Wisconsin Humane Society

While I support the society and it’s mission to find forever homes, I am seriously disappointed in how it’s doing some things. I have been looking on the website for at least 5 months. I filled out an online profile earlier this week and today finally went in to see if I could meet the dog I liked. I drove 45 minutes to the Ozaukee campus and was told it would be a 2 – 3 hour wait — OK, not a problem, I really wanted to meet this dog and was expecting this. 2.5 hours later, I was paged. I introduced myself, the woman asked about my daughter. She’s 8.5. Nike’s online profile said no kids under 8; so OK there. I was then asked if I had a cat. I replied yes and was told that Nike couldn’t go to a home with a cat. What the? I just sat here over 2 hours and was being asked if I wanted to see another dog. The fact that I had a cat was on my profile. Why was this information not on Nike’s profile? IF AN ANIMAL HAS ANY KIND OF «DEALBREAKER» WHERE AN ANIMAL WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE REFUSED A HOME, IT SHOULD BE ON THE WEBSITE!!!

Wisconsin Humane Society has a very great system and they care for their animals. They cared for my dog when she was treated unfairly by her previous owners. They also have a camp for kids in the summertime where they can take care of animals.

refused to show me the guniea pig even though it was not visible. not respectful of youth. overall very rude tone and unhelpful.

When I was ready to adopt a cat this fall Milwaukee’s Humane Society was my first stop. Surprisingly I did not adopt a cat on the spot, instead I decided to feel out the process on my first visit and return two days later to adopt. For people like me with mild anxiety when it comes to life changes, a two visit approach might be preferable.
I was impressed with the nice facilities of the Wisconsin Ave location. Make sure to check in right when you get there because there will likely be a wait to meet with an adoption counselor if you’re going on the weekend or in the evening. It surprised me that you were not able to interact with the cats without a counselor. While you’re waiting walk around to see the cats and figure out which cats you would like to meet (I made a list). The older cats have personality profiles on their doors and of course it is fun to watch the kittens play! Keep in mind the counselor will want you to pick only two or three cats to meet if there is a wait.
Once you’re with an adoption counselor they will ask you which cats you want to look at. Then they’ll replace the cat’s profile with a placeholder «reserving» the cats you’re interested in meeting. This is nice because you can take your time meeting your choices, however I’m not sure what happens if the person before you reserves a cat you’re very interested in. After that, it really goes like you would expect, cuddling kitties/​cats, deliberating, deciding, paperwork, BOOM you’re a pet owner! I’m getting excited just remembering! In terms of price, the kittens are more expensive and if you get an adult cat they waive the adoption fee. I got the cat starter kit from their store and although I didn’t love everything it came with, the starter supplies were helpful until I made it to the pet store.
My Advice: Be patient, bring a friend, don’t stress about finding the «right» one, it is sort of magic! And despite the wait and the strict interaction policies, the WHS is a great place to find a pet.

Thinking of sharing your heart and your home? Consider adopting from the Wisconsin Humane Society first.
I’ve adopted most of my closest friends from this location. My beloved cat, Luna, was a 4-​year old rescue from WHS. When I lost her to cancer several years ago, it was a no brainer to bring joy, a good home and lots of love to another adult cat in need. When I was ready to have a dog at home again, I also turned to WHS and found the best friend any man or woman could ask for in eight-​year-​old Wallace.
When you stop in at WHS, adoption assistants help pick a pet that matches your personality and lifestyle. They properly screen each prospective family to ensure these pets find their forever home too. It isn’t just dogs and cats — WHS offers small animal and bird adoption as well.
Looking for a welcome home gift for your new friend or need to pick up a few supplies? The Animal Antics store has everything you need, and part of the proceeds return to the animals too!
Fun Fact: Submit a photo to the WHS annual calendar contest. Perhaps your pet will end up a superstar!

I have had the pleasure of adopting two of my babies from here (a rabbit and a dog). Both times, the staff were super friendly and accommodating. I love that they check out the entire person before letting you adopt any animal, that includes verifying that you can have pets in your rentals.
Also — a year after I adopted my bunny, I emailed asking if they still had his website picture and not only were they SO happy to help, they also still had it!

Love this place, adopt adopt adopt!!! :)

The layout and process are great and efficient. I couldn’t believe how many folks were there to look at adoptions. When I arrived their huge parking lot was filled to overflowing. I was told it was a two hour wait, so I settled in. I believe I was helped at about 1.5 hours (I lost track of time), but then it took at least another hour to get through the adoption process. So my advice is to arrive very early and be prepared for this to take awhile. Those who assisted me in the process were generally helpful and knowledgable, however the first person to greet me should have signed me in right away since I had no idea after I took 20 minutes or so to look around that I needed to be on a list with a very long waiting period. Despite this, I got new kitty and I’m happy.

