The Main Shelter and Thrift Store are closing at 4:00 pm Friday, March 24, for a special event. Adoption visits are first-come, first-served. We recommend checking our current waitlist prior to your visit. Most other services are by appointment only, including reuniting lost animals, surrendering a pet, wildlife rehabilitation, and more.

Nov 27, 2018

Cowabunga! Turtle Hatchlings Find their Way Home!

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There is nothing cuter than baby snapping turtles exploring their new home!

This summer, thanks to efforts of our wildlife staff and supporters like you, we were able to incubate and provide new beginnings to over 200 turtle hatchlings!

Most turtle hatchlings are admitted to Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center as eggs, saved from females that were severely injured while searching for a place to lay. We receive a large number of turtles who are hit by cars, and if their injuries are fatal, our staff are able to save and incubate their eggs to provide their babies a second chance.

One of these situations happened earlier this year. A Good Samaritan contacted us about a large snapping turtle who had been hit by a car. She was admitted into our care, but had severe injuries to her head and jaw. She unfortunately did not survive. Our staff, however, discovered she was carrying eggs and were able to save and incubate them.

Turtle eggs incubate anywhere between 60-90 days, depending on the incubation temperature. Once snapping turtle babies emerge from their egg they are only the size of a quarter, but are entirely independent and do not need their parents to care for them. When these babies hatched we were excited to release all 55 of them into the wild near their mother’s former home!

These baby snapping turtles were just 55 of the more than 200 hatchlings we were able to release this year. In addition to snapping turtle hatchlings, we also released painted and eastern spiny softshell turtles. The over 200 hatchlings released was a dramatic increase from the 85 hatchlings that we released in 2017. We can thank Paige Pederson, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator at DCHS’s Wildlife Center for her great efforts to increase our hatching rate.

"These hatchlings were given a second chance thanks to the support from our community members who are passionate about Wisconsin wildlife, and they could not have survived without your support of our Wildlife Center,” says Paige.

Thanks to generous wildlife supporters like you, thousands of animals in south-central Wisconsin have been able to receive rehabilitative care and be released back into the wild. Please consider donating today to support programs like DCHS’s Wildlife Center. Your gifts today will have DOUBLE the impact and will be matched up to $30,000 thanks to our matching gift donors!

Thank you for your patience! Due to all the wonderful generosity this Giving Tuesday, our donation form below may take a minute or two to load.

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Mar 1st, 2023

DCHS Partners with Program to Offer New Rehoming Service

DCHS partners with Home To Home™ to offer a rehoming service for pet guardians looking for permanent and temporary homes for their animals.

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Mar 1st, 2023

DCHS Teams with BISSELL, Other Groups to Transfer More Animals

As animal adoptions slow down across the country, DCHS steps up to help.

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Feb 2nd, 2023

Bunny Dates Help Pet Rabbits Get Closer

Rabbits need a number of bunny dates to help them become bonded. We discuss some rules to follow to help make the process a success.

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Feb 2nd, 2023

Something to Chew On: Dental Health for Pets

Oral care is vital to our pets’ overall health, which is why DCHS is fortunate to have a dental suite. Learn why you should be concerned and get tips to help your pet maintain good dental hygiene.

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Jan 24th, 2023

Behind the Numbers: Wildlife Center's 2022 Annual Report Data

What animals were admitted to DCHS's Wildlife Center for rehabilitation in 2022? How many of what species, and could we find any trends? See details of our recent annual wildlife reports!

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Jan 24th, 2023

Bald Eagle Boom: Setting Intake Records in 2022

A record number of bald eagles came in to DCHS's Wildlife Center in 2022. How many eagles were admitted and for what reasons? The answers and numbers below may surprise you.

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