Anniversary

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Growing a Humane Community: 60 Years Strong

This year is HAWS’ 60th Anniversary. Like many things, we’ve gotten better with age!

Over these six decades, HAWS has grown into a vibrant community organization. Since our incorporation on July 22, 1965, we’ve impacted the lives of tens of thousands of pets and their people. Our facilities and programs have continued to expand to ensure we meet the needs of the citizens of Waukesha County and beyond.

And we’re just getting started. The future is bright!

Throughout 2025 we’ll be sharing memories, stories, hopes and dreams – the 60 things we love about HAWS. We’ll be celebrating the individuals, groups and initiatives that have made HAWS the leader in animal welfare: an open-admission, no-kill shelter dedicated to strengthening the relationship between animals and humans through adoptions and education – making a more compassionate community possible.

We are incredibly thankful to have reached this milestone, and invite you, our greatest source of support, to join us in a year of reflection and celebration!

60 Things We Love About HAWS

#60: Companion Circle

#60: Companion Circle HAWS has been a vital part of Waukesha County for 60 years because of the dedication of our founders, staff, volunteers and community. Day-to-day gifts of time,...

#59: Foster to Adopt

#59: Foster to Adopt Got commitment issues? Feel the need to try-it-before-you-buy-it? Just wondering how a particular pet will re/act specifically in your home? HAWS has just the thing for...

#58: Microchipping

#58: Microchipping If Fido goes far and Fluffy roams, how will you ensure they are safely returned to you? Collars can break, I.D. tags can fall off and get lost....

#57: Holiday Donations

#57: Holiday Donations Santa’s elves are pretty busy this time of year, collecting and bringing in donations for HAWS. It’s like Christmas all month long! We are genuinely excited each...

#56: No More Bullying – humane education in schools

#56: No More Bullying! Why does an animal shelter have a program to prevent bullying in our schools? Sadly, many studies have shown that people who mistreat animals are more...

#55: Giving Tuesday

#55: Giving Tuesday Giving Tuesday is a national movement to encourage giving back to non-profits and charitable organizations. Thanksgiving Thursday is followed by Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber...

#54: The Mod Squad

#54: The Mod Squad All of HAWS’ volunteers are crucial to us. There is one group, though, that is so unique we’ve trained other shelters how to create their own!...

#53: Puppy Training

#53: Life Skills for Puppies Training Class We want all of our important relationships to start off on a positive note, and to get stronger over time. The relationship with...

#52: Holiday Bazaar & Bake Sale

#52: Holiday Bazaar & Bake Sale When the winter holidays approach, the Friends are all-hands-on-deck to fundraise for our animals, especially for a long-standing event like the Holiday Bazaar &...

#51: 24-Hour On Call Drivers

#51: On Call Rescue Team Who ya gonna call? HAWS 24-hour, on call Animal Rescue team! Whether it is 2:00pm or 2:00am, this dedicated group is ready to answer when...

#50: Mobile Adoption & the Turkey Trot

#50: Mobile Adoption team and the Turkey Trot HAWS Mobile Adoption team likes to have fun – visiting brew pups, restaurants, patio parties, baseball and hockey games, festivals, tailgates, homecomings...

#49: Canine Carnival – Community Events

#49: Canine Carnival – Community Events for pets & people Most dogs and many of their owners are social creatures, looking for fun places to go and activities to do!...

#48: Subaru Loves (HAWS) Pets

#48: Subaru Loves (HAWS) Pets Car company Subaru of America has advocated for animals for many years. They earmark donations for humane societies and animal welfare organizations across the country,...

#47: Veterinary Tech Appreciation Week

#47: Vet Tech Appreciation Week Shelter medicine is its own brand of veterinary care. Most of the patients are one-time visitors, getting a quick medical evaluation and a few vaccines,...

#46: Happy Tails Auction Donors

#46: Happy Tails Auction Donors The annual Happy Tails Auction provides several things: it is a great way for donors to support HAWS by bidding early and often, and for...

#45: Happy Tails Sponsors

#45: Happy Tails Sponsors HAWS’ annual gala is our largest fundraiser of the year, providing crucial support to the animals, services and programs that benefit and grow our humane community....

#44: Birthday Parties

#44: Birthday Parties Parents are always looking for neat things to do for and with their kids. In that vein, birthday parties are one of those things that can be...

#43: Annual Meeting – Award Winners

#35: Our Amazing Team! Some Superheroes Wear Scrubs! And Carry Cameras… Keeping up with any number of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, iguanas, turtles and more...

#42: IT Professionals Day

#42: IT Professionals Day “Call Jake.” “Hi, Dominic, it’s HAWS again!” “Hey, Corey, our printer is doing this weird thing…” Whenever there is a problem with our server, individual computers...

#41: Equine Programs

#41: Equine Programs While the majority of the animals under HAWS’ care are looking for a forever home, the members of HAWS Herd are permanent residents at the SCA. Their...

#40: Transports

#40: Transports HAWS transport program was initially a result of our shelter partnering with the Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals). A particularly bad hurricane...

#39: SCA Morning Chore Crew

#39: SCA Morning Chore Crew HAWS Herd (five goats and six to eight horses) is housed in two different barns and several paddocks at our Schallock Center for Animals in...

#38: Play Groups

#38: Play Groups Socialization is key to great relationships, both owner-dog and dog-dog. The foundation for this can start at the shelter level! At HAWS we’ve embraced the concept of...

#37: Airport Access

#37: Airport Access HAWS’ transport program began with the desire to assist other shelters in need – especially those in southern states with severe overcrowding and high euthanasia rates. Initially...

