UPCOMING EVENTS
Voulnteer Orientation
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 1:00pm
Location: Animal Control, 2109 N. Towne Lane NE
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Mission
The mission of the Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control is to serve and protect with compassion, the animals and citizens of our community through education and enforcement, and to facilitate successful pet adoptions while respecting and striving to improve the quality of life for both pets and people.
History
The Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control is an 'open admission' shelter with a small staff and corps of volunteers who help care for more than 3,000 animals per year. We accept all animals brought to us from the City of Cedar Rapids and Marion. We work collaboratively with foster and rescue teams to ensure that our animals are either reunited with their owners or are placed in new, loving homes.
Cedar Rapids Animal Control was founded in 1958. The first shelter opened in 1959 at the home of Charles A. Lockhart on Otis Road. By 1980, the staff had grown to 5, including: an Animal Warden, one kennel attendant, and 3 animal control officers. The shelter was relocated in 1981 to an abandoned sewage treatment facility on Cedar Bend Lane, where it remained until late Spring of 2008 when the shelter was destroyed in the flood. Every animal was saved, and an emergency animal shelter was established at Kirkwood Community College until the current temporary shelter was leased on North Towne Lane NE in November of 2008. A new Program Manager was hired in October 2009 to oversee shelter operations, animal control enforcement, and the new shelter building project.
Plans for the new facility are underway to rebuild on the Kirkwood Community College campus.
Enforcement
The Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control provides animal control services for the City of Cedar Rapids only, and provides sheltering for the City of Marion.
Animal Control Officers are authorized to investigate possible animal related law violations and take appropriate enforcement action. Each year, CRACC receives 30,000+ calls for information and service. Officers conduct hundreds of investigations, ranging from relatively minor code violations to major animal cruelty cases.
In some cases, our officers may promote voluntary compliance by educating owners about their animal care responsibilities; other situations may warrant administrative action and/or prosecution. Additionally, our officers rescue animals that are stray, sick or injured, or endangered by other situations.
If you are aware of a situation that you believe may harm or jeopardize animal welfare (such as animal abuse, neglect, injury, or endangerment) or public health or safety (such as a bite, attack, or harassment of a person by an animal), or that may otherwise be in violation of an animal related law, we urge you to contact our office and report what you have seen or heard. A dispatcher or Animal Services Representative will take a report and forward the information to a trained Animal Control Officer for investigation. Please call us at: (319) 286-5993
Animal related emergencies and urgent matters may be reported at any time of the day or night, any day of the week.
NOTE: For Any human life threatening situation, please call 9-1-1.
Although we do our best to keep current and reliable information on each report and stray animal in our care, we strongly encourage you to personally visit our shelter to look for your lost pet, since only YOU can accurately identify your pet. And we encourage you to visit daily until your pet is found.
Unidentified animals are held for only five days (excluding date of impound and Sundays/holidays) for owner reclaim. Animals that are injured or diseased may be held for a shorter period. Animals that are not claimed within the five-day holding period may be made available for adoption.
Donations
Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control gratefully accepts monetary donations for the building project as well as animal care and spay/neuter of our orphaned pets. Donations can be mailed to:
Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control
2109 North Towne Lane NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
We also maintain a Wish List of items we need a supply of on a daily basis. These items include:
WISH LIST ITEMS
Bleach
Paper Towels
Sponges
Mr. Clean Magic Markers
Dawn Dish Detergent
Toilet Paper
Copy paper and colored paper stock
Pens
Gift Cards to: Walmart, Target, PetSmart, and Thiesen's
Big KONGS for the dogs
Cans of Authority brand cat food
Cat carriers
Kitty toys
Kitten formula
Clear plastic storage boxes