Ashwaubenon, WI Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)

Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 17-4-400(C)(1) treats dog grooming as a home occupation, but not an automatically-allowed one. Under § 17-4-400(C)(1)(a), a home occupation is normally limited to the single-family zoning district; in a duplex or multifamily district it needs the owner or landlord's written approval as well. Every home occupation, groomers included, first needs a permit from the building inspector under § 17-4-400(C)(1)(b), with the fee kept on file at the village clerk's office, and operating without that permit quadruples the fee. Section 17-4-400(C)(1)(d) caps the space used for any home occupation at 25 percent of the dwelling's floor area, and subsection (e) bars running it out of an accessory building such as a detached garage.

Dog grooming specifically sits on the list at § 17-4-400(C)(1)(i), "Conditional Use Required," alongside printing, cabinet making, picture framing and home hair salons. Because it made that list, a groomer needs a conditional use permit (CUP) on top of the ordinary home-occupation permit. The Village conducts annual inspections of the premises to check health, safety, public welfare and neighborhood impact, and every CUP for a home occupation comes up for renewal once a year at the Village Board's last meeting in December. Neighbors within 200 feet of the property receive notice ahead of that meeting, giving them a chance to raise objections before the board acts. The annual review fee for the renewal is kept on file at the village clerk's office rather than fixed in the ordinance text itself. A groomer who lets the CUP lapse, or who never sought one, is operating outside the zoning code and can be cited by the building inspector.