The DCHS in Madison is one of the best shelters I have ever been to. The staff, and volunteers are knowledgeable, courteous, and hard working. They have a great volunteer program and also many different classes and camps for both adults and children of all ages. read more

If you go here just to "check it out" -- be warned. You will leave with some adorable creature that will become your new obsession. I went here three years ago and now I have two cats from DCHS and I spend all my money on spoiling them. We have our two sweet, angel fur babies AKA children from DCHS and now we are crazy cat people. The feline counselors and adoption volunteers we worked with on both adoption occasions were amazing. They did very thorough intakes of our lives and wants/needs and helped match us to our fuzzballs. On both occasions, the adoption counselors recommended a cat that wasn't originally on our list "to see" and both ended up going home with us and being our perfect matches. The shelter itself is clean, well-maintained and full of fabulous people who care about animals and their humans. They adopt out hundreds of animals each week and serve a bunch of remote locations too. They have birds, small critters and dogs and cats. They also have a super cool wildlife rescue program that works with bats, owls, turtles and all kinds of Wisconsin wild creatures. They do amazing work and they only humanely euthanize an animal if it will not survive otherwise. They don't put down animals if they have too many, in fact this is a shelter that sends caravans to rescue animals from other states and shelters that would kill them. They have great veterinary teams and health consultations for new adopters. It would be an understatement to say that DCHS has changed my life. Please see ample photos of my photogenic cats. read more

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So..she wasn't the dog for me. However, the counselor really listened and was forthright with the feedback..very appreciative for the time and effort given. Thank you. read more

Best way to solve the over crowding is to take one home. The pups are quite cute but be sure you can support the little ones.

Contrary to what is posted on the DCHS website, they do put animals down. We surrendered a very nice, although very timid cat, only to learn that in less than two weeks time, they put him down. They claimed the cat was too feral and would take too much time to acclimate to people. I find that rather odd because within a week of the cat showing up at my home, I was able to pet him and scratch him and get him to purr. It took me four weeks of feeding him before I finally got him into a carrier to take him to DCHS. In that time he would come to me when I called him even though he was still timid. I couldn't make any fast moves but he loved having his neck scratched and would bury his head in my open hand if I put it out for him. I was not very happy to learn that they didn't give him the chance he deserved. Be careful taking a pet to DCHS. Even though they say they will do everything possible to find a home for a pet, they will put them down for no good reason. read more

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to look at cats eaRly February. It was clean, not a terrible wait and they give you all the information on animals you request. They do not hide anything. Got a little kitten for $125.00. To some that may sound expensive, but seriously, this kItten was fully vetted and ready to go. (The cheapest fully vetted kitten I could find outside of the humane society was 250) AdopTion process didn't take all that long and I'm very pleased. read more

Dane County Humane Society - My new baby boy - Animal Shelters Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Unfortunately we didn't adopt today. The place was clean and the workers friendly. Restroom clean. Sufficient parking in a nice location.

I was very specific with what I needed and they accommodated me so well. You can tell they genuinely love animals and take their job seriously. Update: cat hates me. Judges me endlessly. So I treat him like any man I've dated and I ignore him until he's hangry and comes to me for love (and food). Our relationship has improved with my new strategy for making my kitty love me. read more

Dane County Humane Society - Kitten has resting bitch face like no other. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

They are not first come first serve. We just went to see a pup after trying several times to get on the wait list. We were #3 today!! There were a couple of people after us going to look at the same pup. Unfortunately they did not label the pup as unavailable and we were told after some other people that she was not available to be seen. The people who got there after us were told they could make an appointment for the next day. We were told we had to get on the wait list the next day. So as you can see it is not first come first serve. So Disgusted. read more

I LOVE these folks!! It's obvious that everyone's passion here is animals. We went here to find our first family dog. They didn't have a ton of dogs on hand that weekend. (Because they adopt so many out!) But the woman who was helping us mentioned some sick pups in the back that we could take a look at. We fell in love with the first little girl. (We hadn't been looking for too long, but we knew exactly what we wanted.) Our volunteer let us spend so much time with her! She let us do crazy tests to the pup to see how she would react. We must have spent 45 mins with the pup. I love how clean this place is and how helpful everyone was! A few things for people coming in to note - 1. You will not see a dog quickly, and 2. You will probably not receive that dog quickly. Which I think is how it should be. It takes some time for you to see a dog, as it gives the family ahead of you time to decide. Our pup took 6 days for us to pick up (honestly not that long IMO). She had kennel cough and needed to be spayed. But like I said, I think it's perfect the way it is. It will give you plenty of time to view other dogs and time to think over adoption. read more

