About Us

No. We’re called the Wisconsin Humane Society because we were the first animal welfare organization in the state when we were founded in Milwaukee in 1879. WHS now operates six shelters: the Milwaukee Campus, Ozaukee Campus, Green Bay Campus, Door County Campus, Racine Campus, and Kenosha Campus. You may also see WHS animals available for adoption through our partners in off-site retail locations or via foster homes across the state. While we partner with many other organizations throughout Wisconsin to take in animals when shelters experience overcrowding, all other humane societies and rescues operate separately from and independently of WHS.

About 90% of our adopted animals are from local sources. The majority of animals in care at the Wisconsin Humane Society were brought to us by families who were no longer able to care for their pets due to housing instability, the rising costs of caring for a pet, compatibility issues, or other unexpected circumstances. We also hold stray contracts with municipalities in Racine, Brown, Door, Kenosha, Kewaunee, and Ozaukee Counties, and receive animals transferred from the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) which holds Milwaukee County’s stray contracts. In addition, we receive animals transferred from overcrowded shelters when we have the capacity to help.

The Wisconsin Humane Society does not euthanize animals for reasons of space or time. All animals in our adoption program have as long as it takes to find new homes.

WHS does not use “no-kill” terminology. There is no governing or accrediting body that sets or enforces benchmarks for “no-kill” status, which means the term can be applied inconsistently from one organization to another. People often assume that “no-kill” means euthanasia never occurs under a group’s care, when in reality, humane euthanasia is an important, compassionate function for all reputable animal welfare organizations. Focusing on “no-kill” status can create harmful incentives and discourage transparency and collaboration. Shelters may feel pressure to place unsafe animals, limit access to care, or delay humane end-of-life decisions.

WHS is an independent, 501(c)(3) organization serving more than one third of the state’s animals and the people who love them. We do not receive any general government funding, and there is no national umbrella organization in animal welfare. We rely on the generosity of community-minded individuals, businesses, organizations, and foundations for all of our contributions and bequests. We also earn revenue from special events, adoption fees, store sales, and other low-cost services we provide to the community.