Animals at Large; Animal Litter Nuisance.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 78-19
in effect78-19. Animals at Large; Animal Litter Nuisance.
1. UNLAWFUL. No owner or caretaker of any animal may permit or suffer the animal to be at large. Any animal found at large shall be deemed to be so with the permission or at the sufferance of its owner or caretaker. Any adult person alone or together with other adults may seek relief from animals at large by a complaint to the commissioner setting forth the specific date and approximate time an animal of a particular owner was observed by them to be at large. The commissioner shall notify the owner or caretaker of the animal, in writing, of the alleged violation and provisions of this section. If the petitioners subsequently observe that the animal is again at large, they may submit a written petition to the city attorney for commencement of prosecution to obtain compliance with this section. Such written petition shall contain:
a. Name and address of complainant.
b. Description of animal and address of owner.
c. Dates and times violations were noted.
d. Date reported to commissioner.
e. Statement that petitioners will be willing to sign complaint and testify in court.
2. SETTING AT LARGE. No person may permit an animal to run at large by opening any door or gate of any premises or loosen any restraining device or otherwise entice any animal to leave any place of confinement.
3. ANIMAL LITTER NUISANCE. No owner or caretaker of any animal may appear with the animal on any street, alley, sidewalk, lawn, field or any public property or upon a property other than their own without a shovel, scoop, bag or other items for the removal of fecal matter. The owner or caretaker of an animal shall immediately after deposit of fecal matter on such premises remove all fecal matter by shovel, scoop, bag or other item and properly wrap and deposit the fecal matter in an approved waste container as specified in s. 79-4 situated upon his or her own premises.
4. COMPLAINTS. Any adult person alone or together with other adults may seek relief from animal fecal matter deposits as described in sub. 3 by a complaint to the commissioner in the same manner and procedure as set forth in sub. 1.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-1/CH78.pdf#page=14Fetched: 10/26/2026