About

MADACC’s Mission

To provide animal regulation and care services which protect the health, public safety and welfare of people and animals in Milwaukee County.


Who Is MADACC?

In 1996, the Milwaukee County Intergovernmental Cooperation Council created an Animal Control Services Planning/Steering Committee to plan for animal control services for Milwaukee County after being notified that the Wisconsin Humane Society had decided to focus on their primary mission of adoption and community outreach and would no longer provide animal control services. To that end, the 19 municipalities that comprise Milwaukee decided to create a “commission”. This is a governmental agency where municipalities collaborate together to provide a service. For example, some municipalities do this for fire or police services. It was decided that an animal control commission would provide the most cost effective model, and provide residents with one central location to look for their missing companions.

MADACC opened August 1, 1999 and provides animal care and control services for the nineteen municipalities of Milwaukee County. MADACC is governed by a Board of Directors and an Operations Committee. The board is comprised of officials from each municipality, each getting one vote on matters concerning the operations of MADACC. The Operations Committee meets monthly to oversee the budget and operations of MADACC and is comprised of seven (7) members of the full board.

MADACC is first and foremost a public safety organization. We currently rescue and assure safe, temporary shelter, basic veterinary and humane care for over 12,000 stray, unwanted, abandoned, mistreated and injured animals each year — more than any other animal control organization in Wisconsin.

Animal Care and Control facilities like MADACC are often referred to derogatorily as “the pound”.  We are one of the most misunderstood organizations in this community.  Because we are an “open admission” facility, we will take in animals who are sick, injured and who may exhibit unsafe behavior. Many of these animals are not able to be successfully treated or adopted out into the community. Organizations that call themselves “no-kill” often have waiting lists for animal intake, and many times will not take in animals that have any medical or behavioral challenges, leaving organizations like MADACC as the only alternative for those owners and animal in need.

We take our commitment to the animals and citizens of the municipalities that we serve very seriously and strive to ensure that we do all we can to ensure we make the right decision for each and every animal that comes into our building.


Primary Functions

MADACC member municipalities have chosen for MADACC to provide the following functions for the community:

  • • Provide effective and cost efficient animal control services by  active enforcement of Wisconsin  State Statutes pertaining to animal welfare for the 19 member communities of Milwaukee County
  • • Assure safe, temporary shelter, veterinary and humane care for stray, unwanted, abandoned, mistreated and injured animals, including emergency on-call service between hours of operation
  • • Provide a central location for owners to find and recover their lost pets
  • • Expedite the return of animals to their rightful owner
  • • Provide a progressive animal licensing program for Milwaukee County
  • • Provide and encourage responsible, safe placement opportunities for homeless animals
  • • Promote and maintain the highest levels of customer service and accountability to the public
  • • Educate the public about responsible companion animal ownership
  • • Provide placement of stray and unwanted animals and provide humane euthanasia when necessary