is the sweetest person and the way they made her feel angers me. The manager then decided to show up at her place sunday afternoon and ask for the cat back? Bizarre and not sure i've ever heard of that happening. Probably because there's no reason to ever do that. Just poor managment and a poorly ran business. Would never ever recommend them.

I mean...what can you say about the great work that happens at the ARL?! Desk staff was kind and…read morehelpful, answering the many questions families ask. It was quick to be escorted back to visit with the dogs. I was glad that the staff sat with me for a bit as I sat with our newest family member and got acquainted. The check out process is pretty smooth as well, sitting at tables and having everything on a tablet, again with knowledgeable staff. I appreciated the small bag of food that was provided to make the transition at home, easier.

The woman working at the front was extremely rude and condescending. My friend was so excited to…read moreadopt a kitty and she was questioning whether we were 18+ or not. Very rude when setting up my friends arl account. Treated my friend like she was incompetent. The adoption counselor, however, was very kind and knowledgeable.

Very loving, caring staff and a variety of animals to choose from! Managers and Kennel Technicians…read moreare available to answer any questions you may have any questions you may have and don't push you to adopt an animal unless. They look for the perfect fit for you and your family!