Madison Ch. 9 restricts retail pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs and cats, requiring shelter or rescue partnerships. State law Wis. Stat. ch. 173 governs animal welfare standards and humane transport for retail facilities.
Madison General Ordinances Ch. 9 limits retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits to animals sourced from shelters, rescues, or hobby breeders, mirroring ordinances in Milwaukee and Eau Claire. Pet stores must post source documentation visibly per Wis. Stat. §173.41 disclosure requirements. Public Health Madison & Dane County inspects retail facilities for sanitation, ventilation, and rabies-vaccination records. Stores selling supplies, fish, or reptiles are unaffected. Violations are enforced by Madison Building Inspection and Dane County Humane Society jointly, with license suspension possible after repeat noncompliance with welfare standards.
Retail violations bring $500-$2,500 forfeitures per animal sold improperly; persistent violators face license suspension under Madison business-licensing review and state ch. 173 referral.
Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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See how Madison's pet store rules rules stack up against other locations.
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