For a shelter this place rates very high. We have now adopted 3 cats from here, the first one unfortunately passed away from FIP. That being said we adopted 2 more cats and for a reasonable price you can save an animal and gain a great member of your family. The only issue was had was the wait time in getting to hold and play with the cats. The weekends seem to be the busiest times so I would avoid it if you could. Im not sure its a good thing or bad but they tend to have a large selection of cats and dogs but the good thing is that they rotate our very quickly. If you see an animal you want get it there and then, don't wait because it will be gone when you return. read more

Okay so I just adopted a dog here. The experience was generally a good one. I visited twice, and both times the staff was helpful with the dog and answered my questions. They also seemed to really care about the animal. The fees were reasonable, and they are including dental care that they were going to do anyway (he just wasn't in the shelter long enough for them to do it). The place looks clean and the animals appear to be generally healthy, happy, and well cared for. There were a few unpleasant things about our experience though. 1) The lady who did our paperwork was different than the 3 women who worked with us during the visit. And she was a complete ditz. I mean like when we were going over the contract, she said we won't provide any medical care. I asked/reminded her about the dental work that all 3 other employees told me about for this specific dog and she said oh yea that's right I'll write it in. Then went on through the contract (fine by me). Then she asked me to sign it and I said not until you write in the dental work. She said oh ok right, and then got distracted talking about the dog needing to loose weight. And then asked me to sign again. And finally wrote it in after I said you need to write it in now. It was late on a Friday night, so maybe that was it but still it was funny to start with and then just annoying. 2) The dog had kennel cough. I know he didn't get vaccinated until he got there and it takes some time to take effect and that happens a lot blah blah blah. I feel like they should either work out a system to isolate new dogs or provide care (he's a senior dog so our vet recommended giving him meds which we did but added to the cost and was worrisome for me). 3) DO NOT BUY YOUR DOG LICENSE FROM THEM!!!!!! They say it takes a month. It doesn't. It takes them a month to send it to the city treasurer, who gets it out in like a day. Save yourself the hassle and do it yourself. You'll get it faster. Maybe I'm just irritated by them telling me it takes the treasurer a month and blaming them while that's not the case (the lady at the treasurer's office is the one who told me they batch the license paperwork together and only send in things once-twice a month). My neighbor waited 3 months for his license when he went through dane co humane society so it's not a one-off thing. read more

I had another experience with the humane society and they were just as amazing as the last time. They were very committed to making sure the pet was a match with dog we already have. They went above and beyond in that regard. When the pets met they determined that the chemistry was not ideal and opted to introduce us to another pet. When we brought that pet home there was a bit of a rough patch as the pets got used to living with one another. We were able to contact the humane society and they offered further guidance on getting them to get along. After a bit more persistence they are getting along great. They definitely want to make sure that you get the right pet for your home, your family and your other pets. read more

I went to the main location to adopt a dog for my mother who is handicapped and cannot come in to get her own dog. I had to see out help and I stood there waiting for someone to talk to me ( I was looking at them like hellloooo) and they were all at the counter all socializing and ignoring everyone. Why are they letting people wander around the place unescorted as well. I have lived in other places and NO ONE runs a shelter like this. You have to protect the animals from children who might poke fingers and get bit. Finally I went to the counter and asked someone :Can you help me? The volunteer who was very distracted and bored to talk to me told me she had to come in to meet the dog otherwise they would not adopt a dog to her. I was like THIS MAKES NO SENSE SHE IS A WHEELCHAIR. I called later and a real employee apologized but too late I ended up getting a wonderful animal on Craigslist instead. Dear DCHS train your volunteers better animals lives depend on it. I was not greeted no one looked at me very unfriendly place for being such fancy building there is hardly any space for actual animals. I went to look at the cats and they were all out of their cages and you only had a small to view at the entryway. I like their satellite centers the Mounds one on University is a great place to meet and hang out with a new fur family friend to be.I got a cat there and it was an awesome experience . read more

