Open Admission & No-Kill

At the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), we are dedicated to pets and their people. 

The Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) uses innovative ideas to achieve the goal of a humane community.  

Through our diverse programs, HAWS is committed to remaining an open admission shelter while also maintaining no-kill status. To that end, HAWS has created programs to both care for animals in need and to craft a long-lasting solution supporting pets and their people in our community.  

What does it mean to be an open admission shelter?
HAWS keeps our doors open to animals in need, from lost and stray pets to those in distress, and works tirelessly to ensure every animal finds the care and support they deserve. We do not charge a surrender fee for Waukesha County pets to enter our facility or require an appointment to re-home a pet. 

What does it mean to be a no-kill shelter?
The term no-kill is easily misunderstood and complex. While there is no universally agreed upon benchmark definition of no-kill, the larger animal welfare and humane society community commonly defines no-kill shelters as those who adopt out to new homes or reunite with their loving families 90% or more of the animals in their care. For the past decade, HAWS has far exceeded the 90% benchmark. 

What does it mean to be open admission and no-kill in combination?
HAWS is truly a unique organization—our doors are always open to pets in need.  Our innovative approach and programs help us support animals at all stages. When some shelters are ‘full’ they will not accept additional animals, turning away people who are trying to surrender their pets. But at HAWS, we believe limiting admissions puts animals in danger, so we use innovative programs to ensure we always have room for those in need. This includes a network of foster homes, no cost pet food and supplies for those in need, accessible wellness care, emergency boarding, and a behavior team providing comprehensive training and support. Additionally, our humane education programs work diligently to nurture the tenants of compassion, respect, and empathy between humans and animals. Together, we are growing our humane community.  

Supporting Our Community 
We are the primary animal control facility in Waukesha County (contracted through individual municipalities). This involves 24/7 response, sheltering animals impacted by natural disasters, and supporting animals ordered to the shelter by a governing body. While we cannot predict municipality needs or emergencies, we can respond with compassion, care, and community. 

Compassionate Care 
Our shelter is committed to saving every animal in our care who can be saved. We consider humane euthanasia when there are medical conditions with no chance of recovering an acceptable quality of life, in situations when our skilled, compassionate team determines it is inhumane or unsafe not to do so, and in circumstances when community and public safety cannot be reasonably assured. We are committed to alleviating suffering and ensuring a pet’s comfort and well-being while they are with us.  

HAWS is home to solution-oriented, licensed veterinarians, degreed dog trainers, and compassionate staff who are deeply committed to the animals’ well-being. Through foster care, shelter behavior modification and enrichment, post adoption support, accessible veterinary care and pet pantry support, HAWS is committed to pets and their people staying together. 

Our Responsibility to the Community
Since 1965, HAWS has worked alongside citizens to grow a humane community; our responsibility in this is to ensure the well-being of pets and adopt safe animals into homes and neighborhoods. We believe strongly in the responsibility we hold to not only support pets in our care and in our community but also to the people in our community, ensuring everyone treats animals, and one another, with respect.