Chapter 951

CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS

951.01   Definitions.

951.015   Construction and application.

951.02   Mistreating animals.

951.025   Decompression prohibited.

951.03   Dognapping and catnapping.

951.04   Leading animal from motor vehicle.

951.05   Transportation of animals.

951.06   Use of poisonous and controlled substances.

951.07   Use of certain devices prohibited.

951.08   Instigating fights between animals.

951.09   Shooting at caged or staked animals.

951.095   Harassment of police and fire animals.

951.097   Harassment of service dogs.

951.10   Sale of baby rabbits, chicks and other fowl.

951.11   Artificially colored animals; sale.

951.13   Providing proper food and drink to confined animals.

951.14   Providing proper shelter.

951.15   Abandoning animals.

951.18   Penalties.

Ch. 951 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See definitions in s. 939.22.

951.01 951.01 Definitions. In this chapter:

951.01(1) (1) “Animal” includes every living:

951.01(1)(a) (a) Warm-blooded creature, except a human being;

951.01(1)(b) (b) Reptile; or

951.01(1)(c) (c) Amphibian.

951.01(1m) (1m) “Conservation warden” means a warden appointed under s. 23.10.

951.01(2) (2) “Cruel” means causing unnecessary and excessive pain or suffering or unjustifiable injury or death.

951.01(3) (3) “Farm animal” means any warm-blooded animal normally raised on farms in the United States and used or intended for use as food or fiber.

951.01(3e) (3e) “Humane officer” means an officer appointed under s. 173.03.

951.01(3f) (3f) “Fire department” includes a volunteer fire department and a department under s. 60.553, 61.66, or 62.13 (2e).

951.01(3m) (3m) “Law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 165.83 (1) (b).

951.01(4) (4) “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning assigned under s. 967.02 (5) but does not include a conservation warden appointed under s. 23.10.

951.01(5) (5) “Service dog” means a dog that is trained for the purpose of assisting a person with a sensory, mental, or physical disability or accommodating such a disability.

951.01 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1983 a. 189; 1987 a. 248; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.01; 1989 a. 223; 1997 a. 27, 192; 1999 a. 83; 2001 a. 56; 2005 a. 353; 2011 a. 32.

951.01 Annotation Legislative Council Note, 1973: The definition of “animal” is based on s. 346.20, Minn. Stats. Anno. (1971). The term includes not only animals strictly so-called but birds and other living warmblooded creatures except people. [Bill 16-S]

951.015 951.015 Construction and application.

951.015(1) (1) This chapter may not be interpreted as controverting any law regulating wild animals that are subject to regulation under ch. 169, the taking of wild animals, as defined in s. 29.001 (90), or the slaughter of animals by persons acting under state or federal law.

951.015(2) (2) For purposes of enforcing this chapter as to wild animals subject to regulation under ch. 169, a conservation warden has the same powers and duties that a law enforcement officer has under this chapter.

951.015(3) (3) This chapter does not apply to:

951.015(3)(a) (a) Teaching, research, or experimentation conducted pursuant to a protocol or procedure approved by an educational or research institution, and related incidental animal care activities, at facilities that are regulated under 7 USC 2131 to 2159 or 42 USC 289d.

951.015(3)(b) (b) Bona fide scientific research involving species unregulated by federal law.

951.015 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1983 a. 27 s. 2202 (38); 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.015; 1997 a. 248; 2001 a. 56; 2011 a. 32.

951.015 Annotation Rather than exclude all non-captive wild animals from coverage of ch. 951, the legislature instead prohibits enforcement that controverts ch. 29 and regulations governing “the taking of wild animals.” By prohibiting a subset of takings — those that controvert ch. 29 — the legislature necessarily conveys its belief that there are takings that do not controvert ch. 29. State v. Kuenzi, 2011 WI App 30, 332 Wis. 2d 297, 796 N.W.2d 222, 09-1827.

951.015 Annotation Enhancing Animal Welfare Laws. Goode & Aizenberg. Wis. Law. Dec. 2011.

951.02 951.02 Mistreating animals. No person may treat any animal, whether belonging to the person or another, in a cruel manner. This section does not prohibit normal and accepted veterinary practices.

951.02 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.02; 1993 a. 486; 2011 a. 32.

951.02 Annotation Conviction under this section does not require proof of intent or negligence. State v. Stanfield, 105 Wis. 2d 553, 314 N.W.2d 339 (1982).

951.02 Annotation “Animal” in this section includes non-captive wild animals, such as the deer in this case. State v. Kuenzi, 2011 WI App 30, 332 Wis. 2d 297, 796 N.W.2d 222, 09-1827.

951.025 951.025 Decompression prohibited. No person may kill an animal by means of decompression.

951.025 History History: 1985 a. 48; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.025.

951.03 951.03 Dognapping and catnapping. No person may take the dog or cat of another from one place to another without the owner’s consent or cause such a dog or cat to be confined or carried out of this state or held for any purpose without the owner’s consent. This section does not apply to law enforcement officers or humane officers engaged in the exercise of their official duties.