A few months back we adopted a second dog from DCHS and were once again thrilled with the level of service we received. It was a several hour process because my bf went to meet the dog first, and then after he fell in love with him, I came along with our other dog to meet him. We had adopted our first dog from DCHS a little over a year prior to this and absolutely love her (and yes, spoil her). We thought the staff handled the introduction of the dogs flawlessly. They let each dog sniff out the room alone, and then had my bf and I watch through windows as they introduced the dogs. They kept the atmosphere positive and free from distractions, while slowly giving them more and more space to interact. The dogs were buddies from the start and have continued to be best friends. Once again, we were thrilled with the staff and the whole process. Also like the resale shop set up in the hall, very cool! Remember to support animal shelters and rescues! Buying an animal from a pet store or a breeder means denying a shelter animal a chance at life. Anyone who has ever adopted an animal will confirm that they are the best! read more

We had a wonderful experience when we adopted our 85 lb. hound mix from this place about 2 years ago. We took him home the day we saw him which is unusual when it comes to adoptions, but I loved the fact that they allowed us to do this because we had fallen in love with this dog. When we got him he didn't have a huge interest in food or toys but within a few weeks he really warmed up to us and now he loves his treats, toys, rides in the car, snuggling etc. He's been healthy ever since we got him other than an ear infection that is typical for dogs with ears like his, and we are just so happy to have had such a great experience with adopting an animal. read more

Dane County Humane Society - Red taking a nap with his squirrel toy near by - Animal Shelters Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've adopted 3 of my best friends from here. Although my kitten keeps attacking my feet, but I think that's on us.

Awesome! I adopted my dog here about 3 week ago and I did not think it was going to be that easy! We got there, picked out a dog we liked from the day before, we put in our application, we then got to see her and we ended up taking her home that same day! My dog already knew a couple of tricks and was housebroken! I like that she was up to date with all of her shots. If i ever want to adopt another dog, I'll definitely go there again! :) read more

I am new to Madison and wanted to rescue a dog/cat to join my family. Since the Vet school is here I thought the Humane Society would be top-notch. Unfortunately my experience at this shelter is so typical of most others I've worked or volunteered with in the country. I asked for the dog and cat who had been there the longest. The volunteer asked me "why"? I mean really????. We eventually got back on track and she went to pull files for a few animals. In the interim, I went looking at the animals in the back adoption rooms. What I saw again no surprises; Dirty cages, cat rooms were musty, humid and severe ammonia smell and all of them of course craving attention. Dog rooms not so bad. Finally after 1.5 hours found the sweetest dog and cat both older with medical issues, but that was ok. I had my application with lease all prepared for review and expected a day or two for approval. Nope, was told they could come home right away. She didn't look at my application, only asked for picture ID, put my name in the computer, made sure I had a leash and carrier, took my money and said goodbye. No checking with landlord or vet for references. Very glad Gracie and Emma are now part of our family. As an animal rescue advocate, I hope this society gets better but won't hold my breath. It takes a lot to be in animal rescue; volunteer, foster, transport or simply working the desk, emotionally draining. There are wonderful organizations who do their best by putting the animals first. Dane has a long way to go...... read more

Website updated on the hour. Clean. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Odd location.

I have adopted four pets from the Humane Society and had pleasant experiences each time.

I hate the way this place is run. They depend on volunteers to help, and I wanted to volunteer. I tried to volunteer my devices three different times. Twice I was ignored, the third time I was told to come in for orientation, but the night before i was supposed show up, they called and said "don't bother". What??? I'm done with this place in every regard. I donate to other shelters that appreciate it. When it comes time to adopt, it won't be from this place. That makes me feel bad because the dogs deserve better, but dealing with this place is not something I care to do anymore. read more

Amazing. Came here while also searching a ton of other shelters for our rescue cat. We were very specific on what we wanted and Dane County Humane is the most transparent, patient, and organized shelter we've ever been too. We waited and waited week after week and played with many cats but last night we found the greatest addition to our lives thanks to all who work and support this place. Thank you so very much DCHS! Also--- this is a top notch facility! New, clean, organized! read more

