Animal Ordinances in Waukesha, WI

If you live in Waukesha or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Waukesha has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Dog Leash Laws

Waukesha requires owners to keep dogs under physical control at all times off their own property; a dog is deemed running at large unless leashed or confined, and dogs are barred from park land except leashed, in designated dog parks, or in signed areas.

Key details: Minimum tether length: 6 feet. Off-leash areas: Signed dog parks only. License required at age: 5 months. Impounding agency: Waukesha Police Department. First-offense fine range: $10 to $2,500.

Running at large, excessive barking, unpicked feces, and short tethering under §33.01 and §33.02 are violations subject to the general penalty in Municipal Code §25.05: a first offense of not less than $10 nor more than $2,500 plus costs of prosecution, and a subsequent offense of $100 to $5,000 plus costs. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and unpaid penalties can result in jail time of up to 90 days for nonpayment. The Waukesha Police Department may apprehend any dog running at large and confine it at the City's designated impoundment facility.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Waukesha does not require dogs or cats to be spayed or neutered, but the only pig breed residents may keep, the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig, must be spayed or neutered before the owner can obtain the required city license. The rule sits in Municipal Code §33.05, alongside a two-pig-per-dwelling cap and dog-style licensing.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code §33.05. Spay/neuter timing: Required before license issued. Allowed pig breed: Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig only. Pig limit: 2 per dwelling unit. Licensing method: Same as dog license, Wis. Stat. §174.05/.07.

Keeping an unlicensed, un-spayed, or un-neutered Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig, or exceeding the two-pig limit, exposes the owner to Waukesha's general municipal penalty under Municipal Code §25.05: not less than $10 nor more than $2,500 for a first offense, and not less than $100 nor more than $5,000 for each subsequent offense, plus prosecution costs. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and the court may order jail time of up to 90 days for nonpayment.

Pet Store Rules

Waukesha bans retail pet stores from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits anywhere in the city. Adopted as Ordinance 2022-7 to discourage large-scale commercial breeding, Municipal Code §33.06 still lets stores host adoption events for animals supplied by shelters or nonprofit rescues at no charge; only sales for consideration are prohibited.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code §33.06. Adopted: Ordinance 2022-7, effective 6/21/2022. Prohibits: Retail sale of cats, dogs, rabbits. Adoption exception: Shelter/rescue animals, no consideration. Retailer defined by: WI Dept. of Revenue seller's permit.

Each cat, dog, or rabbit a Retailer offers for sale in violation of §33.06 is treated as a separate violation. Penalties run through the citywide civil schedule at Municipal Code §25.05: not less than $10 nor more than $2,500 for a first offense, and not less than $100 nor more than $5,000 for each subsequent offense, plus prosecution costs, meaning a store with several non-compliant animals faces multiplied exposure per animal.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Waukesha actively enforces its pet store rules requirements.

Beekeeping

Waukesha requires a two-year Community Development Department permit for every beekeeping location, caps hive counts by parcel size, and confines hives to rear yards at least 10 feet from any property line unless waived in writing.

Key details: Permitting department: Community Development Department. Permit term: 2 years, renewable. Setback from property line: 10 feet minimum. Hive limit, quarter acre or less: 2 hives. Unlimited hives threshold: 200 ft from all boundaries.

A beekeeping permit is revoked for any violation of §33.04, and once revoked all beekeeping at that location must stop. Keeping bees without the required permit subjects the keeper to the general penalty in Municipal Code §25.05 (a first offense of $10 to $2,500 plus costs, subsequent offenses $100 to $5,000) and an order to remove or destroy all hives and colonies. A permitted beekeeper who violates the section faces both permit revocation and the same §25.05 penalty, and on a second or later violation all hives and colonies must be removed from the City. Permit revocations can be appealed to the City Administrative Review Appeals Board under §2.11(3).

Chickens & Livestock

Waukesha allows permitted backyard chickens only, capped at four per parcel (six on lots over an acre), bans roosters, and requires enclosed coops set back 25 feet from neighboring homes; pigs and goats are limited to specific licensed breeds.

Key details: Chickens per parcel: 4 (6 if over 1 acre). Roosters: Prohibited. Coop setback from neighbor's home: 25 feet. Space per chicken: 16 sq ft enclosure / 3 sq ft coop. Permit lapse after revocation: 2-year ban on reapplying.

