Dane County Humane Society

Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) was founded in 1921 by Ida Kittleson, wife of Madison Mayor Isaac Milo Kittleson. Ida housed lost and abandoned animals in the basement of her home or in the homes of volunteers. In 1965, a permanent shelter was built on Pennsylvania Avenue in Madison. Animals were sheltered in that facility for almost 50 years until the current shelter was built in 2000 on Voges Road in Madison. In 2002, Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center (formerly known as Four Lakes Wildlife Center) began taking in ill, injured or orphaned wildlife from throughout Southern Wisconsin.

The DCHS Campus is located on 29 beautiful acres in Southeast Madison and includes the DCHS Main Shelter building with adoptable and stray animal housing, adoption center and retail store, animal medical services clinic, humane education facilities and administrative offices. A horse and livestock barn, wildlife rehabilitation center and the Maddie's Felines in Treatment Center are also located on the DCHS Campus.

DCHS is the second largest shelter in Wisconsin, caring for thousands of companion animals and wild animals every year. Over 100 staff members and hundreds of dedicated volunteers provide comfort and care to these animals in need every day.

DCHS is a private, non-profit, community-supported organization and is not affiliated with any government agency or national animal welfare organization. We are an open admission shelter accepting all animals that need assistance regardless of age, health status, or temperament. DCHS has an adoption guarantee, meaning all healthy or treatable animals can stay at DCHS as long as it takes to find a loving home.

As one of the nation's leading animal welfare organizations, DCHS offers humane education programs, community-based care for pets, foster care for animals for victims of domestic abuse, a pet food pantry, dog training classes, wildlife rehabilitation, and much more. Our volunteers and professionals come together every day in the spirit ofHelping People Help Animals, and together create a culture of compassion, empathy, integrity, and accountability.

• Foster compassionate human and animal connections
• Forge safe, healthy, and thriving communities for animals
• Provide care and transitional sheltering to animals
• Provide leadership and guidance to the animal sheltering community and the public