Announcement - Wisconsin Humane Society

WHS Issues Plea as Cat Populations Reach Urgent Levels

WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is asking for the public’s help as cat intake is peaking at all their locations. WHS is currently caring for more than 1,050 cats, including more than 300 available for adoption across its campuses.

WHS says one of the best ways you can help is by becoming a foster parent for cats or kittens. To become a WHS foster parent, watch an online orientation video and complete an application. WHS will then provide information about animals currently in need of foster homes. WHS supplies everything you need to take care of your animal; all you need to do is provide a loving home. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent head to www.wihumane.org/foster/apply.

WHS is also running several adoption promotions aimed at getting more cats into loving homes. Through the month of August, all cats 6 months and older have a “name your own adoption fee.” If you are looking for a kitten, all kitten fees are 50% off.

All cat adoptions include:

Spay/neuter surgery
Initial vaccinations
Microchip
Certificate for a free veterinary exam
Starter bag of food
30 days of MetLife Pet Insurance
Adopter discounts and perks from local businesses
10% off purchases at Animal Antics Retail Store

Adoptions are completed same-day on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as it’s a good fit. Animals in the adoption program have as long as it takes to find a new home. To see available animals, visit www.wihumane.org/adopt.

“We urgently need foster families and adopters to help alleviate our critical space issues,” said Corey Viars, media specialist for WHS’s Green Bay and Door County Campuses. “With this many cats in our care, it’s really putting a strain on our resources.”

Financial donations are also critical to helping WHS care for the growing number of cats in its shelters. During August, every donation to WHS will be tripled thanks to matching contributions from generous donors. To make a monetary donation, visit www.wihumane.org/summermatch.

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About the Wisconsin Humane Society

The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) was founded in 1879 and is the oldest and largest shelter in Wisconsin, annually serving more than 65,000 animals and the people who love them. The WHS mission is to make a difference for animals and the people who love them. WHS is an independent nonprofit, receives no general government funding and there is no national umbrella group in animal welfare.

WHS operates shelters in Door, Brown, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, and Kenosha Counties, as well as a spay/neuter clinic in West Allis. The organization offers stray animal holding, adoption services, youth programs, veterinary services, pet food pantries, retail stores, wildlife rehabilitation, training classes and more. WHS is ranked 4 stars by Charity Navigator, the premier independent charity watchdog group. To learn more, visit www.wihumane.org.

MADACC and WHS issue feline panleukopenia response

MILWAUKEE – In the wake of rising panleukopenia cases in cats and kittens in Milwaukee County, the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) has seen an uptick in panleukopenia cases entering their shelter. To keep new intakes healthy, the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) and MADACC are asking for the community’s help in addressing the spread of the deadly virus.

Kittens arriving at MADACC will be assessed for signs of illness, and anyone bringing in kittens deemed healthy will be asked to take them to the WHS Milwaukee Campus for intake. Stray kittens are almost always litters born outside, and not household pets; they have a near 0% reclaim rate. By moving the healthy kittens directly to WHS, they are less likely to be exposed to panleukopenia and provide MADACC with some breathing room to manage the cases in their care. These kittens will then move into adoption programs through WHS and other local partners. Stray kittens who are sick, as well as all adult stray cats, will remain at MADACC for stray hold as usual.

Both facilities have hundreds of cats in care, but WHS is working to convert spaces to temporary cat housing to accommodate additional local intake.

Panleukopenia (FPV) is an extremely contagious and frequently fatal viral disease affecting the intestines and immune system. While reported mortality rates vary, kittens are especially vulnerable and can be much more likely to die from the disease. FPV can also survive in the environment for a year or longer, making it incredibly difficult to control. The feline panleukopenia vaccine is a core vaccine—often given as part of the FVRCP (feline distemper) shot—that protects cats from panleukopenia.

