Just Released
5/29/2025
Des Moines, IA (May 29) – The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) and Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) are holding a Drive-Thru Dog Food giveaway event on Saturday, June 7 at DMARC (100 Army Post Rd) to help pets and people in need in our community. This partnership is possible thanks to the donation of 65,000+ meals of fresh dog food donated by The Farmer’s Dog.
Pet owners in need of support can visit DMARC between 10 a.m. and noon on June 7 to receive a box of frozen meals for the dog(s) in their household on a first-come, first-served basis. Over 70 volunteers will be present from the nearby Fort Des Moines to help with distributing donations.
The ARL has provided pet food and supplies to pet families in need for decades. In 2023, a formal partnership was created with the DMARC Food Pantry Network to help get donated supplies to area food pantries more efficiently.
Donated pet food is provided by the ARL and regularly available through the DMARC Food Pantry Network, a cohort of 14 food pantry locations, a Mobile Food Pantry, and a home delivery program. This year alone, nearly 40,000 pounds of pet food have been distributed, serving 2,610 pets and 683 families.
“Our partnership with DMARC is a perfect example of how collaboration can impact both people and their pets, ensuring families don’t have to choose between feeding themselves and the pets they love,” said Tom Colvin, ARL CEO. “We’re grateful for DMARC’s commitment to supporting the whole family — both two-legged and four — and for their continued partnership in meeting this critical need in our community.”
In 2024, more than 75,500 individuals received assistance from a DMARC Food Pantry, a level of need never seen before. The high demand underscores the importance of the ARL-DMARC partnership in helping fight food insecurity for both people and pets.
“When you visit a DMARC food pantry, we try and make the shopping experience feel as if you were visiting any other grocery store,” said Matt Unger, DMARC CEO. “The key to that is making sure all the pantry basics, including items like pet food, are available to the households that need them. We are so thankful for this partnership with the ARL and invite the community to join us in providing support to our four-legged friends and neighbors.”
