MUSCATINE, Iowa — Earlier in June, the Muscatine County Sheriff's Office executed a warrant to seize dozens of animals from a home in rural Muscatine County. Now, the community is stepping up to support the shelter housing those animals.
It Takes a Village Animal Rescue & Resources helped remove 67 animals from the home; two were found deceased. Founder and president Meagan Koehler said the shelter asked for help to deal with the massive influx of animals.
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The community has sent donations to the shelter, including items from their Amazon wish list and other supplies. But on Thursday night, Koehler received a different kind of offer.
"We received a message on our Facebook page from a gentleman named Jesus, we didn’t know him," Koehler said. "He introduced himself, and said that he is a delivery driver for Sal's, and tonight he would be driving for a few hours, and he wanted to donate 100% of his tips to help with the animals we took in this week."
Jesus Gonzalez, a pizza delivery driver for Sal Vitale's, heard about the animals coming to the shelter through Facebook.
"I just had a quick thought. 'How could I help, or how could we help?'" Gonzalez said.
The owner is onboard too; Vitale said the restaurant would match a percentage of the tips Gonzalez earned and also donate to the shelter.
"I gave him the idea yesterday and I could barely even finish my sentence before he said 'do it, he said put it out there,'" Gonzalez said.
With help from people like Gonzalez, the shelter can keep caring for the animals that need it most.
"When there’s a huge outpouring of support and love and all this kindness from the community, it just tells us that people care about the work we do," Koehler said.
The rescued animals will remain at the shelter until the county decides if any should return to their owner. Koehler said monetary donations are the best way to support the shelter. You can make a donation by visiting the shelter's website.
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