WHS and MADACC are asking for the public’s help in the following ways:

Leave healthy cats alone. Lost cats are more likely to find their way home when left alone instead of being brought to a shelter. If you spot a healthy adult stray cat, don’t automatically bring them to your local stray holding facility. Learn more here. If you find a sick or injured stray cat of any age, please do bring them to your local animal control facility.
Adopt! Every animal adopted from MADACC and WHS frees up more space and resources, whether a dog, cat, or small animal!
Foster! Join the MADACC and/or WHS foster programs to temporarily care for animals in your home. Both are in high need of new foster parents, especially for cats/kittens!
Get your cats vaccinated and keep them indoors as much as possible. The FVRCP vaccine is available during low-cost vaccine clinics at both WHS and MADACC, as well as other providers in the area.
Consider alternatives to surrendering your cat to a shelter. Supportive resources can be found here. WHS is the agency that intakes surrendered animals in Milwaukee County.

Donations tripled during Summer Match Campaign

Thanks to some incredibly generous friends of WHS, you have the opportunity to make your gift go 3x as far to help the more than 65,000 animals and families we serve each year in our communities. That means…

$100 will become $300 so animals can receive emergency surgery and medical treatment.
$10 will become $30 to provide a lifesaving care kit for orphaned neonatal kittens.
$30 will become $90 to provide public behavior support to keep dogs in their loving homes.

Please consider making a gift today

to give 3x the hope to animals who are counting on us.

donate

Your gift will help animals like Gio, who was dragging his left hind leg when he first met our veterinarians for his intake exam. The extreme loss of muscle in his leg made it clear that he was suffering from an old injury and hadn’t been using his leg for some time. Further exams showed the extent of the damage, and considering the best outcomes for Gio, we knew amputation would relieve his pain and help him find happiness once again. Already accustomed to navigating the world on three legs, Gio impressed our vets and foster parents throughout his recovery. Before long, he met Judy, who could not have been happier to sign his adoption papers and welcome him into her family.

Gio is now making up for all that lost fun with a family of his own, and none of it would be possible without the generosity of donors like you. One helpless pup plus a compassionate, expert team equals… a new beginning! That’s the kind of miraculous math you can make happen with your donation today.

Gio the white fluffy dog says thank you!

Donations will be generously matched by our wonderful friends at the Nicholas Family Foundation, Shirley Winnes in memory of her husband Richard Winnes, Judith Ford, Patricia Bachhuber, Barb Gilman and her pup Sassy, Guy Hawley and Gabriella DeLorenzo-Hawley, Patti and Jack McKeithan Northwoods Fund, Kathleen Ryan, Pat Lombardo and her kitty Benny, and Nancy Behrens – who donated in memory of Aggie & Gracie – the most wonderful rescues anyone could ask for. A special thanks to Virginia Kress for matching all gifts made to the Green Bay Campus, an anonymous donor for matching gifts to the Kenosha Campus, and to the Ruud Family Foundation for matching 100% of new donations and 50% of gifts from returning donors to the Racine Campus. Thank you all so very much!

WHS selected as Green Bay Packers Training Camp Nonprofit of the Day

Visit our booth on Friday, July 31 at Green Bay Packers Training Camp to learn more about the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS), make a toy for shelter pets and decorate their kennel signs! You’ll find our booth located east of Ray Nitschke Field (across the street from the Resch Center) from 9 a.m. until 30 minutes after practice ends.

We are so grateful for this opportunity to connect with our community and hope to see you there!

For more information about Packers Training Camp, visit www.packers.com/training-camp.

Enter your pet in the WHS Calendar Contest!

We want to see YOUR pet in the running to be a 2027 calendar model!

Enter their photo online at gogophotocontest.com/wischumane
Share your entry link with family and friends to collect votes
Winning pets will be featured as an “animal of the month” or the cover model, plus other prizes for you!

submit your pet’s photo here

There is a $20 non-refundable entry fee per photo to support the animals and families served by the Wisconsin Humane Society. Every photo that receives 5 or more votes is guaranteed to be printed in the calendar.

Contest ends at 9:00 p.m. on Monday, August 17.

Donations matched for wildlife!

This warmer weather means that hundreds of baby wild animals are in our care every day, with a constant stream of callers looking for advice on wildlife issues. Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers make second chances happen for so many injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals. However, donations decline in summer. People are away or busy, leaving us with more orphaned animals, more expenses, and less funding.

Will you consider making a gift today to help meet the critical needs of so many vulnerable wild animals this summer?

Your donation will be automatically MATCHED up to $15,000 by a generous friend of WHS, doubling your impact!

donate

Collage featuring a raccoon, owl, baby squirrel and hawk

MORE Adoption Specials!