I adopted my 1 year old lab/​german shepherd from here. Overall, I’m impressed with this place. I was even more surprised they have same day adoption. I was originally looking at rescue’s and some of them had lengthy adoption processes. The Milwaukee Humane Society is kept pretty clean and the counselors are pretty knowledgeable. The adoption counselor also spent quite a bit of time with me. The whole staff seemed pretty friendly. Definitely check this place out!

Dogs and Cats and Birds and Guinea Pigs and Rabbits Oh My! I had been searching for my furry best bud for awhile… I have some particulars that I was specifically looking for.
I was happily surprised by the facility. Very clean for the most part and expansive. The staff was super friendly and helpful. We came to meet a specific puppy, but if you aren’t, that’s ok too. They will make a copy of your license and then they will let you hold and play with (i.e. fall in love with) their furry friends. We got an adoption counselor who was knowledgeable enough about the breed and requirements of owning a puppy.
The whole process was actually fairly easy. Other than the poop that was in her ‘suite’ and according to one of the staffers, had been there all day, it was a very good experience. But what’s a little poop between doggies?
WHS also offers training courses and has an on property store to help new owners go home with the necessities or to supply current owners what they need at a slightly better price than other stores. It isn’t a huge store, but it’s got he basics.
Overall, we had a great experience there and they seem to be truly making use of the donations they collect. AAAAnd, they gave us our sweet new puppy to take home!

We recently adopted our 2^nd Saint Bernard from WHS. My wife took care of the 1^st Saint adoption we had 5 years ago so this was a new experience for me.
The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. We took 2 visits to our new son. Gaby helped us the first time and you could tell that he loved working there and loved the animals. He answered all our questions about the dog and gave us the heads up about an adoption event that was happening the next day.
The next day, my wife and I worked with Lindsay. Again she showed the same type of attitude and customer service that Gaby provided the day before. Top notch!
We couldn’t be happier. Thanks WHS! Remember you don’t rescue the dog, the dog rescues you!

Love the humane society here in Mke! Staff is great, place is clean with lots of resources for pet owners. I also find they have the best prices for many items. We make the trip here especially for the yeowww catnip cigars, bully sticks, and to ooo and ahhh over the cute animals in the «glass apartments»
My cat goes crazy for those cigars like no other and the bully sticks are the best value in town!
Big pluses, the give Unilocalers a discount for checking in and your purchases go towards a great cause.

I concur with the rest of the reviews for the WHS. This is a facility that is changing the lives of people AND animals for the better. It’s clear from the moment you walk in this is a place that is filled with love and compassion, and a dedicated respect to all animals.
We found our Neko (originally known as «Papaya») on November 28^th, 2012. She immediately won us over. The WHS staff is so kind. Everyone was so easy to work with. They were patient, understanding, and explained the entire process to us in full detail. Once we signed in and filled out the application, they allowed us to stay and look /​pet /​hold /​play with as many cats as we wanted to. We visited several times, and over the course of a week we became familiar with the staff there.
When Neko picked us out, we not only got an awesome, kick-​ass cat, but also a free bag of Frommes cat food as well! I bought a few items from their in-​facility store. Some of the proceeds go to the WHS. I’ll certainly be back to stock up on more blankets and cat toys when we need to.
We had to bring Neko back to the WHS Vet a few days after adopting her, due to an upper respiratory infection. Their vet was great to talk with, we got recommendations for treating her cold, and she genuinely cared about our little girl. We even got the meds for free. Along with that, we had a certificate for a free checkup at a vet clinic of our choosing. (See my review for Mayfair Animal Hospital — wonderful people there, too).
We are so grateful and lucky to have a facility like this in the Milwaukee area. We saw a few dogs there that I would have loved to take home as well. Maybe next time! :)
I (actually «we», meaning myself, my husband and Neko) are forever in debt to the WHS! Thank you all for that you do.

I’ve never adopted a pet from here, but I have used their Wildlife Rehabilitation Center a few times. Whether it’s a wild turtle on the sidewalk in winter, or a large bird that had broken its wing, they’ve given me a place to take it and try to save the animal. They’ll go out to get the animal themselves, but the find/​success rate will be higher if you can scoop it up yourself and bring it in.
If you email asking for a status of the animal, they’ll respond within a week or so. Be sure to donate a little money when you drop an animal off.

