FD man donates $10,000 to animal shelter

Ristau makes gift in honor of his wife

Throughout their married life, Dave and Lis Ristau were passionate about animals.

They shared their Fort Dodge home with lots of dogs and cats, including six dogs adopted over the years from the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa.

"We're passionate about animals," Dave Ristau said.

So when he saw that Almost Home had a financial need, he made a big donation in honor of his wife, who died June 15, 2021, in a traffic crash.

He donated $10,000, providing all the matching funds needed for a grant that will pay for a van to be used by the shelter.

"I know she would heartily approve," Dave Ristau said of his wife.

"I just figured let's just get it done," he said of his decision to provide all the matching funds for the grant.

He added that he already had plans to make a large donation, and when he learned about the need for money for the van grant he decided to donate to that specific need.

"I hope that helps them immensely," Dave Ristau said.

He made his donation Thursday, the same day that The Messenger published a story in which Paul Shane, the executive director of Almost Home, stated that $10,000 in matching funds were needed for a $10,000 grant from the Fort Dodge Community Foundation that would pay for a van.

Shane said Dave Ristau called him at 9 a.m. Thursday and told him he would make the donation. He said Ristau came to the office at 11 a.m. that day with the check.

Dave Ristau is retired after working as facilities manager for Holy Trinity Parish and St. Edmond Catholic School. Lis Ristau was retired from the Fort Dodge Community School District, where she had served in a couple of roles, including director of special education and principal of Riverside Early Learning Center.

Lis Ristau did not limit her love for animals to her time away from work. Teacher Lexi Daniel saw that firsthand at Hillcrest Elementary School.

"While teaching at Hillcrest, I had my windows open. A cat jumped on the ledge of my window and meowed loudly, looking at us inside. My students looked at me, wondering what I was going to do about it," Daniel said. "I told them that the cat just wants to know what fourth-graders are learning. After some time, I decided to bring the cat into my classroom. I called my principal (Ristau) to tell her about the cat, worried I would get in trouble. She asked where the cat was and I told her I brought it into my room.

"Her exact words were, 'Bless your heart.' She then told me she would pick up some food and bring a water bowl. When she arrived, the cat was soundly sleeping on my reading chair and her exact words were, 'precious.'"

One of the six dogs Lis and Dave Ristau adopted from Almost Home -- a Chihuahua named Roo -- still lives with him.

Shane said the van will be used to transport animals to veterinarian appointments and to events so that the public can see them outside of the shelter. The van may also be used to pick up recyclable materials that will be redeemed to generate a little revenue for the shelter.