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A year ago, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) completed a $10.5 million expansion project that more than tripled the size of its main shelter in northeast Des Moines.

“It was pretty scary; we opened a new building, and then the economy tanked,” said Tom Colvin, who has been ARL’s executive director since 1996. “But going from a 13,000-square-foot to a 42,000-square-foot facility has opened up new opportunities for us.”

A key feature of the new facility is a 2,500-square-foot auditorium available for rent to business, nonprofit, civic or private groups for meetings, luncheons, receptions or other functions. “We want to continue to provide exposure to the Animal Rescue League by having groups rent our auditorium,” Colvin said. “And if it’s a civic group luncheon we can easily have someone step in to give a presentation about the Animal Rescue League.”

Organized in 1926, ARL is now the largest nonprofit animal shelter in the state, providing shelter and care for more than 19,000 animals annually. It operates four satellite shelter locations – two on the South Side, one in West Des Moines and another in Ankeny, and also provides animal-control services for the city of Des Moines.

In addition to its physical expansion, ARL is enlarging its behavioral and training programs, Colvin said. “We’ve just hired a trainer who has experience in training all types of animals who will be focusing on expanding our dog training classes, so there will be a lot more opportunities for people to get training with their dogs.”

In 2009, volunteers logged more than 40,000 hours of work at the five ARL shelters, the equivalent of about 20 full-time employees. The nonprofit organization relies entirely on donations and fundraising events to meet its operating expenses, which total about $2.7 million annually. Its largest annual fundraiser, the Raise Your Paw Auction, is scheduled April 10 at The Meadows Events & Conference Center in Altoona. Last year the event raised $160,000 for ARL.