West DSM News

AHeinz57 Pet Rescue and Transport, a De Soto foster animal rescue, has seen an increase in pet adoptions and foster owners as people are staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company, founded by Executive Director Amy Heinz, takes in homeless pets in Dallas County and rescues them from kill shelters, according to Dallas County News. AHeinz57 also provides free animal control services for the county. 

“I started AHeinz57 in August of 2008 after moving here from California and finding out that there was nobody helping homeless dogs in my community, while trying to help a dog dumped on the Interstate,” Heinz told Dallas County News.

Heinz said the shelter is as busy as it normally is because homeless animals still need to be taken care of, according to Dallas County News.

“Homeless and shelter animals have no idea there is a pandemic, so we are just as busy as we usually are,” Heinz told Dallas County News. “COVID-19 just might be the best thing to happen to shelter pets."

The shelter is also taking precautions to ensure customers and staff remain safe and healthy, such as sanitizing and staying out of work for two weeks if they have been out of state, Dallas County News reports. 

“We are practicing the six-foot distancing, and when we can’t, we wear masks and gloves,” Heinz said.

She said the shelter is doing virtual home visits to ensure the home is a good place for the animal and meet-and-greets in outdoor fenced areas of the shelter. 

“We are doing meet and greets outside in fenced areas,” Heinz told Dallas County News. “Cats are a little trickier. Only one person from a family is allowed inside at a time to meet cats and they are questioned about their health and whereabouts.”

While the shelter is as busy as ever, Heinz said they are operating with less money and have had to cut back on staff and programs. 

“We are in desperate need of financial donations and supplies that are listed on our wish list on Amazon,” Deb Elings, the AHeinz57 Board president, told Dallas County News. “People can drop off donations at our doors or mail to our building at 4000 Ash Street, DeSoto, IA 50069.”

The company is also boarding pets for anyone in the hospital due to COVID-19 and for first responders and health care workers, Elings told the Dallas County News.

“If Dallas County residents are having trouble making ends meet and can’t afford to feed their pets, we can provide them with cat or dog food to get them through this tough time,” Heinz told Dallas County News. “We want to help keep pets in their homes!”