Did you adopt a pet who changed your life? Maybe your dog is the travel and adventure buddy who inspired you to finally see the world. Or, perhaps your cat helped you turn tragedy into triumph. Petco Love is a nonprofit, who invites you to share your Love Story. Doing so could earn Animal Welfare Friends a lifesaving grant – up to $100,000! Petco Love Stories celebrates — and returns — the love that we share with our pets. Since 2013, more than 20,000 adopters have shared how pets have change...

On June 17th from 8 am to Noon, the shelter will be hosting a grand opening for the dog park and holding an open house of the shelter. There will be many awesome and fun activities including: Come 'N' Get It! food truck from 10-12, Low-cost vaccination and microchip clinic, a training clinic from Tory Topping of Stone Hollow Dog at 9:30, goodie bags for dogs and cats, and also several businesses will have tables set up for you to visit. If this sounds like fun, come on down to shelter an...

Animal Welfare Friends has received a generous donation from Petco and so we have been asked to promote Petco Love Lost to make reuniting lost pets easier and free using facial recognition technology to search a national database.  Click HERE to search now. 

A local jewelry artist has started making silver and copper rings with cat and dog paw prints.  All money earned from selling these is donated back to the shelter.  If you would like to support the shelter while also supporting a local business, please follow the link below to purchase some of these rings. Etsy Listing  

As some of you may have heard, Amazon is shutting down AmazonSmile this month which is unfortunate. However, we have signed up for iGive which is very similar to AmazonSmile where you can raise money for AWF while you shop. You can follow this link to sign up for iGive and start donating: https://www.igive.com/uuAjpa Once you have created your account, you can also download their smartphone app if you want to donate that way.

Here you will find an archive of some of the newsletters we have sent out.  Feel free to look around.

Dear Friends of Animal Welfare Friends, With the number of surrendered animals up and adoptions down across the country, we are in need of your help. Waiting for adoption in a shelter is stressful! If you are able, could you foster a dog? Whether a day out for fun, a weekend sleepover, or a couple of weeks. Our dogs would love the time away from their kennels to be their true selves. We provide everything you need: Food, bowls, leash, and a pet profile. All we ask is you take lots of pic...

We have partnered with Goodpup which is a one-on-one dog training program that can be accessed through an app and used at home. We are only the third shelter in the state of Iowa to partner with Goodpup Goodpup is a good resource for people looking to adopt a dog and wanting to train them but can't pay for a high end trainer Training after adoption decreases the rate of returning a pet by allowing the new owner to address behaviors immediately and create a routine that will help the dog set...

We are looking for volunteers to sign up for snow shoveling. On the sign up sheet down below, the dates listed are the start of the week you would be signing up for. For example, if you sign up for November 21st, you would be in charge of shoveling until November 27th. Please include your phone number so the shelter can contact you if shoveling isn't required or if something changes. We look forward to your help!

Have you been looking to adopt a pet? Well have we got a deal for you! If you come to the shelter and adopt a cat 6 years old or older, their adoption fee will be 25 dollars. That's right only 25 dollars! Please come visit us at the shelter or call us or fill out an application on our website if you are interested. Tell your friends and family as well! We look forward to hearing from you!

Have you adopted an animal from this shelter? Would you like the chance to share how your pet has changed your life and help the shelter possibly win some money? Well if that sounds interesting, now is your chance! Petco Love(formerly the Petco Foundation) is holding a contest for animal shelters to win some money by having adopters share their stories of how their pet has changed their lives Here is what you need to send in: A written story in 500 words or less Four photos ...

  We are currently at capacity and cannot accept anymore cats at this time and until further notice. However, if you are interested in volunteering or acting as a foster for some of our animals,  please contact us at: (319) 975-8283 or email us at shelter@animalwelfarefriends.org

  Thanks to the support of a generous anonymous donor, Phase Two of our Dog Park project is now completed and the space is open for use. This new area is located at the front of the Animal Welfare Friends property, directly next to the Duane Ockenfels Memorial Dog Park which was completed last fall.  The official opening for the new Dog Park area will be held at a later date, but currently both parks are open daily from sunup to sundown free of charge for all to use. We’re so glad...

