My name is Moira!

Applications MUST be submitted via the website. This is the first step in the process. ​ ​ ​
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Please understand that the adoption process can take a few days, weeks, or longer depending upon availability of references, home visits, animal availability, etc. One of the biggest holdups we find when processing applications is that they are missing information, such as names and phone numbers for references, veterinarians and landlords. Please double check your application before you submit to ensure that all sections are fully completed. ​
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Once your application has been received and the process has started, someone from our team will contact you via phone, email or both to let you know where we are at in the process and what the next step(s) will be. ​
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Our goal is a forever home vs. a faster home! For this reason, being the first to submit an application for a particular animal does not automatically mean you will be the approved adopter. There are several factors that go into making these decisions and order of submission is only a small piece of the process. ​
This is perhaps the most important part: Please be patient. We are a very small group of people, made up of volunteers and staff who also have 1-2 other jobs and families to care for. We do the best we can with the resources we have and we appreciate your understanding.

Adoption Guidelines

1. All adopters must be 18 years of age or older.

2. All animals in your home must be spayed/neutered and current on all age appropriate vaccinations. There are exceptions of course and these things can be clarified and confirmed when we speak to your veterinarian.

3. All animals will be spayed or neutered before they leave the shelter or a foster-to-adopt contract will be implemented. Foster-to-adopt contracts are not done on a routine basis and are typically reserved for very special cases.

4. Any animal adopted through Marshmallow Animal Shelter will not be allowed to roam at large and must be provided suitable shelter, food, and water at all times pursuant to Minnesota State Statute 346.20.​​

5. All animals adopted through Marshmallow Animal Shelter will be kept in the house, not in a kennel or as a yard animal, and that the animal will not be kept chained or on a tie-out unsupervised at any time. ​​Exception to this would be the adoption of a barn kitty and the contract would reflect this special situation.

6. ​​All animals adopted through Marshmallow Animal Shelter will be started on appropriate vaccinations and deworming medicines before leaving. Please note, we do not have the resources to check all animal systems and ensure they are completely parasite free, etc. prior to adoption. The shelter environment is an ever changing one with new animals arriving every day in various conditions of health. Therefore it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you take your newly adopted pet(s) to your veterinarian for a wellness exam upon adoption. The adopting party understands and agrees to follow up with their veterinarian after the adoption has been completed.

7. Any animal adopted through Marshmallow Animal Shelter may NEVER be sold, transferred, abandoned, euthanized* or given away. If at any time you are unable to care for the adopted animal, please contact our office so that we can try and help with your situation. Per the contract, you are required to bring the animal back to Marshmallow Animal Shelter if we cannot work out another solution, however we always try to exhaust every possible option before bringing the animal back into the shelter environment as it is very stressful for the animal. *This does not apply to humane euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian due to age or health.

8. The adopting party assumes all responsibility for said animal including but not limited to food bills, shelter, health care and general well-being.​​ The adopting party agrees to notify the shelter immediately if the adopted animal ever goes missing so that the shelter can use their resources to help locate the animal as soon as possible.

9. The adopting ​​party understands that Marshmallow Animal Shelter has no prior history on any animal and does not guarantee that any animal is house trained, free from stress or bad habits or "purebred". Marshmallow Animal Shelter has the right to refuse any application for any reason and need not make that reason known to the applicant.

http://www.marshmallowfoundation.org/info/adoption

Visitors to the shelter are by appointment only. We LOVE having visitors and our shelter animals love it even more, however we need to make sure that anyone visiting is doing so during appropriate times (i.e. not during feeding, cleaning, etc.). Walk-in visits can result in confusion, conflict with caring for the animals or present unsafe conditions (wet floors, animals out of kennels , etc.). Please visit our website to learn more.

Marshmallow Animal Shelter is a non-profit shelter that was set up in honor of Cocoa and her Eleven Marshmallows, a Labrador mom who had been abandoned and locked in a house for 3 weeks. Rescued by an Iowan Sheriff and obviously pregnant, she was taken to a local veterinarian. After receiving her donated care and through the generosity and compassion of many, Cocoa came to rest in Minnesota at the Livingston-Wiedewitsch home and went on to whelp an astonishing eleven puppies. All were adopted into loving homes; however more need our help. The ultimate goal, of course, is to end this nightmare of unwanted companion animals, which can only be accomplished through heightened public awareness and active promotion of a spay/neuter program.

Marshmallow Animal Shelter was created to serve as a public resource for stray, abandoned, and rescued companion animals. One of the main goals of Marshmallow Animal Shelter is to help educate the public about the benefits of spaying and neutering animals so that we can put an end to the nightmare of unwanted cats and dogs. Our shelter operates as the impound primarily for cats and dogs found within the city limits of Detroit Lakes but also assists the following cities when able: Audubon, Callaway, Frazee, Lake Park, Mahnomen, and Waubun. In addition, we routinely take in animals from Becker County that are found outside of city limits, as they have no other place to go. Please note that we do accept cats and dogs that are found outside the above areas but only when the agency responsible for them cannot accept them. Only a designated official can bring these animals to our shelter once approval has been received.