Animal Ordinances in Wauwatosa, WI (2026)
11 verified animal ordinances for Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Wauwatosa allows up to four hens, no roosters, on a residential lot with a city permit and written consent from every adjoining and diagonally abutting neighbor. Chicken eggs cannot be sold or hatched commercially, and enclosures must sit at least twenty-five feet from a neighbor's dwelling and out of the front yard.
Wauwatosa Backyard Chicken Keeping Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.04.060
Keeping of Chickens Allowed. The keeping of up to four licensed chickens is allowed on a residential property, under the following provisions: No roosters shall be kept. No chicken shall be slaughtered. ... Chicken ... coops and yards together shall be large enough to provide at least sixteen square feet of space per chicken. No enclosure or coop shall be located closer than twenty-five feet to...
Dog Leash Laws
Wauwatosa dogs cannot run loose on or off the owner's property. Section 9.04.020 requires every dog to stay confined by a leash, pen or electronic fence on the owner's lot, and caps a walking leash at ten feet handled by someone competent to control the dog.
Wauwatosa Dog Leash and Restraint Law
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.04.020
Leash Required for Dog. A dog may not be on the loose on or off its owner's property and must be confined by a leash, pen or electronic fence to the owner's property, or if being walked, must be secured by a leash no more than ten feet in length and handled or governed by a person competent to handle the dog. Secure Home. All screens, windows and doors of the owner's home must be secure to prev...
Breed Restrictions
Wauwatosa bans keeping a vicious dog inside the city outright and imposes strict confinement, signage and insurance rules on any dog declared dangerous. The health and police departments can declare a dog dangerous or vicious after an incident, and an owner who disagrees can demand a hearing before the municipal court within thirty days.
Wauwatosa Dangerous and Vicious Dog Rules
Heavy RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.04.030
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain a vicious dog within the city of Wauwatosa. It shall be unlawful for an owner of a dog declared vicious in another municipality, county or state to bring such dog into the city. ... Restrictions on Dangerous Dogs. No person shall keep or maintain a dangerous dog within the city of Wauwatosa unless such dog is at all times kept in an enclos...
Beekeeping
Wauwatosa allows honey beekeeping in residential districts with a city permit, capped at two hives per lot plus a temporary third for splitting. Section 9.04.080 requires flyway barriers, setbacks from property lines and neighbors' patios or pools, and a continuous water source so bees do not bother nearby yards.
Wauwatosa Residential Beekeeping Hive Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.04.080
No more than two hives are allowed on a residential lot. The hives forming the apiary structure must be located near each other to form a single apiary. A temporary third hive for hive splitting may be allowed for a reasonable period of time prior to its removal to another location. ... A closed fence, closed evergreen hedge, building or other solid flyway barrier or other barrier at least six ...
Exotic Pets
Wauwatosa's code bans keeping swine, horses, ponies and other nonhousehold pets, the catch-all Section 9.08.010 uses for exotic and farm-type animals, within 100 feet of any public street or the boundary line of an adjoining owner. On typical Milwaukee County suburban lots, that buffer reaches nearly every square foot of a residential parcel, making the rule a de facto citywide prohibition rather than a true setback.
Wauwatosa Nonhousehold Pet and Wild Animal Ban
Heavy RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.08.010
It is unlawful for any person to keep swine, horses, ponies and other nonhousehold pets in the city of Wauwatosa, within one hundred feet of any public street, alley or highway of the city, or upon any lot or parcel of land in the city within one hundred feet of the lot line or boundary line of an adjoining owner.
Wildlife Feeding
Wauwatosa enforces the state's wildlife-feeding rule locally: § 9.12.020 adopts Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 19.60, 'Feeding of Wild Animals,' by reference into city law, including all future amendments, and directs the police department, health department and building and safety division to administer and enforce it. Adopted by Ord. O-23-7 on March 21, 2023, it gives city departments, not just the DNR, enforcement authority.
Wauwatosa Feeding of Wild Animals Ban
Significant RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.12.020
Adopted by Reference. That portion of the Administrative Code of the State of Wisconsin, NR 19.60 - Feeding of Wild Animals, is adopted and all amendments thereto are adopted and incorporated in this code by reference except as herein modified. Enforcement. The police department, health department, building and safety division and all other city employees or agents designated by the city admini...
Pet Limits
Wauwatosa caps any residence, apartment, yard or property at three cats or dogs combined, animals over three months old. Section 9.04.020 declares keeping more than three a public nuisance and prohibits it outright, with no separate variance process written into the section.
Wauwatosa Household Pet Limit of Three
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.04.020
Limitation on Number of Cats and Dogs. To keep, maintain, shelter, lodge or be possessed of more than a total of three cats or dogs or a combination thereof not to exceed a total of three animals over the age of three months, in any residence, apartment, yard or property within the city of Wauwatosa is a public nuisance and the same is prohibited.
Cat Rules
Wauwatosa requires every cat over five months old to carry an annual city license, displayed on the collar, and bars cats from running at large or being abandoned anywhere in the city. Section 9.04.020 lets anyone impound an at-large cat, and an unlicensed cat is presumed to be at large.
Wauwatosa Cat Licensing and At-Large Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.04.020
Impounding. No cat or dog shall run at large or be abandoned on any public or private property within the city and any person may seize and impound such cat or dog found at large. The fact that a cat or dog is without a proper license tag attached to its collar shall be presumptive evidence that it is unlicensed. ... License Required for Cat or Dog. Except as provide in Section 9.04.020 (C)(5) ...
Pet Store Rules
Wauwatosa bars every pet store in the city from selling dogs or cats. Section 9.06.020 prohibits pet stores from selling, delivering, offering for sale, bartering, auctioning, giving away or otherwise transferring cats or dogs, though a store may host an animal shelter or rescue's adoption showcase without taking an ownership stake or fee.
Wauwatosa Pet Store Dog and Cat Sale Ban
Heavy RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 9.06.020
No pet store shall sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, or otherwise transfer or dispose of cats or dogs. Nothing in this section shall prohibit pet stores from collaborating with animal care facilities or animal rescue organizations to offer space for such entities to showcase adoptable dogs or cats provided the pet store shall not have any ownership interest in the anima...
Pet Groomer Rules
Wauwatosa classifies pet grooming as a Sales & Grooming use under the Animal Services category, permitted by right only in the CO, C1 and C2 commercial districts and a handful of mixed-use districts. The use is expressly prohibited in every residential district and in the M1/M2 industrial districts.
Wauwatosa Pet Grooming Business Zoning
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 24.08.040
Animal Services. The following are animal services use types: Sales & Grooming. Sales and grooming of dogs, cats and similar small animals. Typical uses include pet stores, dog bathing and clipping salons and pet grooming shops.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Wauwatosa permits veterinary clinics by right in its commercial and industrial districts, CO, C1, C2, M1 and M2, plus SP-RP and two mixed-use districts. Like other animal services, veterinary practices are expressly prohibited in every residential zoning district.
Wauwatosa Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 24.08.040
Animal Services. ... The following are animal services use types: ... Veterinary. ... Typical uses include pet clinics, dog and cat hospitals and animal hospitals.
Looking for Milwaukee County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Wauwatosa city rules.
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