AWF animal adopters! Want your pet to be featured in the 2024 Animal Welfare Friends calendar? We are accepting submissions for our calendar of any former AWF animal! And if your pet makes it in the calendar, you will get a free copy of the calendar as well!    To submit your pet, we need: Your pet's name Your pet's name when you adopted it from us (if different) 2-5 high resolution photos of your pet 100-150 words about your pet (what makes them a perfect addition to yo...

Grant of $5000.00 will help save more pet lives in Northeast Iowa.   Monticello, June 2, 2022 – Animal Welfare Friends Shelter in Monticello announced today a $5000 grant investment from the newly named, Petco Love, to support AWF’s lifesaving work for animals in Northeast Iowa. Petco Love is a nonprofit leading change for pets nationally by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since their founding in 1999 as the Petco...

Animal lovers are a special breed of humans, generous of spirit, full of empathy, perhaps a little prone to sentimentality, and with hearts as big as a cloudless sky. Please contact us if you notice any errors in our memorials section and we will do our best to get it fixed promptly! September 2023 In memory of Roman Welter - from Alan and Judy Savela In memory of Peg Arduser - from Tom and Cindy Bagge In memory of his cats - from Jon Lasack In memor...

Important information for anyone looking to surrender an animal to our shelter: we need you to make an appointment with us before coming in to ensure that we can accommodate you! We have state enforced limits on the number of animals we can have here at one time, so we need to make sure we have the space. Also, the animal's health history can impact where we can keep them at our shelter. And processing a surrender requires that we have enough staff available to help too. We'll do...

The weather is finally warming, and there's few things better than a stroll outside where you can enjoy the spring sun. AWF invites you to enjoy that walk with a Buddy. Whether you need to get your steps in over your lunch hour, or stretch your legs a bit before dinnertime, we can set you up with a joyful canine companion as your "Lunch Buddy" to help you make the most of it. On Tuesdays-Saturdays, from 11:30 am on until the shelter closes at 5:30 pm, you can stop in to get a Lunch Buddy -...

  We are happy to share that despite the winter weather, many dogs and their owners continue to enjoy the new Duane Ockenfels Memorial Dog Park located at Animal Welfare Friends. Made possible by the Roger Ockenfels family this past year, this phase one dog park is open from sun up to sun down free of charge for all to use. This summer, park users will enjoy the addition of running water. Due to some recent generous donations specifically earmarked for continued dog park work, Pha...

We're proud to share that we offer a discount on adoption fees to veterans! The discount is $25 off any adoption fee -- and it CAN be combined with other adoption specials! So since we are having a $25 off adoption fee December special for everyone right now, veterans can get a total of $50 off adoption fees through the end of the month! If you know any veterans looking to adopt, please share this information with them. Thank you! 😊

We're beyond cat-pacity, so from now until the end of August, all cats 4 years & older are adoptable for only $50! Take a look at these friendly faces below and see if any are right for your family The adoption fee includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, treating for earmites, worming, flea treatment, Felv/Fiv test, and microchipping. View All Cats in the Adoption Special

We are in great need of more volunteers to assist in Cat & Dog chores! While these tasks need done every day, you can sign up to do them whenever works for you. The more people we have doing chores one day here or there, the more coverage we'll have! Our shelter manager, Amy, will train you completely on what you need to know to do the chores, whether that be cats, dogs, or both. You can call or email the shelter to set up a day & time to train that works for you! (319-975-8283 or shelte...

More than a year at our shelter ADOPTED!!! - June Update: Adrianne was adopted on November 13, 2021! We've had a donor step up to cover part of our current longest feline resident's adoption fee! This donation was made in memory of Dave Calhoun. June, who has been at our shelter since June 2020, is available to the right home at a reduced adoption fee! June is a domestic shorthair that was born around May 2015 and weighs 6 pounds. She was picked up running around the Monticello Vet ...

Animal Welfare Friends is now offering Gift Certificates! Gift Certificates can be purchased in any amount, and can be applied retail items we carry, or toward adoption fees (the adoption approval process still applies). Gift Certificates make a great gift for the animal lover in your life, and are available just in time for Father's Day! Stop by the shelter during open hours (Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6:30pm) to get one for someone special!

