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

Burlington's zoning code treats pet grooming as a commercial use that belongs in a business district, not in a house. C(15) list specific uses that are flatly prohibited from operating as an accessory business inside a residence, and subsection (c) names 'animal hospitals or pet grooming or boarding' among them, alongside barbershops, restaurants, and stables or kennels. That means a resident cannot legally run a dog-grooming service out of their house under the general home occupation provisions, no matter how small the operation. D(12), which lists it among the conditional uses allowed in the B-1 Neighborhood Business District, the district intended for small groups of retail and customer service establishments near residential areas.

The conditional use permit process under § 315-130 requires review and approval by the Plan Commission, and the pet grooming shop's own condition requires that no sales or services be offered outside of an enclosed building and that no boarding or breeding of animals take place on the premises. D(10), and it is meant to keep animal noise, odor and outdoor holding pens from affecting nearby homes and other B-1 businesses.