Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) Thrift Store opened its doors in January 2019, and thanks to our generous community of donors and shoppers, it continues to thrive!
Donations to our Thrift Store turn into revenue that supports the lifesaving work of DCHS. Our store accepts a wide variety of items, not just pet supplies! We take new or gently-used clothing, furniture, household goods, and more. Our store can receive these donations during regular hours, no appointment needed; just drive around our building to our donation drop off for assistance.
In addition to accepting donations seven days a week, we also partner with a company that picks up donations at your home for a fee.
While we are always grateful for donations, there are a few things you can do to help us make the most of your gift and save valuable resources and time.
Donations brought to us clean and in working order are more likely to make it to the sales floor and sell quickly. Items requiring a deep clean aren’t considered to be in re-sellable condition and often don’t have a good chance of being sold. For example: running your gently used pet supplies through a wash cycle before donating them makes them much more appealing to shoppers. Most of our customers (including our four-legged, furry, feathered, or scaly ones!) don’t mind a little bit of hair, slobber, or even mild pet smells, but strong smells and grime make our store unpleasant to shop.
We do our best to keep as much as possible out of landfills and keep our trash disposal costs low, but we need your help. If your items are more-than-gently used, we appreciate your efforts to dispose of or recycle these items yourself. By only donating items in good condition, we can focus our efforts and resources on items likely to make it to the sales floor and maximize the funds raised to help animals in need.
When you mindfully donate, we can reduce waste and most effectively help people and their pets in our community.
Learn more about DCHS Thrift Store, view our hours, schedule a donation pick-up, learn how to volunteer, and more at giveshelter.org/thrift!
Shelbi Bernard is the Thrift Store Supervisor