#36: Catio!

#36: Catio Most cats don’t go for walks on a leash – especially the ones spending time with us at HAWS. But, we know they’d love to spend some time...

#35: Kennel Caregivers

#35: Kennel Caregivers Some Superheroes Wear Scrubs! Keeping up with any number of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, iguanas, turtles and more takes a very hard...

#34: Summer Schallock Center for Animals Dog Walkers

#34: Summer SCA Dog Walkers Each summer we hold special week-long kids’ camp sessions called “Gone to the Dogs” at our Schallock Center for Animals in Delafield. Shelter dogs take...

#33: Giving Thanks on our 60th Anniversary for our Humane Community

#33: Giving Thanks on our 60th Anniversary for our Humane Community The Humane Animal Welfare Society was officially established on this date in 1965. Our incorporation allowed our founders to...

#32: Emergency Boarding

#32: Emergency Boarding The nature of emergencies is that they aren’t planned, they come up at the worst times and leave us struggling with few options and difficult decisions. HAWS’...

#31: GLO – we LOVE community events!

#31: GLO – we LOVE being included in community events! For several years, HAWS and our Outreach team have been guests at Bell Ambulance’s annual Greater Lombardo Open at Western...

#30: Animal Rescue – even on holidays!

#30: Animal Rescue – even available on holidays! While it seems most pets know exactly when its dinner time, their timing is usually not great when they decide to go...

#29: Donations of Treats/Food/Supplies!

#29: Donations of Treats/Food/Supplies! Old Mother Hubbard isn’t the only one whose cupboard was bare. HAWS’ team can face shortages of key supplies – and always, of course, at...

#28: Caring Kids – Diana Boettcher Award Winner

#28: Caring Kids – Diana Boettcher Award Winner Each year HAWS gives out the Diana Boettcher Youth Community Kindness Award. This award is presented in memory of Diana Boettcher,...

#27: Fosters – Medical Cases

#27: Fosters – Medical Cases Sixty years ago, HAWS began caring for homeless animals. Space, resources, and most of all, funding were limited. (While “love don’t cost a thing,” most...

#26: Emerging Leaders

#26: Emerging Leaders HAWS’ Emerging Leaders are young professionals in the public and private sector with a passion for animals and growing a humane community. They show their commitment...

#25: Hooves & Flights and summer cleanup

#25: Hooves & Flights…and summer cleanup! Each spring, HAWS staff and volunteers do a thorough cleanup of the stalls, arena and public areas of our Schallock Center for Animals,...

#24: Friends of HAWS

#24: Friends of HAWS The Friends of HAWS volunteer group is dedicated to supporting our mission through community involvement and fundraising activities. They act as ambassadors, promoting HAWS’ goal...

#23: Spay-Neuter Initiative Program (SNIP) Clinic

#23: SNIP Clinic HAWS original Spay-Neuter Initiative Program clinic opened in 2001. Prior to opening, adopters were required to sign a contract to have their new pet spayed or...

#22: Local Rescue Partners

#22: Local Rescue Partners We’re all in this together. Teamwork makes the dream work. All for one, one for all! In summary – we can’t do this alone. HAWS...

#21: Eaton shows everyone how to Pause with HAWS

#21: Pause With HAWS Time spent with animals is proven stress relief. Just ask our friends at Eaton, who have hosted “Pause with HAWS” events annually for many years!...

#20: HAWS Education Partners – Teacher Appreciation Week

#20: Teacher Appreciation Week Animals are often the best teachers! At HAWS, we use both shelter pets and alumni ambassadors to present educational programs that are helping to grow...

#19: HAWSfest!

#19: HAWSfest! Now known as HAWSfest, this activity-based fundraiser held at Sussex Village Park is filled with fun. Activities include a lure course, dog dash, dozens of vendors with...

#18: Trap, Neuter, Return

#18: Trap, Neuter, Return Cat overpopulation used to be a huge problem in Waukesha County, a county full of farms and undeveloped areas. Groups of cats, known as colonies,...

#17: VOLUNTEERS!!!!!!!

#17: VOLUNTEERS!!!!!! HAWS doesn’t exist without volunteers – literally and figuratively. We were founded 60 years ago by a group of volunteers who saw a need and acted on...

#16: Delivery Drivers

#16: Delivery Drivers Who DOESN’T love getting a package delivered?! One way internet commerce has helped HAWS is through online shopping. People can log on to Amazon, or Chewy.com,...

#15: Adoption Success Stories

#15: Adoption Success Stories We really do love when our adopters send us updates on their HAWS Alumni pets! “Back in September, Modern Woodmen did a service project...

#14: Dog Dock

#14: Dog Dock As if the HAWS Schallock Center for Animals weren’t already amazing, it also is home to our private Dog Dock! This fenced swimming area is another...

#13: Kitten Season – Fosters

#13: Kitten Season – Fosters Kitten Season means all-hands-on-deck fostering – HAWS welcomes hundreds of litters of kittens (and sometimes their mommas) each year from early spring into late fall....

#12: Behavior Department 1:1 Consults

#12: Behavior Department 1:1 Consults Some behavior issues are best worked out individually. Our Behavior/Training team is here to help pets and their people through a variety of behavior...

#11: Angelina’s Easter Eggs Fundraiser

#11: Angelina’s Easter Eggs Fundraiser Angelina’s Ristorante in Delafield does one of the most FUN-draisers for HAWS each year: Easter Eggs on the Ceiling. For a small donation, restaurant patrons...