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 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 keep their pets due to housing instability, the rising costs of veterinary care, 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.
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.
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.
We use variable adoption pricing, which helps us provide quality care for all animals. Adoption fees vary based on a number of factors, including an animal’s age, medical needs, and how long they’ve been with us. Animals who tend to get adopted quickly often have higher adoption fees, which helps us support those who are with us longer, but even so, adoption fees alone do not cover the costs of animal care at WHS.
Cat and dog adoption fees include spay/neuter surgery, microchips, initial vaccines, collars, heartworm and/or other testing, behavior and medical assessments, enrichment, and, of course, nutritious food. They also go home with a certificate for a free veterinary exam and a free starter bag of food, plus a host of adopter perks.
You can view full details on our adoption process page, but in summary, you’ll stop into the shelter, get added to our list if there is a wait, and will be notified when an adoption counselor is available to meet with you. They’ll introduce you to any animals you’ve had your eye on or who seem like a good fit based on the information provided in your Adopter Profile. During this time, your counselor can answer any questions you may have about pet care, introducing resident animals, early training support, and more. If you find your match, we’ll go over some paperwork, take payment for the adoption fee, let you shop in our store for any supplies you may need, and in most cases, you’ll leave the shelter that day with your new best friend!
We also have many animals available for adoption from foster homes. If you see an animal on our website listed as “Available from Foster,” you’ll find their foster parent’s contact info on their profile page so you can email them to learn more and set up a meet-and-greet with the animal. If you hit it off after the introduction and decide to adopt, foster parents can complete the adoption process right away, and you can head straight home with your new addition; no shelter visit needed!
Adoptions are first-come, first-served as long as the match is a good fit, and we do not keep waiting lists. The variety of dogs we have available changes constantly; we recommend bookmarking our Available Dogs page and checking it often to see who is available for adoption.
WHS is an independent organization, but we work with the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) on a nearly daily basis to help local animals. MADACC holds municipal contracts for Milwaukee County, which means stray animals go to MADACC for their stray hold.
There is no national umbrella group in animal welfare. WHS is a local, independent non-profit organization operating shelters in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Brown, Door, Kenosha, and Racine Counties, as well as a spay/neuter clinic in West Allis and a wildlife rehabilitation center at the Milwaukee Campus.
We do not have the jurisdiction to investigate abuse or neglect cases; all reports of suspected animal cruelty or neglect must go through the local police or sheriff’s department. If you see an animal in a life-threatening situation, please call 9-1-1.
You can find animal statistics in reports on our About Us section, as well as more detailed intake and outcome statistics on the Lifesaving Statistics page.
The Wisconsin Humane Society does not euthanize animals to make space in our shelters, and animals in our adoption program have as long as it takes to find a new home. This is true for all our campuses.
When an animal arrives at WHS, our priority is to determine if there are ways we can keep or reunite the animal with their family, identifying barriers and bridging gaps wherever possible. We partner with owners, finders, and/or previous shelters to collect information about the animal to help support them while they’re in our care. In the shelter, we provide behavioral and medical assessments. All safe, healthy animals who cannot be reunited with their families are placed into our adoption program. Whether or not we can place other animals into our adoption program is determined based on several factors. These include the severity of the medical or behavioral condition, quality of life, the risk to other animals in our care, public safety, and the ability of a typical person to manage significant medical or behavioral issues.
We work to treat, manage, and rehabilitate conditions ranging from food aggression and separation anxiety to heart conditions and fractures, but if we are unable to place an animal into our adoption program, we contact previous owners or finders whenever possible to share information and determine the owner’s ability to take the animal back. We may also explore placement with rescue organizations, working cat programs, return-to-field, or other alternative placements if that is in the animal’s and community’s best interest.
When we cannot place an animal into our adoption program or find an alternative placement solution due to significant medical or behavioral conditions, we consider euthanasia the most humane decision. This decision is always made with the utmost consideration of the animal’s quality of life as well as community safety. All euthanasia occurs in accordance with WHS policy and procedure, Wisconsin state regulations, and the guidelines set by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The procedure is conducted in a manner that is humane, respectful, and performed by caring staff who’ve dedicated their lives to helping animals in need.
Yes, if you are unable to keep your pet, we are here to help. WHS will never turn away an animal in need; however, some animals can find a shelter environment stressful, so we recommend exploring all options before surrendering your pet if you’re able. We’re happy to partner with you to explore supportive resources. For alternatives to surrendering, as well as more information on our surrender process, click here.
Yes. At their families’ request, we offer humane euthanasia at our Milwaukee, Green Bay, Ozaukee, Kenosha, and Racine Campuses for privately-owned pets who are seriously ill or injured. We also offer cremation services at all six sheltering locations, as well as grief counseling and animal internment in Lorraine’s Garden at the Milwaukee Campus. For more information, visit our end-of-life services page.
Most community service projects are too short-term to be fulfilled at our shelter, but outside projects, like organizing donation drives for items on our wish list, are often a perfect fit for projects that only require a few hours. Click here for more information on how kids can help!
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and generosity! Please visit our Start a Fundraiser page for ideas, tips, our fundraising toolkit, and a form to let us know of your fundraiser so we can support you in your philanthropic endeavor. Thanks again for thinking of the Wisconsin Humane Society!
WHS doesn’t have a full-service veterinary clinic that treats public animals, but there are some great organizations out there that provide grant funding or assistance to animals in need. We also recommend checking into CareCredit, which allows you to set up a payment plan for animal medical expenses to achieve more manageable payments over time. If you are in a situation which is making it challenging to keep your pet due to medical or other issues, our Community Resource Navigator may have additional resources to share; please reach out to 414-431-6115 or petresources@wihumane.org
We are happy to help! Please contact the development department at donate@wihumane.org or call 414-431-6119.
For our Wildlife Rehabilitation Center FAQs, click here.