951.03 History History: 1973 c. 314 s. 4; Stats. 1973 s. 948.03; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.03; 1997 a. 192.

951.04 951.04 Leading animal from motor vehicle. No person shall lead any animal upon a highway from a motor vehicle or from a trailer or semitrailer drawn by a motor vehicle.

951.04 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.04.

951.05 951.05 Transportation of animals. No person may transport any animal in or upon any vehicle in a cruel manner.

951.05 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.05.

951.06 951.06 Use of poisonous and controlled substances. No person may expose any domestic animal owned by another to any known poisonous substance, any controlled substance included in schedule I, II, III, IV or V of ch. 961, or any controlled substance analog of a controlled substance included in schedule I or II of ch. 961, whether mixed with meat or other food or not, so that the substance is liable to be eaten by the animal and for the purpose of harming the animal. This section shall not apply to poison used on one’s own premises and designed for the purpose of rodent or pest extermination nor to the use of a controlled substance in accepted veterinary practices.

951.06 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.06; 1995 a. 448; 2011 a. 32; 2017 a. 365 s. 111.

951.07 951.07 Use of certain devices prohibited. No person may directly or indirectly, or by aiding, abetting or permitting the doing thereof, either put, place, fasten, use or fix upon or to any animal used or readied for use for a work purpose or for use in an exhibition, competition, rodeo, circus or other performance, any of the following devices: a bristle bur, tack bur or like device; or a poling device used to train a horse to jump which is charged with electricity or to which have been affixed nails, tacks or other sharp points.

951.07 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.07.

951.08 951.08 Instigating fights between animals.

951.08(1) (1) No person may intentionally instigate, promote, aid or abet as a principal, agent or employee, or participate in the earnings from, or intentionally maintain or allow any place to be used for a cockfight, dog fight, bullfight or other fight between the same or different kinds of animals or between an animal and a person. This section does not prohibit events or exhibitions commonly featured at rodeos or bloodless bullfights.

951.08(2) (2) No person may own, possess, keep or train any animal with the intent that the animal be engaged in an exhibition of fighting.

951.08(2m) (2m) If a person has been convicted under sub. (1) or (2), the person may not own, possess, keep or train any animal for a period of 5 years after the conviction. In computing the 5-year period, time which the person spent in actual confinement serving a criminal sentence shall be excluded. The person may move the sentencing court to have this requirement waived. The court may waive the requirement except that the waiver may not authorize the person to own, possess, keep or train animals of the species involved in the offense under sub. (1) or (2).

951.08(3) (3) No person may intentionally be a spectator at a cockfight, dog fight, bullfight or other fight between the same or different kinds of animals or between an animal and a person.

951.08 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1981 c. 160; 1983 a. 95; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.08.

951.09 951.09 Shooting at caged or staked animals.

951.09(1) (1) No person may shoot, kill, or wound with a firearm, or with any deadly weapon, any animal that is tied, staked out, caged or otherwise intentionally confined in an artificial enclosure, regardless of size.

951.09(2) (2) 

951.09(2)(a) (a) Whoever is concerned in the commission of a violation of this section is a principal and may be charged with and convicted of the violation although he or she did not directly commit it and although the person who directly committed it has not been convicted of the violation.

951.09(2)(b) (b) A person is concerned in the commission of a violation of this section under par. (a) if the person does any of the following:

951.09(2)(b)1. 1. Instigates, promotes, aids, or abets the violation as a principal, agent, employee, participant, or spectator.

951.09(2)(b)2. 2. Participates in any earnings from the commission of the violation.

951.09(2)(b)3. 3. Intentionally maintains or allows any place to be used for the commission of the violation.

951.09(3) (3) This section does not apply to any of the following animals:

951.09(3)(b) (b) A captive wild bird that is shot, killed, or wounded on a bird hunting preserve licensed under s. 169.19.

951.09(3)(c) (c) Farm-raised deer, as defined in s. 95.001 (1) (ag).

951.09(3)(d) (d) Animals that are treated in accordance with normally acceptable husbandry practices.

951.09 History History: 1973 c. 314; 1987 a. 332 s. 54; Stats. 1987 s. 951.09; 2001 a. 56.

951.095 951.095 Harassment of police and fire animals.

951.095(1) (1) No person may do any of the following to any animal that is used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties:

951.095(1)(a) (a) Frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass the animal.

951.095(1)(b) (b) Strike, shove, kick or otherwise subject the animal to physical contact.

951.095(1)(c) (c) Strike the animal by using a dangerous weapon.

951.095(2) (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following:

951.095(2)(a) (a) Any act that is performed by or with the authorization of the animal’s handler or rider.

951.095(2)(b) (b) Any act that is necessary for the training of an animal to perform functions or duties for a law enforcement agency.