Marshmallow Foundation

About Us

Mission Statement: Improving our community by reuniting the lost and advocating for the unwanted.

The Marshmallow Animal Shelter is a non-profit animal shelter located in Detroit Lakes, MN that was created to serve as a public resource for stray, abandoned, and rescued companion animals. One of the main goals of The 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 called upon: 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.

The majority of our animals are brought to us as “strays” and are held for five (5) business days. After that hold period is up, we have the right to have that animal euthanized. This is how most pounds/shelters operate because they have little resources to care for these animals. We wanted to give area animals more of a chance at finding new homes, therefore we only euthanize if there are extenuating circumstances. We are proud to share that our shelter was awarded a certificate by The Best Friends Network in recognition of achieving no-kill status during calendar year 2022 by exceeding a 90% save rate for cats and dogs. You can view additional data by clicking on a specific year at the bottom of this page.

We have so many wonderful stories that we can share of animals surviving and going on to loving homes because our shelter and supporters gave that animal another chance at life. Because we are committed to caring for these animals until we can find them appropriate homes, many are with us for a very lengthy period. We do not give them time limits. But to give them such extended care requires support from our public. On average, we have around 70 cats and 20 dogs to care for while they wait to find new homes and families. In addition to finding homes for these pets, the Marshmallow Animal Shelter also works closely with local and regional service dog training programs and police departments and has had several shelter dogs go on to help people or places in need. The staff and volunteers of the Marshmallow Animal Shelter work hard every single day providing for the animals that have no other place to go. Please help us continue to care for them and provide a safe haven until they find new families and homes!

Employment

If you are interested in becoming part of our team, please submit an application for employment! We are always looking for full and part-time employees that share our passion of caring for animals while they await their 'fur' ever homes. We do not always have open positions posted on our website but we welcome applications at any time. Thank you for your interest!

Please click on Employment Application to begin the process.

Asilomar Reports (Animal Data)

(1st column=Cats, 2nd=Dogs, 3rd=Total)