Welcome home a new best friend this summer! These adoption specials will end July 31:

Name your own adoption fee for all cats 6 months and older
50% off kitten adoption fees
Name your own adoption fee for all Benchwarmer dogs
50% off adoption fees for all other dogs 6 months and older

Visit any WHS location during adoption hours or meet with a WHS foster family and bring home a new companion the very same day.

All dog and cat adoption fees include:

Spay/neuter surgery
Initial vaccines
Microchip
Certificate for a free vet exam
Free starter bag of food
30 days of MetLife Pet Insurance
Adopter perks and discounts from local businesses
10% off your purchase in our Animal Antics Retail Store

VIEW AVAILABLE ANIMALS

Giveaway for monthly donors!

For a limited time, anyone who signs up as a new monthly donor for at least $10 per month OR any existing monthly donors who increase their gift by at least $5 per month will receive an exclusive T-shirt! Offer ends 7/31/26.

You can’t get this T-shirt anywhere else and it’s a wonderful way to show the world that you support animals and families served by WHS ❤️

To claim your exclusive T-shirt:

➡️New monthly donors: you can sign up online or by mail – click here to get started!

➡️Existing monthly donors: to increase your monthly gift, please contact us at donate@wihumane.org or 414-431-6119

Three women standing in front of the WHS Milwaukee Campus holding puppies and wearing the exclusive monthly donor t-shirt

What can your gift do?

$10 Protects two dogs from heartworm disease
$15 Vaccinates three cats
$25 Provides food for ten wild animals
$50 Provides a lifesaving care kit to a litter of orphaned kittens

Our amazing, compassionate monthly donors truly keep the lights on and ensure we’re here when animals and families need us most.

learn more about monthly giving

The Best Way to Help a Stray Cat

Leave the cat in place

If the cat is not in danger, injured, or sick, leave the cat alone and/or put them
back where they were found. A stray cat’s best chance of finding their owner is
to leave them alone.

Lost cats are up to 50 times more likely to be reunited with their owners if
they stay in their neighborhood than through an animal shelter. [1]
Only 3% of cats are reunited with their families through a shelter. [2]
75% of lost cats are found within 1/3 of a mile from home. [3]

Historically, “stray cats” have made up the majority of intake at shelters across
the country. This can leave shelters crowded and less able to provide
appropriate care for animals who do need sheltering, such as sick and injured
animals, or those whose owners can no longer keep them. [4]

When should I bring a cat to a shelter?

If you find a lost cat in any of these situations, please bring them to the shelter
that contracts with your municipality.

In danger
Injured or sick
Orphaned kitten(s)

WHS holds most of the municipal contracts in Kenosha, Racine, Ozaukee,
Brown, Kewaunee, and Door County. In Milwaukee County, lost/stray animals
go to MADACC.

download stray cat info flyer

Sources

[1] National Animal Care & Control Association,
https://www.nacanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Animal-Control-Intake-of-Free-Roaming-Cats.pdf

[2] Shelter Animals Count, 2025 Year End Report, https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/2025-report

[3] Huang L, Coradini M, Rand J, Morton J, Albrecht K, Wasson B, Robertson D. Search Methods Used to Locate Missing Cats and Locations Where
Missing Cats Are Found. Animals (Basel). 2018 Jan 2;8(1):5. doi: 10.3390/ani8010005. PMID: 29301322; PMCID: PMC5789300.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789300/

[4] National Animal Care & Control Association,
https://www.nacanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Animal-Control-Intake-of-Free-Roaming-Cats.pdf

June Adoption Specials!

Kick off summer with a new best friend! These adoption specials will run June 1-30:

Name Your Own Fee for cats 6 months and older!
Name Your Own Fee for Benchwarmer dogs!
Kitten Buddy pricing continues: If you adopt two kittens at once, take 50% off the second adoption fee!

Visit any WHS location during adoption hours or meet with a WHS foster family and bring home a new companion the very same day. All dog and cat adoption fees include:

Spay/neuter surgery
Initial vaccines
Microchip
Certificate for a free vet exam
Free starter bag of food
30 days of MetLife Pet Insurance
Adopter perks and discounts from local businesses
10% off your purchase in our Animal Antics Retail Store

VIEW AVAILABLE ANIMALS