Green Bay's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Chickens & Livestock

Green Bay allows up to five licensed hens per parcel but bans roosters outright; owners need an annual City Clerk license and must house hens in a coop set back from neighboring homes.

Key details: Hen limit: 5 hens per parcel. Roosters: Prohibited citywide. License: Annual, one per parcel. Coop setback: 25 feet from neighbor's house. First-offense fine: $25-$100.

Keeping unlicensed hens, roosters, or more than five hens, or violating coop placement rules, brings a forfeiture of $25-$100 for a first offense and $50-$200 for repeat violations.

Breed Restrictions

Green Bay bans possessing a dog once it's been declared dangerous under Chapter 6, with forfeitures of $500 to $1,000 and removal from the City within five days of the written order.

Key details: Who declares: Humane Officer or police officer. Removal deadline: 5 days of written order. Penalty: $500 to $1,000 forfeiture. Appeal: Protection and Policy Committee hearing. Exemption: police dogs excluded.

Owning, keeping, harboring, or returning a declared dangerous dog to the City is a forfeiture of $500.00 to $1,000.00; an unremoved dog can be seized and ordered destroyed after ten days.

Compared to other cities, Green Bay takes a harder line on breed restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Exotic Pets

Green Bay bans possessing lions, bears, venomous snakes, monkeys, alligators, scorpions and dozens of other wild species inside city limits unless the owner first obtains an exotic animal permit from the City Clerk. Municipal Code § 6-4 defines the City's Prohibited Animal List by scientific order and family, with only a short list of zoos, vets, researchers, and government facilities automatically exempt.

Key details: Prohibited species: Big cats, bears, wolves, primates, venomous reptiles, elephants. Permit exemptions: AZA zoos, vets, researchers, service animals, government facilities. Transit exception: 24 hours or less in secure confinement. Excluded rodents: Guinea pigs, rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters allowed. Penalty: $1 to $1,000 forfeiture per offense.

Possessing a listed exotic animal without a permit, or otherwise violating § 6-4, carries a forfeiture of $1.00 to $1,000.00 per offense, and each day the violation continues is charged as a separate offense under § 6-4(j). The Humane Officer investigates suspected violations and reports convictions or unpermitted possession that can lead to a forfeiture judgment.

This is one of the stricter rules in Green Bay's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Pet Limits

Green Bay requires an excess animal permit from the Humane Officer before a household may keep more pets than the residential caps allow, with denial possible over nuisance risk or the applicant's record.

Key details: Permit issuer: City Clerk / Humane Officer. Review factors: nuisance risk, criminal record, home condition. Appeal body: Protection and Policy Committee. Permit duration: expires when the animal dies. Penalty: $1 to $1,000 per offense.

Violating any keeping-of-animals provision, including keeping without a required excess animal permit, is a forfeiture of $1.00 to $1,000.00 per offense; each day of continuing violation counts separately.

Compared to other cities, Green Bay takes a harder line on pet limits. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Dog Leash Laws

Green Bay bans letting any animal, including dogs, run at large off its owner's property, and requires a leash or equivalent control whenever it's off the premises, plus a five-foot buffer from sidewalks, streets, and parking lots.

Key details: At-large ban: Off-property without leash prohibited. Leash requirement: Sufficient strength to control dog. Right-of-way buffer: 5 feet, must be attended. Default penalty: $1-$500 per offense (Sec. 1-6).

Sec. 6-6 sets no penalty of its own, so a violation falls under the citywide default forfeiture in Sec. 1-6, $1.00 to $500.00 per offense, rising to $10 to $500 for repeat violations.

Pet Store Rules

Green Bay requires an animal establishment license before anyone runs a pet shop, grooming service, breeding service, or animal shelter, per Municipal Code § 6-1. Pet shop operators must also honor the local Lemon Law: guaranteeing an animal's health at sale and reimbursing veterinary costs, up to the purchase price, if a vet finds it was sick or injured within seven days.

Key details: License required: Pet shops, groomers, breeders, animal shelters. License term: One year; breeding dog registration lasts the dog's life. Breeding age limits: No breeding before 2 or after 8 years. Rabies vaccination: Required within 30 days of taking possession. Lemon Law guarantee: 7-day health guarantee, reimbursement up to purchase price.

Operating without an animal establishment license, ignoring the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council guidelines, skipping required vaccinations or record-keeping, or violating the Lemon Law's reimbursement duty is punishable by a forfeiture of up to $500 per violation under § 6-1(j). The City Clerk can also revoke the license outright for a Chapter 951 conviction, a chapter violation, refusing a Humane Officer's inspection, or 12 straight months of closure; a revoked licensee may appeal to the Protection and Policy Committee and then the Common Council.

Wildlife Feeding

Green Bay adopts Wisconsin's wild-animal feeding rule, Wis. Admin. Code NR 19.60, as full City law under Section 6-14, making it a local ordinance violation to feed wildlife in violation of that rule.

Key details: Mechanism: adopts Wis. Admin. Code NR 19.60. Section: Green Bay Municipal Code § 6-14. Covers: recreational and automatic feeders. Effect: enforceable as local ordinance.

Feeding wild animals in violation of the incorporated state rule, Wis. Admin. Code NR 19.60, is enforceable as a City ordinance violation under Chapter 6's general penalty provisions.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Green Bay actively enforces its wildlife feeding requirements.

Beekeeping

Beekeeping in Green Bay requires a permit from the Humane Officer, and any apiary within 25 feet of a property line must be screened by a six-foot flyway wall, fence, or vegetation.

Key details: Permit required: from the Humane Officer. Apiary location: must sit on one parcel. Flyway barrier: 6 ft tall within 25 ft of line. Abandoned hives: owner must remove them. Appeal: Protection and Policy Committee.

Keeping bees without a permit, or maintaining a hive the Humane Officer finds in violation, can lead to a correction order; an uncorrected hive may be destroyed or removed at the owner's cost within 30 days.

This is one of the stricter rules in Green Bay's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Green Bay is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Green Bay, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Green Bay's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.