Great Iowa Pet Expo

05/28/2026

If you're not already subscribed to the Great Iowa Pet Expo newsletter, no time's better than the present! 🙌

Each month we put together something worth reading for pet lovers and the May edition is on its way to inboxes near you. Also, October will be here before you know it, and you never know what Expo goodies and discounts might show up in editions of the newsletter leading up to the event.

Click or copy the link to subscribe to make sure you're up-to-date on the latest happenings with the Great Iowa Pet Expo and your local pet communities! 👇📰

Subscribe Here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ZJ18Eu4

05/25/2026

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day! Whether you're firing up the grill, heading to the lake, or just enjoying the long weekend with your people and pets, we hope it's a good one. 🐾☀

05/22/2026

If anyone gets an email
From: Reservations

Please know that this is a phishing scam. They're offering you a Great Iowa Pet Expo hotel promo code that is not legit!

One of our vendors just received one of these emails and made us aware.

We will have a hotel promo code but it will only be posted on our website, posted on our official FB and INSTA accounts and sent out in our emails that come from our address.

THIS ONE IS A SCAM!

05/21/2026

Summer is around the corner, and we have one very important question:

What are your pet’s summer plans?

🏖 Lake trips and outdoor adventures?
🛋 Testing out the AC at the house and nothing else?
🌳 Backyard patrol every single day?
🚗 Riding shotgun wherever you go?
❓ Something else? (👇 Let us know in the comments!)

Let us know you and your furry friends, critters, and companions got going these next few HOT months!

05/20/2026

The tail end of May and the start of June are packed with fun stuff for Iowa pet lovers. 🐾 Here's what's on our radar:

1️⃣ ARL Dog DNA Day
📅 Thursday, May 28
🕠 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
🏠 Host: ARL of Iowa
📍 5452 N.E. 22nd St.

You know you've wondered. Now's your chance to find out. Reserve a DNA kit for $69 (regularly $75), swing by the Animal House booth near Bailey's Bark Park during Yappy Hour to pick it up, swab your pup, and send it off to the lab. Results come back in a few weeks, and 100% of proceeds go toward homeless pets at the ARL. You can even bring your dog and have the team help with the swab on-site. 🐶🧬

2️⃣ Just Paws Adoption Event
📅 Saturday, May 30
🕚 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
🏠 Host: AHeinz57
📍 Just Paws Gourmet, Merle Hay Mall

Stop by Just Paws Gourmet at Merle Hay Mall to meet AHeinz57 volunteers and some very adoptable animals who are ready for their next chapter. You never know, your new best friend might just be waiting for you there. 🐾💛

And if you're looking for something a little more high-flying to kick off June…

3️⃣ DockDogs at the Park Palooza
📅 Friday & Saturday, June 5 & 6
🕓 4:00 PM (6/5) & 5:00 PM (6/6) — Competition start times
🏠 Host: DockDogs
📍 Raccoon River Park, West Des Moines

Watch dogs launch themselves off a dock at full speed, or bring your own pup and see what they're made of. DockDogs is coming to West Des Moines for a full weekend of Big Air, Extreme Vertical, and Speed Retrieve competitions, welcoming both seasoned competitors and first-timers alike. Spectators get in free, and trust us, you'll want to be there. 🐕💨

05/15/2026

Free microchip station now at Paws and Pints courtesy of Oh My Dog Rescue!

05/13/2026

You know what time it is, Iowa (and anywhere really)! Our Powder Face(s) of the Month submissions are officially open for the May edition of the Great Iowa Pet Expo newsletter! 🐾🤍

If you've got a senior pet at home, like a dog, cat, or any pet who's earned their grey, drop a photo in the comments along with their name, age, and a brief bio about what makes them unforgettable. Each month we feature our favorites (randomly selected) in the Great Iowa Pet Expo newsletter, and the silver-muzzled crowd never disappoints.

Who's your powder face? We wanna see! 👇

05/12/2026

Finally!! Thanks to everyone who emailed, called and supported this bill in any way. It takes a village!

Gov. Kim Reynolds signing the measure into law makes Iowa the 50th state to have felony charges in place for animal torture.

05/11/2026

Let's talk about the bed situation. 🛏🐾

Some people swear by it. Their pet has slept beside them every single night for years and they wouldn't have it any other way. Others don't want any of it. A 60lb dog sprawled across the bed at 3 in the morning doesn't seem appealing.

Both sides have a point. What do you think, pet in bed? Or no?