Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section! Here, we’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions we receive about our rescue, adoption process, volunteer opportunities, and community programs. Whether you're looking to adopt a pet, get involved, or learn more about our services, we hope this section provides the information you need. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please feel free to reach out to us directly—we’re always happy to help!
I found an animal that needs help, can I call you to come get it?
Unfortunately, due to regulations in the state of Iowa, we are not allowed to pick up animals. Only organizations licensed as animal control can pick up animals and we are only licensed as an animal shelter.
I’d love to foster - can I do that?
We’d love to get a foster program started! However, at this time, we are not licensed to run a foster program. (This requires additional licenses through the Iowa Department of Agriculture.)
Where do you get money?
Our funding comes from generous donors and fundraisers! We are not funded by tax dollars and work hard to ensure we have the funds we need to remain open. This is why our community is so important to us!
I might be interested in adopting. Can I come see the animals?
While we love that you want to meet them, we do require an application to be submitted first. This is partially because we need time to do vet checks, landlord checks, etc., but also because we need to put our animal's safety first. Some animal's are in quarantine or are dealing with other health situations. For this reason, we don't allow the public to walk in and play with animal's without a volunteer application or adoption application.
I applied for an animal - when can I take it home?
We adopt animals based on pet/owner compatibility and best fit. If we don't feel they would be a good fit for your lifestyle, we may ask that you consider another animal.
If multiple people apply for an animal, we also consider best fit in this situation. This doesn't necessarily mean we think you are a bad fit, just that another adopter may be a better fit for one reason or another.
Can you board my pet for the weekend?
No. Because we are licensed as a shelter, we cannot board animals.
Are you a no kill shelter?
Yes, we are a no kill shelter! This means we do not euthanize healthy or treatable animals for space. We do, however, assess all animals for quality of life and may occasionally need to relieve animals of suffering. (This is only considered in extreme circumstances and would be done at the recommendation of a veterinarian.)
What is the difference between AHAR and the pound?
The City Pound and Almost Home operate separately from each other. While we work with the City of Chariton, facilities are separate and responsibilities are different.
To operate as a pound, we would need a separate license. At this time, we are only licensed as a shelter.