Posted October 02, 2024in People & Pets
When Jenn Foster began volunteering at Furry Friends Refuge — a no-kill pet shelter in West Des Moines — she had no intention of adopting a third or fourth pet. She already had one dog and two cats. Yet, when she volunteered one day, she noticed a cuddly cat at
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Posted September 04, 2024in People & Pets
Dani McDowell has been a dog lover her entire life. She received two of her dogs from her mom. Thunder is a schnauzer, and Dolly is a miniature schnauzer. Although the pair are litter mates, they don’t look alike. Thunder weighs in at 25 pounds. Dolly, however, had a liver
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Posted July 31, 2024in People & Pets
Did you know seven of our closest living relatives are located right here in Des Moines? No, it’s not your favorite uncle or grandpa. Instead, it’s bonobos — a great ape species. The apes are part of the Ape Initiative, a nonprofit located in Des Moines dedicated to the
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Posted July 03, 2024in People & Pets
What was it like in Iowa’s prairie land before fast-food joints, strip malls and towering developments began pouring concrete and constructing buildings? To find out, drive to Granger and take a step back in time to discover a herd of elk and bison at the Jester Park Elk and Bison
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Posted June 05, 2024in People & Pets
When Abby Wilson and Tyler Burhenn moved into their own place together, the pair thought a pet might make it more homelike. Abby grew up with cats, a 6-year-old goldfish, hermit crabs, plus turtles Simon and Garfunkel obtained from a spring break trip. Tyler’s only pet was a hamster. However,
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Posted May 01, 2024in People & Pets
A lifelong horse trainer, veteran and former police officer is helping other veterans with mental health issues by offering equine therapy. Eric Moorman is a program director for Horses Helping Heroes, also known as H3. Located at the Jester Park Equestrian Center in Granger, the program is sponsored by Polk
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Posted April 03, 2024in People & Pets
With two dogs in the home, Morgen and Monty Stenroos decided they needed a larger home with a fenced-in yard. They found a home in Grimes where dogs Zaika and Aspen can roam freely in their backyard. Morgen’s dog, Zaika, is a mixed breed mutt and originally lived with Morgen’s
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Posted March 06, 2024in People & Pets
When offered a handful of grain, Stella, an alpaca, sticks out her long tongue to scoop the food into her mouth, leaving slobbery drops on the offering hand. Within minutes, more alpacas arrive with hopes to gobble up a special treat. The alpacas are part of the Rusty Stars Alpacas
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Posted January 31, 2024in People & Pets
A litter of kittens, along with their “street cat” mama, was found nearly six years ago under a busy highway bridge. Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa rescued the mom and kittens, then offered them up for adoption. One black kitten, which looked like it was struck by lightning, caught the
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Posted January 03, 2024in People & Pets
As a lifelong animal lover, when Patty Lenz turned 60, she pondered her 44-year career training horses. Realizing it was time for a change, she switched gears and began training dogs. To say Patty is a dog lover might be an understatement. With 15 dogs at home, they’ve got room
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