Help comes in many forms, and for critters at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, it comes through music.

Five years ago, The House of Bricks, 3839 Merle Hay Road, and the Animal Rescue League put on the first Petapalooza to raise money and goods for animals in need. This year five bands plan to donate their time to do the same.

“We just thought it was a good cause,” says John Dingeman, lead singer for Gimmick. Gimmick is one of the five bands scheduled to perform at the event.

Staff at the House of Bricks and the rescue league have found that Petapalooza takes a lot of collaboration, preparation and time. Last year, the league helped nearly 12,000 animals, a number that increases every year, says Kristen Erickson, public relations and special events coordinator for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

Erickson says cats and dogs are the most common animals brought in, but they also get bunnies, reptiles and other unusual animals.

Animals are most commonly brought in by owners who can either no longer take care of their pet or just don’t want to, Erickson says. Strays are also frequently brought in.

Petapalooza contributes to increasing the number of animals the Animal Rescue League helps by raising money and supplies at the event.

“It’s an event that we enjoy doing, and it is able to reach out to people that wouldn’t necessarily come to other events,” Erickson says.

There won’t be any animals at the event to create greater support by tugging at attendees’ heart strings. It’s too stressful for animals to bring them to the event because of the music, Erickson says.

Audrey Barrett, a House of Bricks employee, says J.C. Wilson, owner of The House of Bricks, gave her permission to bring her dog, but she probably won’t because she’ll be working 13 hours that day.

Even without critters in attendance, rescue league staff members and volunteers hope to generate support. Erickson says rescue league staff will be talking between set changes, answering questions and handing out information to concert-goers.

Rescue league workers are hoping for the occasional donation. The rescue league receives no government funds, so it relies heavily on volunteers, donors and corporate sponsorship to fund the organization and its services.

The rescue league offers adoption services, training to get pets ready for adoption, pet counselors who help families with pets that aren’t fitting in and a vet staff for its animals, Erickson says.

“When an animal is brought in, it is given a quick exam by one of the vets to make sure there isn’t anything wrong with it,” Erickson says.

The animals are treated for medical conditions before they are put up for adoption. If the animal is healthy when it’s brought in, it will be adopted a lot sooner, Erickson says.

“Puppies and kittens are, of course, adopted quicker than older animals,” Erickson says.

Attending Petapalooza might not fit into everyone’s Spring Break schedule, but Barrett says the organization needs help all year.

“The Animal Rescue League is one of the best animal-saving foundations in Des Moines ,and it needs all the help it can get,” she says.