Step 1: Get the app on your smartphone.
Step 2: Stalk away until you see something that speaks to your soul.
Step 3: Pay the place a visit and talk to one of their lovely adoption counselors to decide if this is a good life choice.
Step 4: Bring home a your soul mate.
I think I stalked the app for over a year and just recently adopted a pup. After purchasing a few dogs from breeders, the human society was a breath of fresh air. I also saved probably around a grand compared to buying a dog from a breeder.

Got my both my dog and cat here, so I’ll be eternally grateful for their work. My dog was given up from another humane society in Kentucky so it seems like fate that he happened to come to Milwaukee, and then adopted by my awesome boyfriend. He’s so perfect for us. He had heartworm when we got him but the HS said he just needed one more treatment — free of charge — all we had to do was take him into their clinic for one night a few months after getting him.
My cat was 9 when I adopted her, but those little rooms they keep the cats in allowed her to express her true personality, so it was love at first sight (…nearly. I considered a kitten for a second). Since she was older, she was free! (Just make sure to donate). My cat was having issues adjusting because I did a bad job introducing her to my roommates and roommate’s cat, and the employees gave me really helpful advice over the phone and were really friendly and understanding.
You also get a free vet visit (from a list of their participating vets… when I lived in Milwaukee we found vet prices much more reasonable outside of Milwaukee, but that’s up to you).
They do what they can, but it’s a huge job that never slows down, so give them a break. Adopt when you can, but only if you can truly provide a good home for them.
Keep up the good work, HS!

Today was a sad day. Opal had been getting thinner and thinner for months. It was possibly a thyroid problem, possibly cancer of some kind, possibly something else unknown. Either way, there wasn’t really anything that could be done for her. She was clearly uncomfortable, and I don’t know of anyone that likes to see their beloved pet in pain.
I called around, and the prices for Euthanasia ranged from $ 90 to well over $ 200 at most places. Then I called the humane society. I was told by a very nice woman that they will provide these services for a $ 50 donation or I could pay what I could. I thanked her.
I went in today. I was greeted by a very friendly woman, possibly the same one who was on the phone. We had a good conversation, and I said goodbye to Opal Kitty. I gladly paid the $ 50.
I have to praise the woman at the counter who was very comforting during a pretty rough moment. I am very glad the cat is no longer suffering.

What can you say negatively about the humane society?
This is an awesome no-​kill shelter and they really do care about the animals that come in through their doors. Many times they take in dogs/​cats with special needs and fix them up and get them adopted. They have great programs for the community, and fun events like a 24 hour adopt-​a-​thon.
I was fortunate enough to rescue my cat Mr Big from this shelter. As cliché as it sounds, it was love at first sight. He was a big black and white tubby kitty and he won our hearts. We were assigned a counselor who took us around to meet quite a few cats before we decided on the one for us. Each animal is given a personality type that they fit into, so you are easily able to figure out which cats/​dogs would work best for your lifestyle. We wanted an outgoing, cuddly cat and that is exactly what we found in Mr Big. All cats are sent home with a bag of Science food diet, and the most incredible things is all cats over 1 year are technically free. They ask for a donation, but who wouldn’t mind donating money to this wonderful establishment?
As soon as I buy a home, I know I’m going to adopt another dog from the humane society. Adopted pets are some of the best around. They are usually some of the sweetest, kindest animals and they are so grateful that you chose them to be your own. Before heading to a pet store, or a breeder, try the humane society! There are so many awesome pets waiting for you there!

I got my 2 girls «Angelina Jocats» (aka Ladybird aka Mama Ang), and «Baby» (what can I say? u don’t try as hard with ur second child) at WHS so I’m definately a fan.
They were very helpful and patient as I asked lots of?? s about the cats background and habits. The process was pretty easy and quick. I only had to wait about 10 or 15 minutes while they prepared anything. My only little thing is I wish I could have petted some of the dogs. I realize they probably don’t want them nipping anyone accidently, but u are able to reach in and give the cats some attention while they are in there little rooms (and lord knows cats aren’t always friendly.). Oh well, I know they have volunteers who walk and pet them. Just sayin.
Overall though, adopting here was a great experience. For a low fee (maybe $ 55 that is often waived during promos) u get a spayed/​fixed cat with litter, litter box, food, bowls, toys, brush, and voucher for vet visit. Everything u will need to successfully become a cat codependant. Well done.

Wisconsin Humane Society is a great organization! I have adopted several animals from this shelter. The staff is always friendly, welcoming and helpful and the facilities are always clean!
Great website too — updated every 30 minutes so you always know the animals that are coming & going :)
I’d recommend this shelter for anyone looking to adopt a new member into their family!