Walworth County, WI Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Walworth County Code § 6-32
- First-offense forfeiture
- $25.00 to $100.00
- Repeat-offense forfeiture
- $50.00 to $200.00
- Enforcement
- Any officer; humane officer must act
- Tag requirement
- License tag on collar when outdoors
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Walworth County towns
Summary
Walworth County Code § 6-32 bars dogs from running at large, meaning off the owner's premises and out of anyone's control, and requires a license tag on the collar whenever a dog is outdoors unless it is securely fenced. Owners face forfeitures of $25.00 to $200.00, and officers may capture and restrain a loose or untagged dog.
(a)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 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.(c)Any officer may and the humane officer shall attempt to capture and restrain any dog running at large or any dog not wearing a license tag.(d)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 $25.00 nor more than $100.00 for the first offense and not less than $50.00 nor more than $200.00 for subsequent offenses.
Full Breakdown
Section 6-32 sits in Chapter 6, Article II, Division 1, immediately after the barking dog nuisance provision, and applies to dog owners in unincorporated Walworth County towns. Subsection (a) defines running at large as a dog being "off the premises of its owner and not under the control of the owner or some other person." Subsection (b) defines untagged as a dog outdoors without "a valid license tag ... attached to a collar," unless the dog is "securely confined in a fenced area."
Subsection (c) gives any officer, and specifically requires the county humane officer, to "attempt to capture and restrain any dog running at large or any dog not wearing a license tag." Subsection (d) sets a graduated forfeiture: an owner who negligently or otherwise permits a dog to run at large or go untagged "shall forfeit not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 for the first offense and not less than $50.00 nor more than $200.00 for subsequent offenses."
The section dates to Ord. No. 86, adopted December 13, 1983, and the code cross-references Wis. Stat. § 174.042 for similar state provisions. It works together with Sec. 6-51, which requires a license for any dog over five months old, and Sec. 6-31's barking dog nuisance rule; a dog captured for running at large can also be held if it is unlicensed. Because this chapter governs only unincorporated towns, dogs in Lake Geneva, Delavan, Elkhorn, Whitewater, Burlington or any incorporated village fall under that municipality's own leash ordinance rather than Sec. 6-32.
Violations & Fines
A first-offense running-at-large or untagged citation draws a forfeiture of $25.00 to $100.00 under Sec. 6-32(d); a subsequent offense raises the range to $50.00 to $200.00. Any officer, and the humane officer specifically, is authorized to capture and restrain the dog itself while the citation is pending.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "running at large" mean under Walworth County's dog ordinance?
Do I need to keep a license tag on my dog outdoors?
What's the fine for a dog running at large in Walworth County?
Who can pick up a loose dog in unincorporated Walworth County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walworth County
Compare Walworth County to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview
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