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  • Lorraine’s Garden

    Lorraine’s Garden

    Lorraine’s Garden, located at the Wisconsin Humane Society Milwaukee Campus, is a final resting place that honors the affection and joy that our precious companions play in our lives. This lovely setting includes a Meditation Garden, Memory Walk, and Columbarium to inter your companion’s remains.

    Columbarium Garden

    Lorraine’s Garden provides a beautiful, respectful way for you to acknowledge the importance of the bond between you and your beloved animal.

    Your animal’s urn will be in his or her own niche in one of the Columbarium Garden walls. A granite plaque engraved with your message in his or her memory will cap the outside wall. You can also consider adjoining multiple vaults to keep your animal family together.

    Fees start at $600 for each 12″ x 12″ granite niche. 

    Cremation

    For those who purchase a niche in Lorraine’s Garden, the Wisconsin Humane Society offers private cremation services for your companion animal under the caring supervision of compassionate veterinary staff.

    The cremation takes place at the Wisconsin Humane Society, and their remains are placed in an urn. 

    Lasting Memorials

    Providing a memorial gift to honor a loved one also helps animals and families served by the Wisconsin Humane Society.

    You may desire to make a lasting tribute to celebrate anyone – person or animal. There are several options to consider, including one or several of the following:

    • Memorial donation for a person or animal
    • Personalized tribute to a person or animal on a brick on the Memory Walk
    • Naming opportunities for items like benches and statuary

    Lorraine Raasch understood the profound bond between people and their companion animals and left resources in her estate for the Wisconsin Humane Society to create a special place like our Memorial Garden. 

    As a lover of Shetland Sheepdogs, Lorraine kept animals in her heart to the end of her life and we are proud to dedicate this garden in her name.

  • Animal Surrender

    Animal Surrender

    We understand there are circumstances that may prevent you from being able to keep your pet, and the Wisconsin Humane Society is here to help! 

    If you are struggling to keep your pet:

    1. Check out our Pet Resources page to see if we offer a program or service that could help you keep your pet.
    2. Contact our Community Resource Navigator to talk through possible resources and alternatives to surrendering your pet at 414-431-6115 or petresources@wihumane.org.
    3. Explore online re-homing to find your animal a new home without having to bring them into the shelter.
    4. If you have not had success with the options above, the Wisconsin Humane Society is here to help. See below for information on our surrender process.

    Surrender Process

    Surrendered animals are accepted on a walk-in basis at all WHS campuses during open surrender/arrivals hours. No appointment necessary.

    When you bring your pet to WHS for surrender, they will receive a health and behavior assessment. There are no time or space limits at our shelters, which means that if we are able to place your pet in our adoption program, they will remain with us until they find a good match. 

    1. Please bring a government-issued photo ID (such as a drivers license)
    2. If you have them, please bring your pet’s medical records and list of any medications/supplements they may be on
    3. For everyone’s safety, all dogs must be leashed, and all cats must be in carriers. If you do not have a leash or a carrier, please leave your pet in your vehicle and request one from the shelter.
    4. Please complete and print the appropriate form below (form can also be filled out at WHS if a printer is unavailable to you):

    These fees go toward the care of the animals while they are at WHS.

    Fees can be reduced or waived if they are a barrier; we will never turn an animal away due to financial constraints.

    AnimalSingle Animal
    (Fee Per Animal)    		Multiple Animals
    (Fee Applied to Group)
    Dogs$40$75
    Cats$40$75
    Rabbits$30$55
    Small animals$20$35
    Exotics$75No group discount

    There are some circumstances where animals cannot be placed up for adoption at WHS.

    All safe, healthy animals are placed into our adoption program and have as long as it takes to find a new home. 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, risk to other animals in our care, public safety, and the ability to manage significant medical or behavioral issues. Click here to learn more about our outcome decision-making philosophy. Upon surrendering, you can choose whether or not to be notified if we cannot place your animal in our adoption program.

  • Shelter for Domestic Violence Survivors

    Shelter for Domestic Violence Survivors

    Safe Haven Foster Program

    The Wisconsin Humane Society Milwaukee Campus and Sojourner Family Peace Center have partnered to provide the Safe Haven program, which offers up to 60 days of shelter for animals from families affected by domestic violence.

