I've Found a Stray Animal
Who provides stray animal sheltering services in my area?
The Wisconsin Humane Society is responsible for housing stray/lost animals in Ozaukee County, Door County, Kenosha County, and most municipalities in Brown and Racine Counties. In Milwaukee County, all stray animals must go to Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC), which is not affiliated with the Wisconsin Humane Society. If you are outside of these areas or are unsure whom to call, contact the humane society nearest you or call your local non-emergency police line.
What should I do if I find an animal?
Wisconsin law requires that all stray animals be brought to the entity/facility contracting with the municipality in which the animal was found to provide sheltering services (Wis. State Statue 173.13(9)c) in order to give owners the opportunity to claim their lost pet.
If you found a stray animal in:
- Milwaukee County, click here to reach MADACC
- Brown County, call the WHS Green Bay Campus at 920-469-3111
- Kenosha County, call the WHS Kenosha Campus at 262-694-4047
- Racine County, call the WHS Racine Campus at 262-554-6699
- Ozaukee County, call the WHS Ozaukee Campus at 262-377-7580
- Door County, call the WHS Door County Campus at 920-746-1111
If you are unable to bring in the animal yourself or found the animal after hours, please call your local non-emergency police line. If you are outside of these areas or are unsure who to call, contact the humane society nearest you or call your local non-emergency police line.
Can I keep the animal in my home for the duration of the stray hold?
No, it is illegal for anyone other than the contracting shelter to house an animal on stray hold. Finders, rescues, or shelters without the sheltering contracts are not able to hold stray animals; they must go to the facility that holds the contract for stray animals in order to serve a valid, legal stray hold.
Why can’t I keep the animal in my home during the stray hold?
Wisconsin law requires that animals be brought to the contracting shelter to allow families the opportunity to find their lost animals. Bringing animals to a central location increases the likelihood that an animal is reclaimed. Lost animals who are brought to the WHS Ozaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Door County, or Green Bay Campuses are posted on our Stray Animal Listings page. We do all we can to find the animal’s family and get them back home, including posting flyers to social media and pursuing all ownership leads.
If I bring the animal to the shelter and they are not claimed, can I adopt them?
In most cases at WHS, finders are given the option to place an adoption hold on the animal at the time of intake, allowing you to be first in line for adoption if the animal is not claimed. Exceptions may be made due to severe medical or behavior conditions evident upon intake.
How long are animals held on stray hold?
Per Wisconsin State Statute 173.21, WHS holds animals for a period of 4 days, plus 1 for the day of intake – 5 days total. After the hold has lapsed, ownership of the animal is transferred to the Wisconsin Humane Society and the animal can begin their journey to adoption. If the animal cannot be placed, the animal is held for 7 days, plus 1 day for the day of intake – 8 days total.
How long do you give animals before euthanizing them?
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 homes. 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 the animal while they are in our care. Additionally, our team provides behavior and medical assessments and uses that data to gain a better understanding of their physical health and behavioral status at the time of assessment. 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 behavior 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 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 because of significant medical or behavior 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.