As a result of KCRG’s feature on the recent increase of dog dumps being handled by our shelter, a generous AWF supporter has volunteered to pay the $50 relinquishment fee for the next 10 families or individuals who can’t afford the fee. If you have a dog you need to surrender and cannot afford the fee, please call or email our shelter for details. Please note also that we are currently full and will need to have space available before we can accept any dog surrenders. Phone: 319-975-828...

We have an exciting update to share with you about our goal of constructing a community-accessible dog park! Since Animal Welfare Friends receives no outside funding, we’ve been busy finding sources for establishing a dog park that will be open to the public on AWF property. The shelter has received two generous commitments for the park from private donors. In addition, we have received a grant from Jones County Community Foundation, and will continue to apply for additional grants. Wi...

We are looking for a volunteer to help with monthly maintenance of the shelter van. It is a late model Dodge Caravan donated by a generous supporter and we, in appreciation, want to keep it nice! We will ask you to: Keep track of oil changes, fluid levels, windshield wipers, air filter condition, etc. You do not need to cover costs, just monitor maintenance needs. Check tire pressure, inflate when needed Vacuum the interior once a month Wash the exterior once a month If you're ...

If you’ve ever visited our shelter, chances are you’ve seen Ruth or evidence of her generosity without even knowing it. Ruth has long been an invaluable supporter of AWF, donating, promoting and volunteering for years. In fact without her, you’d have a hard time getting to our shelter at all! Ruth was responsible for the road from the highway to our building, created when our shelter was first built in 2016. Now every volunteer, adopter and visitor will be guided to us down Ruth’s Road! Than...

Earlier this fall, we hosted an art contest for kids 18 & under. We asked participants to show the happiness that dogs and/or cats bring to them. We were so impressed with the entries we received, and had such a hard time picking out just one winner! So after much tough deliberation, we narrowed it down to two: a first place winner & a second place winner. The First Place winner is Allison Chappell! Her entry will serve as the 2021 AWF art print, displayed proudly at our shelter. In a...

Despite cats being adopted recently, we most likely cannot take in your cat today. We wish we could, but we can't, and here's why: 44 is the number of cats that we can house at our shelter. We have remained at this limit for many many months. Taking in any cats beyond this number can lead to us receiving citations from the state. Repeated citations could lead to us losing our license. Also, we have more cats under our care in foster homes waiting to come to the shelter. Plus, yet more c...

Animal Welfare Friends has a great way to become a permanent part of the our shelter! We've partnered with That'sMyBrick.com to offer custom messaging on bricks that are placed in a rock garden in front of our shelter. These bricks are a great way to honor a loved one, lost pet, or just share a message of your choice! Bricks are $250 a piece, and make a huge difference in our fundraising goals for the shelter. You can also purchase a replica brick for $125. Purchase a Brick Online Eng...

Cain Appleby of Anamosa Troop 67 recently completed his Eagle Scout project for our shelter. Cain researched, designed, built, and delivered this great agility equipment for our dogs! The equipment provides a new option for exercising dogs and stimulating their minds with new challenges. Thank you so much Cain, you’re improving the lives of countless pups! Thank you also to Audrey Savage, Citizens State Bank, Matt Kumley, and the The Glass Tap who generously donated funds fo...

  State Employees -- if you participate in the One Gift program, you can now pledge to Animal Welfare Friends starting this September! This year's One Gift Campaign runs from September 1-25. Animal Welfare Friends' agency is number 7742. Visit the One Gift Website for more information on how to pledge. Thank you for your support!!

We have a busy but EXCITING week ahead of us -- and we could use your help!! There will be approximately 16 Labradors and Labrador mixes arriving Thursday, June 11, by PLANE! The dogs are coming from an overcrowded shelter in Tennessee, and will be flown into the Monticello airport by a volunteer Tennessee pilot. WHO’S COMING? At this time, we’re expecting 7 seven-week-old pups, 2 four-month-old pups, 5 six-month-old pups, a five-year-old, and a young Beagle. We’re fortunate that we have spa...

