Leash rules in Milwaukee County are municipal, not countywide. In the City of Milwaukee, Code 78-19 requires dogs to be leashed or confined, and a dog is not 'at large' only when held on a leash of six feet or less by a competent person. MADACC impounds strays countywide.
Milwaukee County contracts animal control to MADACC, an intergovernmental commission serving all 19 municipalities from its West Milwaukee shelter since 1999. MADACC shelters roughly 13,000 strays a year, enforces Wisconsin animal-welfare statutes, and removes dangerous animals. Leash law itself is municipal. City of Milwaukee Chapter 78, section 78-19, requires animals to be leashed or confined and their waste collected; a dog is not 'at large' if held on a leash no more than six feet long by a competent person. A dog off-premises without such restraint is 'at large' and may be impounded by MADACC or cited by police or the Department of Neighborhood Services. Leash length, off-leash park rules and fines are set separately by each city and village.
City of Milwaukee owners and walkers can be ticketed for an off-leash dog and uncollected waste under Chapter 78. A dog picked up by MADACC must be current on rabies and licensing before release, with impound fees owed.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Milwaukee County's dog leash laws rules stack up against other locations.
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