Frequently Asked Questions

– If they are listed on our website, the chances are high that they are still available. If they are listed on another website, there is a slight delay (typically less than 24 hours, except on weekends) between when a pet is adopted and when they are removed from that website. It is also possible that an application has been placed on a pet on the website, but they haven’t gone home yet. Please call 715-232-9790 to find out the specifics of a given pet listed online.

– Due to the high number of emails we receive like this, we kindly ask that you contact us at 715-232-9790 and speak to one of our adoption counselors. We can also address all of your questions in person when you visit with the pet.

– All owner surrenders are approached on a case-by-case basis. Many factors impact our ability to help, including: the space available at our shelter; the care needed for the animal(s) you are looking to surrender; and the adoptability of the animal(s). Being a no-kill shelter, space is sometimes an issue and given limited resources, we are not always able to help. However, we may have other resources available for those we cannot help. Please contact us at (715) 232-9790 to inquire. PLEASE NOTE: we do not take owner surrender inquiries via email nor do we take third-party surrender inquiries (i.e. “my friend has this dog he doesn’t want anymore, can you help?”). If you are a third-party, please have the person looking for information contact us directly.

– Many people contact us to make reports of animals they find or contact us to let us know their pet is missing. We reunite over a hundred pets with their owners this way every year. For your convenience, we have two easy ways for you to make a report:

Online – for lost pets: Make a Lost Pet Report

             – for found pets: Make a Found Pet Report

Call      – 715-232-9790

– Animal Viewing is currently by appointment with an approved application. You can find our adoption application at bit.ly/dchsonlineapplication, and our available dogs and cats at bit.ly/dchsdogs and bit.ly/dchscats. We have found that our staff are able to give their full attention to potential adopters this way without having a constant flow of people coming in.

– Donation drop-offs from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Sunday.

– Stray animal intake from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Sunday (appointment preferred: call 715-232-9790).

– Owner surrenders, by appointment only – please call 715-232-9790 for more information.

– All information about volunteering is available here: become a volunteer.

– All information about adoption fees is available here: adoption fees (scroll to the bottom of the page).

– You can find our adoption application here, just click on the link to our online application. Applications can be submitted through the online application form, via email (scanned documents) to [email protected]; via fax (715-232-9795); or in person. Please note: acceptable formats for application submission include fax, mail, in-person, or PDF via email. All applications need to be physically signed or have an electronic signature verified by a third-party service. Word documents, jpeg files, text files, or other formats will not be processed.

– The first step is to fill out an adoption application here (there are also hard copies of our applications in the entry area at the shelter) – If you do not receive a confirmation email (be sure to check your spam folder), please re-submit the application as we likely did not receive it. Once we have your application, our adoption counselors will be in touch with you to ask any questions they might have about your application. When your application has been completely processed we will set up an appointment for you to come in and meet with the cat(s) or dog(s) you are interested in adopting. Applications are typically processed within 2-3 business days. Please note: acceptable formats for application submission include via our online application, fax, mail, in-person, or PDF scan via email. All applications need to be physically signed or have an electronic signature verified by a third-party service. Word documents, jpeg files, text files, or other formats will not be processed.