This place has always done amazing things. There's always staff around to answer any questions. The animals are always in really good shape so you can tell they are being well taken care of. I saw a lot of pictures kids drew and put up, I think it's really adorable. I took the time and read all of the adoption stories they have in their multiple binders on the tables and it was so amazing. All of these wondering animals finding their forever home. So heartwarming. The facility was so clean, the animals looked really healthy and had a lot of information about each and every one of them (even though some were strays, they even tell you that and gives you an approximate age of the little guys), the staff members are very nice and accommodating, and the adoption process was amazing. My Mother was looking for a kitten after losing her 16 year old guy to cancer in December 2017. I decided to take her to the Humane Society just so she could have a peek around and possibly adopt another fur baby. She ended up adopting a beautiful little kitten, she got to meet the kitten in this nice little room and just fell in love. My mom took her home 2 days later! They even spayed the kitten! Being that I'm a dog AND a cat person, I had to take a peek at the pups! They were all so adorable. I wish I can take them all home. All of the pups seemed to be healthy, they weren't barking or extremely hyper or anxious, they were mostly sleeping. I thought it was nice to read little special notes about each of them. There are a ton of animal rescues in Wisconsin but this is the only shelter I really know of... I feel it's because it's been around ever since I was a kid and I'm now 29 years old. So it's familiar and it hasn't changed much. They are still amazing and still do amazing things. read more

Be cautious about brining your pets here...I recently brought two cats in to get fixed. One male and one female. Neither of which had fleas when we brought them in but taking them home was a different story. Kinda weird having both cats at home together with two other cats at home (four in total). Upon picking up our two cats we were notified that the male had fleas but not the female. The other two cats didn't have them until we brought the others homr read more

Nothing is more near and dear to my heart than animals, especially dogs. I fell in love with a 3 year old mutt 2 years ago that we adopted from DCHS, and I'm so grateful. They brought her up from North Carolina through a program that offers homes to over populated shelter dogs in exchange for them vowing to promote spay/neuter programs. It's a terrific way to control the pet population and to bring homes to dogs who may otherwise have been euthanized. I don't know how anyone could have given up our sweet girl, but whatever the reason we have been able to happily give her a forever home. It's important to me that we look within and outside our community to improve our world. Thanks DCHS for caring for the domesticated animals, and by extension Four Lakes for rescuing injured wildlife. read more

I love the Dane County Humane Society! I took my pittie here for Positively Pitties classes, levels I and II -- I love that they take care about how they adopt dogs out, and I love that they work specifically with pittie owners to help the dogs and people gain skills through positive reinforcement training. I didn't get my pittie from DCHS, I already had him. But most other dogs had come from the shelter, and they had clearly been well-vetted for temperament and well-handled so they were socialized and friendly. That's important -- smaller shelters don't necessarily have the resources to do that. [I'll put my plug in for adopting a pittie here -- mine fell into my lap and is the sweetest little snuggler you've ever met!] I took a stray dog I found yesterday to the DCHS and loved how they dealt with it -- I will get first option for adoption after they have worked to find her owner. I can track the dog and find out how she's doing. And I don't worry that the dogs are handled poorly or in poor conditions -- the staff and volunteers work hard to socialize the dogs and give them the affection they need to be happy, stable dogs. I love the staff at DCHS -- every person I've dealt with, from the Positively Pitties classes to reception personnel, has been kind and helpful. Clearly I can't say enough great things about DCHS! read more

As much as I love the idea of saving a poor helpless animal from being put to death this place could use some work if they intend to adopt animals out! First and foremost the customer service here is terrible. My parents have visited the shelter on more than one occasion to view the dogs ready for adoption and have yet to be greeted with a friendly helping hand. If they had they would have a dog right now. Its hard to enquire about a dog when no one or information is available regarding the dog. In addition I believe adoption fees ranging from $175.00 to $350.00 are a bit much especially considering the funding the Dane County Humane Society receives. Perhaps they should consider arranging discounted fees with vet services they use. I understand it does cost a great deal of money to home an animal which should be taken into consideration by the adoptee however you shouldnt have to spend hundreds to get a dog. I mean considering they put thousands of dogs to sleep each year!!! Nonetheless if you can rescue a animal from here...There is no greater gift than the gift of life! read more

We had to surrender a dog here after a horrible experience getting one from a different rescue. On the phone and in an hour and a half interview along with our vet calling, we stated the dog was not to go back to the rescue. We waited and waited to see our dog come up on the website and she never did. After a week, I called DCHS and found out that pretty much immediately after I had left, the worker who had checked us in called the rescue and our dog was picked up the next day. DCHS didn't even have her for 24 hours and even admitted they knew nothing about the rescue they sent her back to. Over a month later and she still is not adopted from the other rescue and our feelings and needs were totally dismissed. NOT humane treatment in this case. read more

This place has the most wonderful kittens. I went there and got a cat and saved it's life. It felt a lot better than going to Pet Smart because I got to experience playing with the kitten. 10/10! :D read more