Fond du Lac County, WI Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

County Code Chapter 14 defines 'domesticated animal' broadly, covering dogs, cats, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, geese, ducks, rabbits and chickens (Sec. 14-1). The same section defines 'permits' running at large as failing to take responsible precautions, specifically failure to place a leash on the animal or keep its pen, cage or enclosure in good repair, so an owner who lets a dog off leash without any restraint violates the law even without an actual complaint of roaming. Sec. 14-2 states that any person who permits a domesticated animal to run at large on another person's land or on county streets, roads or highways forfeits not more than $500.

Each day of continued violation can be charged separately under the county's general penalty scheme in Sec. 1-8. The ordinance carves out livestock: the orderly movement of cattle or other domestic livestock along or across public roads while under the direct supervision of the owner or keeper does not count as running at large, so driving cattle to pasture under an owner's watch is lawful. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office, cross-referenced as the enforcing law-enforcement authority under Chapter 34, cites violations found in the unincorporated area; incorporated cities and villages such as Fond du Lac, Ripon and North Fond du Lac enforce their own separate leash ordinances.

Because the definition covers 'any domesticated animal,' the same forfeiture applies whether the loose animal is a dog, cat or other pet, though dogs generate the most at-large complaints.