Rock County, WI Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing statute
- Wis. Stat. Sec. 174.042 (adopted by Sec. 3.209)
- At-large definition
- off premises, not controlled
- Hunting exception
- supervised legal hunting/training dogs
- Untagged-dog rule
- license tag on collar outdoors
- First-offense forfeiture
- $25-$100
- Repeat-offense forfeiture
- $50-$200
Summary
A Rock County dog is running at large under Wisconsin law whenever it is off its owner's premises and not under anyone's control, with a narrow exception for dogs actively hunting on land open to hunting. Rock County Ordinance Section 3.209 adopts this state standard and layers on its own forfeiture, $25 to $100 for a first offense and $50 to $200 for later ones.
174.042(1) Dog running at large. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a dog is considered to be running at large if it is off the premises of its owner and not under the control of the owner or some other person. (b) A dog that is actively engaged in a legal hunting activity, including training, is not considered to be running at large if the dog is monitored or supervised by a person and the dog is on land that is open to hunting or on land on which the person has obtained permission to hunt or to train a dog. (2) Untagged dog. A dog is considered to be untagged if a valid license tag is not attached to a collar which is kept on the dog whenever the dog is outdoors unless the dog is securely confined in a fenced area. (3) Dog running at large or untagged dog subject to impoundment. An officer shall attempt to capture and restrain any dog running at large and any untagged dog. (4) Penalties. If the owner of a dog negligently or otherwise permits the dog to run at large or be untagged, the owner shall forfeit not less than $25 nor more than $100 for the first offense and not less than $50 nor more than $200 for subsequent offenses.
Full Breakdown
209(3)(B) formally adopts it by reference. 042(1)(a), a dog is considered running at large if it is off the premises of its owner and not under the control of the owner or some other person; there is no exception for a fenced neighborhood, so an untethered dog wandering a neighbor's yard or a county road qualifies. 042(1)(b) carves out dogs actively engaged in legal hunting, including training, so long as the dog is monitored or supervised by a person and is on land open to hunting or land the handler has permission to hunt or train on.
042(2) separately defines an untagged dog as one without a valid license tag attached to its collar whenever it is outdoors, unless the dog is securely confined in a fenced area, so a fenced yard is a defense to the tag rule even though it is not a defense to running at large if the dog gets loose. 209(1) tracks that duty by directing that an owner, keeper, or custodian shall not permit an animal, negligently or otherwise, to run at large. 209(2) repeats for its own local at-large violation, so the county and state forfeitures line up rather than stacking separately.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run at large or go outdoors without a tagged collar draws a forfeiture of not less than $25 nor more than $100 for a first offense and not less than $50 nor more than $200 for later offenses, under Wis. Stat. Section 174.042(4) and Rock County Ordinance Section 3.209(2). Officers must attempt to capture and restrain any dog found running at large or untagged.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a dog considered 'running at large' in Rock County?
Can my hunting dog be off-leash in the field?
What's the fine for a dog running at large in Rock County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock County
Compare Rock County to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview
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