Our mission

The Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin (formerly the Rock County Humane Society) is a private nonprofit 501c3 organization whose mission is to provide shelter and humane care to lost and homeless pets, reunite lost pets with their families, promote positive pet adoptions and educate our community in order to inspire compassion and responsible pet guardianship.

Our history

Started in 1910, the Rock County Humane Society (RCHS), as it was named, has been saving the lives of animals in need for more than 100 years. Just like then, the new Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin is an independent community shelter with more than 50% of its annual budget coming in from private donations and fundraising, with the remainder coming from adoption fees, contract services, and inkind gifts that save us in expenses.  

In 1959, RCHS secured land to build a shelter and broke ground on our current site at 222 S. Arch Street, Janesville, in 1962. According to our archives, the site included “a good house for a shelter manager and a two-story barn that would provide adequate space for animal detention.” One news article states the society’s first major activity was to “spot and collect stray dogs throughout the county, for the protection of farm livestock and of children in play and park areas, and for the prevention of rabies.” And while a lot has changed since then, including remodeling and upgrading the facility in 1996 to what it is today and enhancing services to be broader in care, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to securing safe and loving homes for every adoptable animal and humane treatment for all.