Our Story - Noah's Ark Animal Foundation

Noah's Ark Animal Foundation is a no-kill shelter for homeless cats and dogs. For over 22 years, we have provided shelter, love and care to abandoned, neglected, abused and lost animals.

Through our adoption program, most animals quickly find good homes with kind, responsible people to care for them, while others live at Noah's Ark for a longer period of time. No dog or cat under our care is ever "put to sleep" unless a medical condition is causing undue suffering or there is an extreme behavioural problem.

At Noah's Ark we believe that every animal's life is special, worthy of our respect, and deserving of humane treatment. Every day we are called upon to rescue and care for more animals in need, whose lives depend upon our ability to give them food, shelter, and medical care. Your gift makes it possible for us to transform a sick and lonely animal's suffering into a lifesaving treatment, a nutritious meal, a warm bed, and a loving touch. All of this and more is what Noah's Ark means to the animals and we work diligently to make all of this possible.

Every day at Noah's Ark we:

Rescue stray and homeless animals and give them a safe haven in our shelter facility or in loving foster homes
Provide hospitalization and medical care for sick, injured animals
Offer an adoption program to place pets in good, responsible homes
Offer guidance and investigation concerning animal cruelty complaints
Sponsor educational and volunteer programs for all ages to teach and promote proper care of animals
Organize spay/neuter discount programs to reduce pet-overpopulation
Neuter and spay all of our shelter animals
Sponsor a feral cat rescue and spay/neuter program

The March 7, 1997 Tragedy
Noah's Ark was founded to provide shelter and sanctuary to lost, abandoned, abused, and neglected animals. For many years we quietly went about our mission of rescuing, loving, protecting, and caring for homeless animals.

The peace of our shelter was shattered on March 7, 1997, with the break-in and heartless beating of 27 cats at the shelter by two teenagers wielding baseball bats. Seventeen of our beloved cats lost their lives that night while a dozen more were seriously injured. Two local teenagers were later charged and found guilty of the crime.

Many of the surviving felines were adopted into caring homes to begin their long road to recovery. A number of the cats were never accounted for. A new surveillance camera and additional security measures help to ensure their safety. You can visit the March 7, 1997 Memorial page here. In addition, you can read the story of the "Captain" (pictured at left) here.

We are happy to report that we survived that tragedy, and have been instrumental in awakening national awareness to the need for stronger animal abuse laws in all states. Here in Iowa, we have worked hard to bring the Iowa felony animal abuse law to the legislature where it passed. This sends a message to many other states to take action. To achieve this we worked with organizations around the country including the Humane Society of the US, In Defense of Animals, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Animal Legal Defense Fund and others.