Wisconsin Humane Society

What Wisconsin Humane Society does

Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1879 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Self-described as the largest animal welfare organization in the state, WHS operates seven physical campuses across Wisconsin - Milwaukee (headquarters and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center), Ozaukee/Saukville, Green Bay, Racine/Mount Pleasant, Kenosha, Door County, and a dedicated Spay/Neuter Clinic in West Allis. The organization runs a diversified service portfolio spanning animal adoption (dogs, cats, small animals, working cats, and a home-to-home adoption program), low-cost veterinary services (vaccine clinics, high-volume spay/neuter surgery, microchipping, TNR for feral cats), humane euthanasia with communal or private cremation, wildlife rehabilitation (approximately 5,000 sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals of nearly 150 species annually), youth programs (Camp Critter, Camp Unleashed, Jr. Vet Camp), dog training, a pet food pantry, behavior advice resources, lost-and-found services, and the Safe Haven Foster Program for companion animals of domestic violence survivors in partnership with Sojourner Family Peace Center.

Underlying technology is limited to a content-marketing website (wihumane.org) with adoption listings powered by Petango, an online retail storefront (shop.wihumane.org), and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, LinkedIn, X). There are no documented APIs, SDKs, integrations, AI modalities, or proprietary technology systems referenced in the source material. Service delivery is fundamentally physical, with on-site veterinary, shelter, and wildlife clinical operations across the campus network.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack. WHS generates revenue from donations (one-time gifts, monthly giving at $10+/month with merchandise incentives, memorial and honorary gifts, planned giving), adoption and service fees (unit-priced adoption packages including spay/neuter, microchip, vaccines, health exam, starter food, and 30 days of MetLife Pet Insurance; spay/neuter at $100 for cats and $250 for dogs 2-79 lbs; euthanasia ranging from $20 to $365 by species, weight, and cremation option), retail sales through the Animal Antics store (including wildlife collision prevention products), corporate partnerships (Yutka Fence, Fromm Family Foods, BISSELL Pet Foundation, Rover), and event fundraising (Pet Walk). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across physical campuses and the website. The organization is governed by President & CEO Alison Fotsch Kleibor with a paid staff of 51-100 supplemented by 150+ wildlife volunteers and operational partnerships with national animal welfare organizations including Dane County Humane Society, Beagle Freedom Project, Center for a Humane Economy, and Big Dog Ranch Rescue.

Name

Wisconsin Humane Society

Legal name

Wisconsin Humane Society

Website

https://wihumane.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wisconsin Humane Society is the largest animal welfare nonprofit in Wisconsin, operating seven campuses statewide to deliver animal adoption, low-cost veterinary care, spay/neuter surgery, wildlife rehabilitation, youth programs, and the Safe Haven program for domestic violence survivors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute through one-time and recurring donations, monthly giving programs, memorial and honorary gifts, and planned giving.
2. Adoption and Service Fees: Fees charged for animal adoptions, spay/neuter surgeries, vaccine clinics, euthanasia services, and other veterinary services.
3. Retail Sales: Revenue from Animal Antics Retail Store and online merchandise sales including wildlife collision prevention products.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate partners including Yutka Fence and Fromm Family Foods through cause marketing and donations.
5. Event Fundraising: Revenue from events including Pet Walk, fundraising campaigns, and corporate giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

No source-backed description of the company's products or services is contained in the supplied input.

