The Lakeland Animal Welfare Society Inc., a non-profit organization, was founded in 1968 by nine founding members who could no longer accept the lack of care for homeless animals in Walworth County Wisconsin. Their original mission was “to be dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals and to providing relief for animals that are suffering.”
In 1978, the Lakeland Animal Shelter was built thanks in part to donations that were acquired by the Lakeland Animal Welfare Society. When the Lakeland Animal Shelter opened its doors, it was operated by the Walworth County Humane Society. In 1985, the Lakeland Animal Welfare Society and the Walworth County Humane Society officially merged and became known simply as the Lakeland Animal Welfare Society, Inc. From that point forward the Lakeland Animal Welfare Society took over ownership and operation of the Lakeland Animal Shelter.
Since 1978 the Lakeland Animal Shelter has seen more than 60,000 homeless animals pass through our doors. Through the hard work and dedication of many, The Lakeland Animal Welfare Society has become one of the most well regarded animal care facilities in the state of Wisconsin. Recently, we officially changed our name to the one that we are most commonly known as, the Lakeland Animal Shelter. We also updated our mission statement to reflect the fact that our legacy and our ongoing work enrich the lives of both people and animals throughout our community.