Chicken-permit violations under §33.07(11) start with a compliance order from the Building Inspection Division; failure to comply timely can bring inspection and re-inspection fees, citations with forfeitures under Municipal Code §25.05, and revocation or non-renewal of the permit. A revoked or non-renewed permit bars a new one for that holder or parcel for two years. Revocations can be appealed to the Administrative Review Appeals Board within 10 days by written notice to the City Clerk-Treasurer, with further appeal by certiorari to Circuit Court within 30 days.

Exotic Pets

Waukesha bans keeping poisonous or constrictor snakes, non-human primates, big cats, bears, wolves, coyotes, hyenas, alligators and other named wild or dangerous species as pets, with narrow exceptions for licensed pet shops, zoos, schools and permitted shows.

Key details: Banned examples: Wolves, big cats, primates, venomous snakes. Exceptions: Licensed pet shops, zoos, schools, permitted shows. Also banned outright: Horses, cows, bulls. First-offense penalty: $10 to $2,500 plus costs. Governing section: Waukesha Municipal Code § 33.01.

Keeping a prohibited wild or exotic animal without the required permit exception subjects the keeper to the penalties in Municipal Code §25.05: a first offense fine of $10 to $2,500 plus prosecution costs, and $100 to $5,000 for a subsequent offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. A permit holder under one of the named exceptions who violates §33.01 faces both permit revocation and the §25.05 penalty. Permit revocations may be appealed to the City Administrative Review Appeals Board under the procedure in §2.11(3).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Waukesha actively enforces its exotic pets requirements.

Pet Limits

Waukesha caps dogs over 3 months at two per dwelling unit, cats over 6 months at two per household, and limits any combined mix of cats, dogs, pot-bellied pigs and Nigerian Dwarf goats to four animals total per dwelling.

Key details: Dogs per dwelling: 2 (over 3 months old). Cats per household: 2 (over 6 months old). Combined species cap: 4 per dwelling unit. Pot-bellied pigs per dwelling: 2 maximum. Nigerian Dwarf goats per premises: 3 maximum, female only.

Exceeding the pet limits in §§33.01 through 33.03 is a violation subject to the general penalty schedule in Municipal Code §25.05: a first offense of $10 to $2,500 plus costs of prosecution, and $100 to $5,000 for a subsequent offense, with each day the excess animals remain on the property counted as a separate offense. Premises are open to inspection by City officials to verify compliance with the numeric limits under §33.01.

Cat Rules

Waukesha caps household cats at two over 6 months old and requires an annual license once a cat turns 5 months, obtained the same way the state requires dog licensing; running-at-large and waste rules also apply to cats.

Key details: Cats per household: 2 (over 6 months old). License required at age: 5 months. License process: Same as dog licensing, Wis. Stat. §174.05/.07. Retail cat sales: Banned citywide (§33.06). Waste accumulation limit: 24 hours on private property.

Exceeding the two-cat limit, failing to license a cat, or letting a cat run at large or leave waste unremoved under §§33.01 and 33.03 is a violation subject to Municipal Code §25.05's general penalty: $10 to $2,500 for a first offense plus prosecution costs, and $100 to $5,000 for a subsequent offense, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. Selling a cat in violation of §33.06's retail ban carries a separate civil penalty under §25.05, with each animal offered for sale counted as its own violation.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Waukesha allows animal hospitals, veterinary services, and animal boarding as a permitted principal use in its B-5 Community Business District under Municipal Code Sec. 22.37, but boarding cannot sit adjacent to a residential district. The use is not listed as permitted in any of the City's residential districts.

Key details: Permitted district: B-5 Community Business District. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 22.37. Boarding condition: Not adjacent to residential districts. Also permitted in: M-3 district under Sec. 22.40. Residential districts: Use not listed as permitted.

Operating an animal hospital, veterinary clinic, or animal boarding facility in a district where Chapter 22 does not list it as a permitted use, or boarding animals adjacent to a residential district in violation of Section 22.37's condition, is enforceable by the Zoning Administrator under Section 22.67, including injunctive relief sought by the City or an adjacent property owner. The Municipal Code's general penalty in Section 25.05 applies to Chapter 22 violations: $10 to $2,500 for a first offense plus costs, $100 to $5,000 for each repeat offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Waukesha is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Waukesha, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Waukesha's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.