Updates
Partner Appreciation Event
23 representatives from 11 partner organizations attended an appreciation event at Patterson Hall, where they enjoyed community cat presentations, refreshments, a drawing for prizes, and a tour of the facility. Many thanks to the two dozen animal welfare partners who help make our invaluable program possible by sharing over 500 pets annually with Iowa State!
Small Blankets, Big Comfort
As a spring 2026 project, the Campus Service Council club fashioned small-sized fleece blankets for our program’s felines. The blankets are designed to be placed atop the metal perches in the cages, so cats aren’t laying on a cold hard surface, and can also be used to line cardboard hidey boxes. In total, 64 cat blankets were donated! Guinea pigs during a Veterinary Clinical Sciences exotics course approved, too!
Handcrafted Dog Blankets & Tugs
The Campus Service Council club supported program pets in fall of 2025, with a donation of 19 beautiful fleece tie blankets for dogs and 112 hand-made tug toys! Bags of additional tug toys were handed off to half a dozen partners. The club also facilitated an in-kind drive to bring in treats for cats and dogs.
Local Pet Businesses for the Win
The Community Outreach Program regularly partners with pet service providers Flo+Friends in Slater, Treats On A Leash in Ames, and Mrs. Slobberworth’s in Boone to facilitate in-kind donation drives for our program’s cats and dogs. We thank customers of these businesses who’ve contributed treats, toys, grooming supplies, towels, blankets, and food. In addition to supporting our program’s shelter and rescue pets, many donated items are also handed off directly to our partner organizations.
CVM Towel Drive
A towel drive with members of the College of Veterinary Medicine yielded 70 full-size towels and 12 hand towels to add to our supply. Thanks, everyone!
Kong Company Cares
Community Outreach thanks the Kong Company for their generous donation of enrichment items for cats and dogs. Pets now have an outlet for stress-relieving licking and chewing while they are housed with the program for spay/neuter surgery by veterinary students.
Dog Run Upgrade
Members of the ISU Pay It Forward club gathered to make improvements to the fencing and dog waste stations in the outdoor dog runs. We are now well-stocked with waste bags and sturdy trash cans for more than 150 dogs treated annually!
Towels Galore!
Thanks to Midwest Healthcare Linen Service in Des Moines for their generous donation of 150 towels and 40 hand towels to stock our shelves. We also received a heaping quantity of washcloths and 135 blankets, which were distributed to eight shelter facilities participating in the 2025 summer program.