    Research finds that 75% of abused women who have companion animals report a history of their companion animal being threatened or intentionally harmed by their intimate partner*. Abusers often use animals as pawns to manipulate and control the survivor, taking advantage of the survivor’s concern for his or her animal. Abusers may threaten, harm, or kill animals to intimidate survivors, demand silence about the abuse, or prevent them from leaving.

    Many survivors are unable to leave an abusive situation because they fear for their animal’s safety. The Safe Haven program makes it possible for survivors to leave an abusive relationship without losing their companion animal. Animals provide companionship, comfort, and unconditional love to survivors and their children affected by domestic violence, and preserving the bond between families and their animals is vitally important.

    Get Support for Your Pet

    Milwaukee-area 

    To enroll in the Safe Haven program, contact the Sojourner Family Peace Center at 414-933-2722

    Call now

    Outside of Milwaukee

    Services vary by community. Click here to find resources available near you.

    find help

    Support the Program

    Thank you for your interest in helping survivors navigate their journey to safety. Your generosity will help save lives – both human and animal. 

    • Volunteer as a foster parent | Fostering an animal for the Safe Haven program not only provides a comfortable home environment for the animal, but also peace of mind for their family, so they can focus on leaving a dangerous situation. Find more information and apply here. 
    • Donate | You can contribute directly to the Safe Haven program to help offset the costs of feeding, supplies, and daily care for animals during their stay with us.

    “Our friend Joe Pabst has been a driving force in our ability to offer this important program, and we’re so appreciative of his partnership. This program is one of the many ways we are able to fulfill our mission of making a difference for animals AND the people who love them. We are grateful to the Sojourner Peace Center for helping accomplish that, by offering families in these unthinkable situations a safe place for their pets while they find safety themselves.” 

    -Alison Fotsch, WHS President & CEO

    “I come from a family that loves animals. One of my sisters was a victim of domestic violence, and I believe that her pets were an obstacle to her ability to leave. They were very important to her.  Despite our efforts and many interventions, we couldn’t save her. In the people the Safe Haven Foster Program helps, I see my sister. I see a survivor. I see a person with another chance.” 

    -Joseph Pabst

    *McDonald, S. E., Collins, E. A., Maternick, A., Nicotera, N., Graham-Bermann, S., Ascione, F. R., & Williams, J. H. (2019). Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Reports of Their Children’s Exposure to Companion Animal Maltreatment: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34(13), 2627-2652. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516689775 

  • Pet Food Pantry

    Pet Food Pantry

    The Wisconsin Humane Society’s pet food pantry helps keep people and their pets together by providing food, treats, and litter to bridge gaps in access to these important resources.

    WHS Pantry Information

    • Available at all six WHS Campuses:
      • Milwaukee, Racine, Ozaukee, Kenosha, Green Bay, and Door County
    • Open to the public during adoption hours at each location
    • Availability of supplies in the pantry is dependent on donations from the community 

    Other pet food resources

    Pet food and/or supplies may also be available from the following community partners. We recommend calling ahead to ensure availability, hours, and qualifications.

    • Ozaukee Food Alliance | 100 E Green Bay Ave, Saukville | Ozaukee County residents can learn more at ozaukeefoodalliance.org

    • Feed and Clothe My People of Door County | 204 N 14th Ave, Sturgeon Bay | Door County residents can call 920-743-9053 to make a pick up appointment | Click here for more information

    • Racine County residents can call 211 for directions on which pantry to visit. Income qualifications do apply.

    Donate to the pantry

    By contributing to the Wisconsin Humane Society’s Pet Food Pantry, your generosity helps keep animals in the homes where they’re loved and leaves more room in our shelters for animals who don’t already have an advocate.

    We accept donations of all kinds, but we can only use unopened bags of food/treats/litter for the pet food pantry. All sizes, brands, and types of food are greatly appreciated! Donations can be dropped off at any WHS shelter during our regular operating hours.

    PET FOOD PANTRY NEEDS:

    • Dog food (wet or dry)
    • Cat food (wet or dry)
    • Dog treats
    • Cat treats
    • Cat litter

    DONATE SUPPLIES FROM HOME:

    We offer steep discounts on pet food, treats, and cat litter online through our Animal Antics retail store! Simply select a product to donate, check out as usual, and we’ll stock the item in the pet food pantry. It’s that easy!

    Donate online

    On behalf of the many animals and families served by WHS, thank you for your contribution!