The Ankeny Brief
New to town with a dog in the back seat, or just need a vet who can see you this week? Ankeny is a good place to have a pet. Here is the rundown: the clinics in town, a metro favorite worth the short drive, where to go in an emergency, and the parks and rescues worth knowing.
Ankeny has several full-service vet clinics, a couple open weekends and evenings. Save a 24-hour emergency hospital in your phone now, before you need it. And there's an off-leash dog park in town, with more nearby. Details below.
Ankeny has several full-service vet clinics, including Ankeny Animal & Avian Clinic (in town 50+ years), Heart of Ankeny Animal Hospital, and Creature Comforts (open 7 days). Call ahead for new-patient openings, and confirm current hours before you go.
Not in Ankeny, but a metro favorite about 15 to 20 minutes south in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines. Beaverdale Veterinary Clinic (also known as Riordan Pet Hospital) has cared for pets since 1951, one of the oldest clinics around, and it is a full-service, well-reviewed practice. 4529 Douglas Ave, Des Moines · (515) 276-3602 · beaverdalevetclinic.com
The worst time to look this up is at 11pm on a Sunday, so do it now. Most Ankeny clinics keep daytime hours, so for a nighttime or weekend emergency you will head to a 24-hour emergency animal hospital in the Des Moines metro, a short drive away. Ask your regular vet which emergency hospital they refer patients to, save the number in your phone, and keep it on the fridge. Creature Comforts (open until 8pm, 7 days) is a useful bridge for evening urgent-but-not-emergency visits.
For grooming, a few Ankeny vet clinics (Ankeny Animal & Avian among them) groom in-house, and there are standalone groomers and self-wash spots around town and at the pet stores. For boarding and doggy daycare, Ankeny and the north metro have several kennels and daycare facilities; book early around holidays and school breaks, when they fill up fast. Search for a groomer or boarder near your neighborhood and read recent reviews, since availability and quality vary.
Ankeny has an off-leash dog park, and there are more within a short drive around the metro. For locations, rules, and which ones are worth the trip, see our Ankeny dog parks guide. Beyond the dog park, the paved High Trestle and Neal Smith trails are great for a leashed walk, and much of the outdoors around Ankeny is dog-friendly.
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The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) in Des Moines is the metro's largest shelter and adopts out dogs, cats, and more. Rescues like AHeinz57 run frequent adoption events around the area, and many local pet stores host weekend adoption days with rescue partners. Meet your future couch-hog in person; it is the best way to find the right fit.
Full-service clinics in town include Ankeny Animal & Avian Clinic, Heart of Ankeny Animal Hospital, Creature Comforts, Prairie Lakes Pet Hospital, Ankeny Animal Health Clinic, and Pet Medical Center, plus a Banfield. Ankeny Animal & Avian has been here more than 50 years.
For after-hours emergencies, use a 24-hour emergency animal hospital in the Des Moines metro. Ask your regular clinic which one they refer to and save the number before you need it.
Yes, Ankeny has an off-leash dog park, with more around the metro. See our dog parks guide.
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines is the largest metro shelter, and rescues like AHeinz57 hold regular adoption events nearby.