ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER TO BE APPOINTED TO SEIZE AND IMPOUND ANIMALS.
Madison General Ordinances § 23.33
in effect23.33 - ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER TO BE APPOINTED TO SEIZE AND IMPOUND ANIMALS.
(1) The Director of Public Health Madison and Dane County shall appoint humane officers whose duties it shall be to seize any and all animals found running at large in the City of Madison.
(2) It shall be the duty of a humane officer to ascertain, if possible, the owners of all animals seized by the officers and to notify such owners of the fact that their animals have been seized and where they may be found, and that the owners may retrieve their animals upon payment of an animal impoundment fee of thirty-five dollars ($35) to the City of Madison and any and all fees for the board of the animals during the time they are impounded. (Am. by Ord. 10,935, 7-5-94; Ord. 12,707, 11-9-00)
(3) A humane officer shall order the impoundment of any animal reasonably believed to be infected with rabies, or to have been in contact with a rabid animal or to have bitten or otherwise injured a person in such a way as to break the skin and allow the possible contact of an open wound with the animal's saliva. If the animal is running at large, the animal shall be immediately seized and restrained by a humane officer.
(a) An officer who orders the animal impounded shall deliver the animal or shall order the animal delivered to a veterinary clinic in the County of Dane as soon as possible but no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the original order is issued. Alternatively, the officer may order the animal to be impounded on the premises of the owner upon the determination that the animal is currently immunized against rabies vaccination or other evidence.
(b) If an animal is ordered to be impounded, the custodian of the veterinary clinic or the owner, in cases of home impoundment, shall keep the animal under strict isolation under the supervision of a veterinarian for at least ten (10) days. The impoundment shall be at the animal owner's expense. In this paragraph, "supervision of a veterinarian" includes examination of the animal on the first day of impoundment, on the fourth, fifth, or sixth day of impoundment and on the last day of impoundment. The ten-day period may be extended pursuant to Sec. 95.21(5)(c) of the Wisconsin Statutes or by order of a veterinarian. Reports at the end of such observation shall be made without delay to Public Health Madison and Dane County by telephone.
(c) In cases of home impoundment, "strict isolation" shall be defined by the Director of Public Health Madison and Dane County with additional special conditions as necessary in order to protect the public safety and welfare.
(d) Any person who refuses or fails to deliver the animal in question shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500). Each day such violation continues shall be considered as a separate offense.
(4) A humane officer shall, upon seizing any animal, turn the animal over to a facility approved by the Department, who shall hold the animal until claimed by the owner or until directed to euthanize the animal by the humane officer.
(5) After any animal has been kept for seven (7) days and the animal's owner cannot be ascertained by the exercise of reasonable diligence, the animal is deemed to be unclaimed and may be disposed of in accordance with Wis. Stat. § 173.23(1m).
(6) (a)
The owners of all dogs over five (5) months of age are hereby required to place a collar on their dogs. The name and address of the owner of the dog must be plainly stamped on the collar. Any person who removes a dog collar containing name of owner or license number, from a dog, shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25) nor more than fifty dollars ($50).
(b) It is unlawful to keep any dog over five (5) months of age without having obtained a license for the dog pursuant to Sec. 9.50 of the Madison General Ordinances.
(c) The owner or keeper of a dog shall securely attach the tag issued pursuant to Sec. 9.50(4)(b) of the Madison General Ordinances to a collar and a collar with the tag attached shall be kept on the dog for which the license is issued at all times.
(7) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as in any way changing or modifying the provisions of any other section of these ordinances relating to the keeping of dogs.
(Sec. 23.33 Am. by Ord. 9643, Adopted 12-6-88; Am. by ORD-08-00008, 1-24-08; ORD-15-00009, 1-28-15)
Source: City of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison General Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOIICH20--31_CH23OFAGPUPO_23.33ANCOOFBEAPSEIMANFetched: 11/1/2026