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Animal Welfare Friends
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22407 Business Highway 151 Monticello, Iowa 52310
monticelloIowaUS

Animal Welfare Friends

#100 in United States, #4 in Iowa, #1 in Monticello

22407 Business Highway 151 Monticello, Iowa 52310

http://animalwelfarefriends.org

shelter@animalwelfarefriends.org

Service areas:

Monticello, Iowa

The Animal Welfare Friends shelter is a no-kill shelter located just north of Monticello, Iowa. Our shelter features two free roam cat rooms with large windows, indoor & outdoor dog kennels, a grassy run for the dogs to exercise in, and walking paths on the grounds for our volunteers to walk dogs on. We are the only and first shelter in the county, and are so proud to be able to help our community & their animals live healthy, safe, happy lives! Shelter History In May 2006, AWF embarked on a campaign to raise funds to build an animal shelter in Jones County. In the next 10 years, we raised nearly $250,000 towards this goal. After years of hard work, AWF was able to purchase land for the shelter in 2012. The 8.68 acres, located just north of Monticello at off Highway 151, gave us plenty of space for not just a shelter, but also a dog park and additional animal event spaces. After this purchase, the AWF board began working on the plans for the animal shelter in conjunction with architect Sarah Coleman of Martin Gardner Architecture. AWF already had an “Animal Shelter” license from the state of Iowa, which required that we had a facility. AWF’s Cat Adoption Center in Anamosa fulfilled that requirement. However, the Cat Adoption Center caught on fire on October 20th, 2013, leaving us without a facility. AWF was able to rent a small office in Olin, Iowa to temporarily fulfill the location requirements for the state of Iowa, but the pressure was on more than ever to get the shelter built. Though we would have ideally built a 6,000 square foot building, reality dictated that we start out small and leave room to add on later as more funding becomes available. We focused on getting the septic, well, and utilities in along with a road so we could then pour 3,000 square feet of concrete for the floor and construct the building over it. An animal shelter at the time cost $250 per square feet to construct. This would mandate $750,000 for a 3,000 square foot shelter. However, we determined that by purchasing dog & cat kennels used, and focusing on getting the simple basics functioning, we could get the shelter built for $525,000. In October 2016, construction on the shelter was completed and we opened our doors to the people and animals of Jones County, Eastern Iowa, and beyond! We’re proud to be no-kill, meaning animals can stay at our shelter as long as they need to while they wait for their forever family to find them. Since the shelter’s opening, we’ve been able to save over 1,000 of cats & dogs from uncertain futures. We’ve also been able to reunite over 150 local lost animals with their family, as well as hosting multiple low cost microchip & vaccination clinics to help area animals stay healthy and safe. In 2022, with the support of many amazing individuals and families, we completed our next goal of constructing a dog park on our land! It’s been a joy to offer this wonderful space for the dogs in our community. Now we are looking forward for more opportunities to help the animals and their families in our community and beyond live the best lives they can.

Adoption Policy

Adoption Fees We use a variable fee schedule to assign adoption fees. This fee schedule takes into account the animal’s age, breed, and size. Some types of dogs and cats are less common and have a higher demand, so their fee might be higher. Other types of dogs and cats are more common, are older, or have special needs. If the animal is not yet spayed/neutered, we will also need a $100 deposit that will be refunded when vetted (which we cover the cost of if done at the Monticello Vet Clinic). The adoption fee can be paid with cash or credit/debit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover). Discounts We currently offer discounts to senior citizens and military veterans for $25 off any adoption fee. Items Covered by the Adoption Fee The adoption fees that we collect help us provide important medical care and inoculations for the animals. Some pets have received advanced treatment in addition to the basic care listed below. We ensure that a pet has acquired a healthy state—free of ear infections, urinary tract infections, etc.—prior to adoption. If a pet is likely to have a long-term condition but the pet is still deemed adoptable, this information is shared with interested families so they may make an informed decision on adopting. If you need more information on the types of vet care provided for our animals or have other questions, please contact us at shelter@animalwelfarefriends.org or (319) 462-5683. For more information on our spay/neuter policies, please visit our “Philosophy” page. Our adoption fees include the following: • Spaying and neutering • Rabies & Distemper/Parvo Vaccinations • Bordetella (Dogs only) • Microchip implant and free registration • Feline Leukemia Test (Cats Only) • Heartworm Test (Dogs Only) • Heartworm Preventative (Dogs Only) • Flea and Tick Treatment (When needed, cats and dogs) • Flea and Tick Preventative (Dogs only) The Adoption Process Contact us to meet the dog or cat you are interested in. Or better yet, contact us, let us know if you are looking to adopt a dog or cat and the PERSONALITY of pet you are looking for. If you’re interested in a dog, we encourage you to have a specific dog(s) in mind that you’d like to meet with before coming out — this way we can limit the number of strangers going into the kennel room and stressing out the dogs. We will be happy to offer suggestions for the dog or cat who may be a good match for you! Once you have contacted AWF, you will be asked to complete an adoption application. You can do so at our shelter, or on our website. You are welcome to complete an application ahead of visiting. • If you rent or own a townhome or condominium, be sure to check with your landlord or homeowners association on pet policies before filling out our adoption application. • If you leave any questions blank, we have the right to disqualify your application. • It usually takes one week to process an adoption application. • We are interested in finding the RIGHT home for a dog or cat. This may not necessarily be the first person who applies to adopt a pet. • All pets currently in the home must be up-to-date on vaccinations and spayed or neutered. • Our procedure enables us to gather complete and well-rounded information in order to make an informed and wise decision that will lead to a lifetime relationship between a family and pet. • We do follow-up calls to help insure the placement is working, to hone our dog and cat evaluation skills, and to help with any questions that may arise. • Please realize that it may take up to two weeks for your pet to be comfortable in your home. It is possible that he/she may have some accidents during this adjustment period. • Our procedure is about righting a wrong. If an animal is in our care, something has already gone wrong in their life. We want to find them a home where they’ll be cherished and loved for the rest of their life.
https://animalwelfarefriends.org/adopt/available-dogs/

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