There’s a new way to support our shelter, while also meeting your summer reading goals! AWF has a new online fundraising shop that features a variety of reading materials for all ages & hobbies, as well as “Be Kind” themed items that would be great for Father’s Day. For June, we hope to reach $500 through this shop to help with our veterinary expenses.   View the shop here: https://www.efundraising.com/wesavepetsorg   Vet bills are one of the largest expenses at our sh...

Thank you, as always, for supporting Animal Welfare Friends. You may have heard that Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020. This Act included several provisions that may change your charitable donations this year. The changes include a new available deduction, new charitable deduction limits, and RMDs being waived in 2020 & 2021 for most donors. Please consider the following: - You can now deduct your gift to AWF, even if you take the...

With the weather warming up, but everyone limited on where we can go, you may find yourself taking even more walks with your pup than normal just to get out of the house! Since you're probably already bringing your phone with you, please consider downloading & using the Wooftrax "Walk for a Dog" app to track your walks. The more mile you track, the more donations you can help earn for our shelter! The app is available for both Apple & Android devices. Download the app at wooftrax.com

Full and part time Animal Welfare Friends Internships are designed to offer interns the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, basic skills, and hands on experience caring for cats and dogs. In addition, interns will gain valuable experience in skilled care and basic medical observation.  This program is particularly useful for individuals interested in the animal care field. Primary Responsibilities Work closely with staff to ensure proper feeding, housing, and oversight of animals.  ...

We're looking for small groups of coworkers, family members, or friends who would be willing to volunteer as a group to help with evening chores! We are in constant need of help with daily chores for cats and dogs, and many hands make light work! Knowing that chores are covered for a specific day is immensely helpful to us. And doing chores as a group is great for bonding, plus it feels great knowing you helped animals in need! You can sign up as a group for a time and day that works for you,...

UPDATE: Raja has been adopted!! An anonymous sponsor has donated toward Raja's adoption, so she is now available at a reduced adoption fee to the right home!! 🐶💕 Raja is a sweet, well-mannered dog who is housetrained, walks well on a leash, and loves people! She was brought to another shelter by her previous owner who was moving and couldn't take her with. We then brought her to our shelter at the beginning of 2019, as her time was almost up and we knew she still had so...

Meet 9-year-old Bella Frasher from Cascade! After Bella and her mom Mandi began volunteering at the shelter, Bella decided she wanted to do more to help. Bella and her mom came up with the idea to make and sell their home made soap in support of our shelter! Making goat milk soaps has become a family project, with Bella’s love for animals as the driving force. This amazing family has decided to sell them with 100% of the proceeds going to our shelter to provide for cats and dogs waiting f...

Many happy tears were shed at our shelter today as we say goodbye to one of our longest residents - Charlie Jo!! This sweetheart had been with us for over TWO YEARS after she was surrendered to us by her owner. She struggled at our shelter, where she was stressed and anxious. As a result, she did not show well to potential families who visited. The stress also caused her health issues. Charlie Jo was recently able to be fostered by one of our amazing foster moms at her calm and loving home...

UPDATE: Thelma Lou has been adopted!!!!     An anonymous sponsor has donated toward Thelma Lou's adoption, so she is now available at a reduced adoption fee to the right home!! 🐶💕 This lovable older female lab/shepherd mix was adopted out to a good home in 2011, but unfortunately her mom became very ill and could not take care of her any more. She has been back at our shelter for over a YEAR now, and we would love to see her with a loving family!! Thelma...

Celebrate the shelter's Second Anniversary through the purchase of AWF logo gear. ONLY available NOW through October 28th. Items include: Adult T-shirt, crew sweatshirt and hooded sweatshirt  Youth T-shirt 20 ounce tumbler with laser engraved AWF logo 11 ounce coffee cup with laser engraved AWF logo AWF car sticker.  Prices range from $7 to $25. Choose from SEVERAL colors on all clothing items! Order items at: https://animalwelfarefriends.itemorder.com Items...

In June of 2018, Animal Welfare Friends learned about a dog named Liam. A pitbull terrier mix from Memphis, TN, Liam had been found as a stray in pretty bad shape - he had an embedded collar in his neck and multiple wounds on his body. Rescuers think he may have been used as a bait dog. Instead of being euthanized, Liam was pulled by Brittany Rescue and underwent surgery where they treated his injuries and found a bullet in his chest. Despite his trauma and pain, Liam remained a sweet, lo...

