Appleton, WI Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 3-12 sets a hard ceiling of six animals per household on any city lot, land parcel, or dwelling unit within a multiple-family building, counting dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets together. Within that six-animal cap, no household may keep more than three dogs or more than two rabbits. A litter of puppies or kittens is exempted from the count, but only for up to five months from birth, after which the young animals count against the household total like any other pet. The cap does not apply to premises holding a valid kennel license issued under Chapter 9 of the City Code, which regulates commercial boarding, breeding and sale operations separately, nor does it apply to chicken hens kept under a Health Department permit issued pursuant to §3-52(e), which allows up to six hens at one- and two-family dwellings.

The current version of §3-12 was amended by Ordinance 113-24 on September 4, 2024, updating the prior 1965 code provision. Enforcement runs through the Police and Health Departments under §3-2(a), and the Police Department is authorized to pursue and impound animals kept in violation, including on private premises where necessary.