Except as otherwise specifically provided in this article, the
current and future statutory provisions of Ch. 174, Wis. Stats., describing
and defining regulations with respect to dogs, exclusive of any provisions
therein relating to penalties to be imposed, are adopted and by reference
made a part of this article as if fully set forth herein. Any act
required to be performed or prohibited by any current or future statute
incorporated herein by reference is required or prohibited by this
article. Any future additions, amendments, revisions or modifications
of the current or future statutes incorporated herein are intended
to be made part of this article in order to secure uniform statewide
regulation of dogs.
It shall be unlawful for the owner, keeper or person having
physical possession of any dog or dogs to permit the same to run at
large at any place within the Town unless accompanied by and under
the control of the owner, keeper or person having physical custody
of said dog or dogs. A dog will be considered running at large under
this section if it is upon the property of another without consent
of the owner or occupant of that property. The restriction set forth
herein shall not be construed as to prevent any dog or dogs running
at large upon the premises of the owner, person having physical custody,
or keeper of said dog or dogs as long as the dog or dogs remain on
said premises.
The owner, keeper or person having physical possession of a
dog or dogs shall remove and properly dispose of any dog excrement
deposited by said animal on the same day of such deposit, whether
that animal is on private or public property. This section shall not
apply to a blind or disabled person using a guide dog who is unable
to comply due to his or her disability.
It shall be unlawful to keep a vicious dog within the Town.
A visual confirmation that a dog has bitten, attacked or injured any
person shall constitute a prima facie showing that such a dog is vicious.
Upon finding a dog to be vicious the court shall order immediate destruction
of the dog or removal from the Town after passage of any retention
period required for rabies or other health reason.
A dog that barks or howls to such an extent that the noise disturbs
any neighbor residing nearby by reason of excessive sound or unusual
hours is hereby declared a nuisance.
Should a violation of this article be reported by a citizen,
the Town shall not be required to pursue prosecution unless and until
the complaining citizen shall present his/her complaint in writing
on forms supplied by the Town and have the complaint notarized or
witnessed by a Town official. Said citizen shall also agree in writing
that, in the event said complaint is filed with the court for prosecution,
he/she will cooperate fully with the Town Attorney in said prosecution,
including, if necessary, testifying in a court trial to support said
complaint. Any failure by a complaining citizen to cooperate with
the Town shall result in immediate dismissal of the complaint.
[Amended 9-12-1994 by Ord. No. 94-6]
Each violation of any provision of this article shall be subject to the penalties and remedies described in Chapter
1, General Provisions, Article
I, General Penalty, of this Code.