Beloit, WI Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 15.17(6), (8)
- Annual registration deadline
- April 1 each year
- Required pen size
- 6' by 12', secure top
- Unregistered-dog penalty
- $200 to $500 per day
- Running-at-large penalty
- $500 to $1,000
- Registration also requires
- County license, photo, ID implant
Summary
Beloit's dangerous-dog law is conduct-based rather than breed-specific: no breed is named anywhere in the ordinance. Once a dog is declared potentially dangerous, its owner must register it annually with the City Treasurer and keep it confined in a locked pen measuring at least 6' by 12' whenever it is on the property.
(6)REGISTRATION OF "POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS".(a)Fee and Deadline for Registration. (Am. #3607) All owners of potentially dangerous dogs kept within the City shall, within 30 days of the effective date of this section and on or before the first day of April of each year thereafter, register their dogs with the City Treasurer and pay a registration fee as established by City Council resolution. ... (8)POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS TO BE CONFINED ON OWNER'S PREMISES. (Rnbd. #2810) While on the owner's or keeper's property, a potentially dangerous dog must be securely confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen, suitable to prevent the entry of young children, and designed to prevent the animal from escaping. The pen must have a minimum dimension of 6' by 12' and must have secure sides and a secure top.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Update 01 - 05-2026).
Full Breakdown
17 defines a potentially dangerous dog by what it does, not what it is: a guard dog, a dog that chases or approaches a person or domestic animal in an apparent attitude of attack, a dog impounded for running at large three separate times in 12 months, or a dog that causes a non-severe injury. Once a dog is registered or adjudicated as potentially dangerous, subsection (6)(a) requires the owner to register it with the City Treasurer within 30 days of the ordinance's effective date and again every year on or before April 1, paying a registration fee set by City Council resolution.
Registration also requires a current Rock County dog license, a color photograph, proof of spay or neuter, and proof the dog has been implanted with a potentially dangerous animal identification number. Subsection (8) then requires the dog to be securely confined indoors or in a locked pen at least 6' by 12', with secure sides and a secure top, sunk at least 2' into the ground if it has no floor. Subsection (9) requires warning signs facing every side of the property, readable from the public street and from within 20' of the property line, plus a separate child-warning symbol sign.
Off the property, subsection (10) requires the dog to be muzzled and held on a leash of at least 300-pound tensile strength no longer than 3'.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unregistered or unlicensed potentially dangerous dog in the city carries a forfeiture of not less than $200 nor more than $500 per day under § 15.17(7)(c). Letting a registered potentially dangerous dog run at large without its required muzzle and short leash carries a forfeiture of $500 to $1,000 under § 15.17(10)(b), and the dog is impounded until the owner proves current registration and licensing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Beloit ban specific dog breeds like pit bulls?
How does a dog get labeled potentially dangerous in Beloit?
What confinement is required for a potentially dangerous dog in Beloit?
What happens if I never register my potentially dangerous dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beloit
How Beloit compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Beloit to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview
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