Recently, we asked for our supporters to nominate us  to receive some free Cat's Pride Cat Litter through their Litter for Good program. And WOW, did you ever nominate us!! We've received an astonishing 8,000+ pounds of litter! Or, 840 jugs, which is worth over $6,000!! We had it freighted to the shelter, and we are so happy to not have to worry about litter for QUITE a while. We're so grateful to everyone involved who made this possible. Thank you from everyone at AWF, and especia...

Announcing a new way to find love at AWF... our Seniors for Seniors program! If you're over 50 and want a companion who is less work than a kitten, we can help you find your match! With a reduced adoption fee of $50, our 7 years and older cats still have lots of love to give, and are eager to share it with you.

With your incredible support, we met our goal of 100 bags of shoes for our shoe drive! That's over 2500 pairs of shoes that all came from our community. WOW! We cannot thank those who donated enough. The shoes were picked up on January 29, and filled a 26' truck full, with 111 huge bags of shoes holding 25 pairs in each! Funds2Orgs wil now distribute the shoes to developing nations. There, the shoes will be given to individuals or small groups who sell the shoes as a "micro-business". The...

We are in need of foster homes for many of the 27 cats we rescued from a residence earlier this summer. They are working towards recovery from their previous living situation, but it has been a slow process. Most need to gain weight, and many are on medications still. And because we are over capacity, they are not able to move around and socialize as much as we'd like. It is our hope that they will recover more quickly in a foster home environment with some one-on-one care! Think you can help...

After a decade of fundraising and planning, Animal Welfare Friends is proud to present Jones County’s very first animal shelter. Built on land purchased by AWF in 2012, the shelter sits just north of Monticello off Highway 151. Construction on the shelter began in March 2016, and is now complete! We're proud to invite everyone to our Grand Opening event on Saturday, October 15th from 10 am–4 pm & Sunday, October 16th from 1 pm–4 pm. The shelter is located at 22407 Business HWY 151, Mont...

Construction has started on the Animal Shelter! See the latest construction photos here, and keep an eye on our Facebook page for photos as well! We still need donations to complete the project. If you would like to contribute, please use the Donate link in the menu above. 9/4/16: The shelter is nearing completion! New cement is being poured in preparation for the Grand Opening on October 15 & 16th 6/18/16: New pictures of the construction of the shelter! 5/5/16: The...

Animal Welfare Friends is offering a great way to become a permanent part of the our shelter! We've partnered with That'sMyBrick.com to offer custom messaging on bricks that will be used to pave the walkways of our shelter. These bricks are a great way to honor a loved one, lost pet, or just share a message of your choice! Bricks are $250 a piece, and make a huge difference in our fundraising goals for the shelter. You can also purchase a replica brick for $125. Purchase a Brick Online...

One of the goals of the AWF Board is to visit other Animal Shelters in Iowa. Our intention for the visits is to learn how to better proceed with the building of the AWF Animal Rescue Facility. We feel the other shelters that have been through the process can offer us a wealth of information on what works the best as far as the construction goes. Animal Rescue League in Des Moines Iowa AWF Board Members Kelly Day, Ruth Carlson, Annie Locher and her dog Jenni along with Vicki Kelchen, and Dave ...

In the December 2012 edition of the Fetch Newsletter it was announced that AWF purchased land. Yes you got that right; AWF owns land in Jones County for a future animal shelter!! It is located on the west side of Highway 151 at the north end of Monticello where Highway 151 and Business 151 intersect. It consists of 8.68 acres and has great potential for many uses. This has been news in the making since 2006.

UPDATE: The cats at the Cat Adoption Shelter were moved to our new shelter in Monticello upon completion of its construction in October 2016. We continue to provide care for cats awaiting adoption at the Monticello location, and the Olin Cat Adoption Center has closed. The new Cat Adoption Center, located at 301 Jackson Street in Olin, houses 12 cats who are neutered or spayed (as age appropriate), vaccinated (as required by the State of Iowa) and ready to be adopted. Best of all, the ava...