Product overview

Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is the largest animal welfare organization in Wisconsin, operating as a multi-service nonprofit offering a broad portfolio of animal care and community support programs. Its core product is its adoption and sheltering services (dogs, cats, small animals, working cats) across five physical campuses (Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Green Bay, Racine, Kenosha) and a Door County campus. These are supported by a network of clinical and community services: the Spay/Neuter Clinic (West Allis) providing affordable, high-volume surgery with add-ons (vaccines, microchipping, TNR); Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (Milwaukee) caring for ~5,000 wild animals annually; Vaccine Clinics at all locations; Humane Euthanasia Services; and the Safe Haven Foster Program (domestic violence survivor shelter). WHS also offers youth programs (Camp Critter, Jr. Vet Camp), dog training, a Pet Food Pantry, Pets for Life outreach, the income-qualifying Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), animal surrender/re-homing, lost-and-found services, and behavior advice resources. Fundraising and volunteer programs round out its community engagement portfolio. The organization does not offer a technology platform product with API, integrations, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 5,000 wild animals cared for annually at Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sojourner Family Peace CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide the Safe Haven program offering up to 60 days of shelter for animals from families affected by domestic violence. The program enables survivors to leave abusive relationships without losing their companion animals.
• Yutka FenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner that donates a portion of fence project proceeds back to Wisconsin Humane Society when WHS is mentioned at booking.
• Fromm Family FoodsminorGTM or Marketing Partner5th generation family-owned pet food company based in Wisconsin that proudly supports Wisconsin Humane Society.
• RoverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPet care marketplace enabling dog trainers and pet care services connection, featured as a partner resource for pet owners.
• BISSELL Pet FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured supporter of the Spay/Neuter Clinic helping offset costs of surgical services.
• Urban Ecology CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for WIngs (Wisconsin Night Guardian for Songbirds) Bird Collision Monitor program. Volunteers patrol downtown Milwaukee during peak migration to rescue disoriented birds and transport them to WHS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
• Dane County Humane SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaging ground for rescue operation coordinating the transfer of 500 dogs from Ridglan Farms. WHS serves as a rescue operation partner in this unprecedented animal welfare initiative.
• Beagle Freedom ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead agency for standards of care and placement of dogs rescued from Ridglan Farms. Coordinating animal welfare organizations in the rescue operation.
• Center for a Humane EconomycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimal welfare organization coordinating rescue of 500 dogs from Ridglan Farms and advancing national legislation to halt NIH funding for invasive testing on dogs.
• Big Dog Ranch RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimal welfare organization participating in the rescue of 500 dogs from Ridglan Farms as part of an unprecedented animal welfare initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Dane County Humane Society: Regional Wisconsin animal welfare nonprofit directly comparable to WHS. WHS and Dane County Humane Society have already co-led a major 500-dog rescue operation, evidencing operational parity.
• Tree House Humane Society: Urban animal welfare nonprofit focused on cat adoption and high-volume spay/neuter, directly comparable to WHS's clinic and adoption services. Also a former employer of WHS clinical staff.
• PAWS Chicago: Regional humane society operating adoption, veterinary, and community programs. Dr. Rebecca Lederer, a WHS veterinarian, previously worked at PAWS Chicago, indicating overlapping operating models and labor pool.

Broad incumbents

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): National animal welfare organization with adoption, veterinary, and rescue programs at significantly larger scale than WHS; comparable mission and service mix but operates well beyond Wisconsin.
• PetSmart Charities: National funder of animal welfare and adoption programs, partnering with shelters across the US. Comparable as a large-scale animal-welfare funding counterpart to WHS's donation-driven model.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Largest US animal welfare advocacy and direct-care organization. Comparable in mission and program breadth (rescue, advocacy, sanctuary), but operates at national scale rather than regional.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization running sanctuaries, adoption programs, and transport partnerships. Comparable to WHS in adoption and rescue operations, with broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• BISSELL Pet Foundation: Private foundation supporting spay/neuter and adoption programs nationally. Already a featured supporter of WHS's Spay/Neuter Clinic, making it a funding-side peer with overlapping program priorities.
• Cat Care Clinic (Madison): Specialty feline veterinary clinic previously employing WHS clinical staff (Dr. Devan Leistikow). Comparable as a veterinary-service peer in the same Wisconsin market for specialty pet services.

Regional players

• Humane Society of Milwaukee (comparison shelter): Other Wisconsin-area shelters operate adoption and surrender services in the same geography. They compete for the same donor and adopter base WHS serves across southeastern Wisconsin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WiscHumane
• Facebookfacebook.com/WiscHumane
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-humane-society/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/wischumane
• TikToktiktok.com/@wischumane

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin Humane Society