Broodle Griffon Puppies for Sale in Wisconsin, WI

Wisconsin is a beautiful place to live, and overall a safe and healthy place for pets. The state polls pretty differently across different studies, mostly because it has room for improvement in its animal welfare laws. Let’s look at a few leading studies to get a clearer picture of Wisconsin's pet scene.

Pawsafe is an animal advocacy group that helps pet-lovers evaluate the best places to live. They released a study ranking every state by several pet-safety and pet-friendly factors, including pet-friendly services and accommodations, animal cruelty laws, and the number of hiking trails and dog parks. 

In their study, Wisconsin is ranked as the 31st most pet-friendly state. The state did not score well for its animal welfare laws related to abuse, neglect, fighting, or pet care standards.

Another site that ranks states according to various safety measures was a bit more positive toward Wisconsin, ranking the state as the 19th most pet-friendly state in the country.

Between these two leading studies, Wisconsin ranks right around the middle of the pack, with strengths and weaknesses for its puppy population. 

Are cities in Wisconsin pet-friendly?

Cities can score quite differently from their parent state in pet-friendly rankings. Wallethub released a thorough study of the 100 largest cities in the country and ranked them by animal-friendly factors.

Madison

Madison is the largest city in Wisconsin, with a population of around a quarter million. In the Wallethub study, Madison ranked 26th out of 100 cities. Way to go, Madison! The city is a little pricier for pet owners than others, ranking 52nd in Pet Budget, but ranked higher at 38th in pet health and wellness, and 30th in outdoor pet-friendliness.  

In an extensive Trust for Public Land (TPL) study, Madison ranked as the 7th best city for dog parks, with 3.9 dog parks per 100,000 people.

A few more facts for dog-lovers in Wisconsin

BringFido lists Wisconsin as a very pet-friendly state to visit with over 2800 pet-friendly hotels and motels! The site also lists Harrington Beach State Park and Mazo Beach as popular dog-friendly attractions in the area.

Thirty-four percent of Wisconsin residents own a dog. This is below the national dog ownership rate of 40%, but not by too much! 

What kinds of dogs do Wisconsinites love? Working dogs! According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the most popular dogs in Wisconsin are Labradors, Bulldog, and German Shepherds. Other popular breeds include Huskies, Beagles, and Retrievers. 

Animal welfare & dog shelters in Wisconsin

Wisconsin saved 56,911 dogs and cats during 2020. Approximately 1,704 animals were killed over this same period. 

Forty-three out of 74 of the animal shelters within Wisconsin are no-kill shelters. The percentage of no-kill shelters is average, but the state has an above-average save rate of 88%. This is short of the 90% mark needed to be considered a no-kill state, but it’s very close! We hope to see them change those last two percentage points soon.