New Berlin, WI Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Exotic animals
- Prohibited in all zoning districts
- Governing section
- Sec. 275-41 A(2)(c)[2]
- Chickens/ducks (dense residential)
- Max 4 total, no roosters
- Hogs over 300 lbs
- Prohibited outside A-1 District
- Animal enclosure rule
- Must be fenced and on owned/leased land
Summary
New Berlin bans keeping exotic animals in every zoning district, agricultural land included, under Sec. 275-41 A(2)(c)[2] of the Zoning Code. The ban sits alongside per-acre limits on livestock, fowl and small breeds, and a hard cap of four chickens or ducks in denser residential districts.
(a)General Requirements.[1]All applicable zoning district regulations shall apply.[2]Animals must be within a fenced-in area and shall remain on the property to which they belong or property to which is leased.[3]Adequate facilities shall exist for housing and feeding the animals. ... (c)Specific Uses[1]Concentrated commercial animal feeding operations are prohibited in all districts.[2]Exotic animals. Keeping of exotic animals are prohibited in all zoning districts.[3]Hogs over 300 pounds. The keeping of hogs over 300 pounds is prohibited in all districts, with the exception of the A-1 District.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 275-41 A(2), the Zoning Code's use-specific regulation for keeping and raising animals, opens with general requirements that apply to any permitted animal: the animal must stay within a fenced-in area on property the keeper owns or leases, and adequate housing and feeding facilities must exist. 5, R-5, R-6 and R-7 Districts are limited to four chickens or ducks total per property. Within that same subsection, Sec. 275-41 A(2)(c) lists 'Specific Uses' that are prohibited outright rather than merely capped: concentrated commercial animal feeding operations are barred in all districts, hogs over 300 pounds are barred outside the A-1 District, and subsection [2] states flatly that keeping of exotic animals is prohibited in all zoning districts, with no acreage, lot-size or conditional-use pathway available the way there is for keeping additional livestock beyond Table 275-41A's by-right numbers.
Because the prohibition applies 'in all zoning districts,' it reaches agricultural-zoned parcels that otherwise carry the widest latitude for livestock, meaning even a multi-acre A-1 property cannot keep an exotic animal in New Berlin.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an exotic animal violates Sec. 275-41 A(2)(c)[2] and is enforced by the Department of Community Development under the Zoning Code's general remedies in Sec. 275-68, including revocation of any related permit and injunctive or nuisance-abatement action. Under Sec. 1-18, a first offense carries a forfeiture of $5 to $1,000 plus costs of prosecution, with a repeat violation within a year rising to $10 to $1,000, and each day the animal remains on the property is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep an exotic animal on agricultural-zoned land in New Berlin?
Is there a conditional use permit path to keep an exotic animal?
What counts as ordinary livestock versus a prohibited exotic animal in New Berlin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Berlin
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Exotic Pets in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Waukesha County handle exotic pets.