Madison, WI Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MGO § 23.47
- Compliance window
- 30 days from order
- Max forfeiture
- $2,000, per day of violation
- Enforcing agency
- Public Health Madison & Dane County
- Trigger
- 3 at-large citations, aggression, or bite
Summary
Madison doesn't require every dog to be fixed, but Public Health Madison & Dane County can order a specific dog spayed or neutered once it triggers three running-at-large citations, an aggressive at-large incident, or a bite. Owners get 30 days to comply under MGO § 23.47. Ignoring the order carries forfeitures up to $2,000, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
(2)Public Health Madison and Dane County may order any dog to be spayed or neutered within thirty (30) days of receiving notification of any of the following incidents:(a)A dog found running at large in violation of Sec. 23.31, on three (3) separate occasions;(b)A dog acting aggressively and running at large in violation of Sec. 23.31;(c)A dog that has caused injury to a person or another animal in violation of Sec. 23.35; or(d)A dog that has caused injury to a person on the owner's property.(3)Any person who fails to comply with an order to spay or neuter a dog under sub. (2) shall be subject to a forfeiture of up to two thousand dollars ($2,000). Each and every day of violation may be considered a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
47, created in 2014 and amended in 2015 and 2017, is a violation-triggered spay/neuter order, not a blanket mandate. Madison does not require every dog owner to alter their pet. 35; or an injury caused to a person while on the owner's own property. The ordinance's stated purpose, added by ORD-17-00030 in 2017, cites unaltered dogs running at large as a driver of pet overpopulation, shelter overcrowding and hormone-driven aggression. Once Public Health issues the order, the owner has 30 calendar days to have the animal surgically altered.
A dog owner who does not comply faces a forfeiture of up to $2,000, and the ordinance treats every day the dog remains unaltered past the deadline as a separate violation, so unpaid noncompliance can multiply quickly. 35. Because the order is incident-based, a dog that has never run at large, acted aggressively, or bitten anyone is never subject to a spay/neuter order under this section.
Violations & Fines
Failure to spay or neuter a dog within 30 days of a Public Health order under § 23.47(2) draws a forfeiture of up to $2,000, and each day the dog stays unaltered past the deadline counts as a new, separate offense. The trigger citations themselves, running at large three times, an aggressive at-large incident, or a bite, carry their own separate forfeitures under §§ 23.31 and 23.35.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Madison require all dogs to be spayed or neutered?
Who issues the spay/neuter order?
What happens if I miss the 30-day deadline?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
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