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

The Case of the Glowing Kitten!

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Our Felines in Treatment Center has cured over 1,100 cats of ringworm!

When tiny kitten Mouse was brought to Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) by a community member last August, our Admitting team took him in for a medical exam right away. During this exam DCHS staff discovered that he had a problem – he glowed! The glowing was a result of the Wood’s Lamp test and meant that little Mouse had contracted a highly-transmittable disease called dermatophyte or ringworm.

Thanks to generous supporters like YOU, DCHS had the resources to care for Mouse and cure his ringworm!

In 2003, DCHS opened our ringworm treatment program, now housed in the Maddie’s Feline in Treatment (F.I.T.) Center, the first program in the world to treat cats with ringworm in a shelter environment. Many ringworm-positive animals are euthanized across the country because most shelters are not equipped to contain and treat this highly-contagious disease. However, thanks to the investment from our community, DCHS has been able to treat and heal over 1,100 cats diagnosed with ringworm since we began the F.I.T. program 15 years ago.

This program is housed in a separate building from our Main Shelter, providing a quarantined and low-stress environment for our cats to heal. Our F.I.T. Center is almost entirely run by volunteers who provide treatment, care and socialization for these cats. Many of our F.I.T. volunteers have been with us since the beginning of the program and completed thousands of “dips” for cats in our care. Cats stay in the program an average of 50 days, being treated or “dipped” in a lime-sulfur dip twice a week and receiving oral anti-fungal medications. Be sure to view the video to see a few patients have their semiweekly treatments and Mouse's before and after photos.

Felines in treatment are able to “graduate” the program and be adopted after they have two negative fungal tests in a row to show they are ringworm-free. This year we have had 62 cats graduate from this program, and we hope Mouse, who has had a longer stay than usual of 95 days, will be number 63!

Your generosity supports the Feline’s in Treatment program and many other lifesaving programs. Donate today and your gift will be DOUBLED thanks to a generous matching gift of $30,000!

A very special thank you to Robert and Rhoda Bartholomew for their lead donation for the matching gift challenge this year and making this our largest matching gift ever!

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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DCHS Partners with Program to Offer New Rehoming Service

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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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Bunny Dates Help Pet Rabbits Get Closer

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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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