Found Dog
What to do when you see or capture a loose dog
WI STATE LAWS ON LOOSE/FOUND DOGS ... Use arrow to pull down and view.
170.01 Who may take up strays.
170.02 Finder to give notice; penalty.
170.03 Appraisal.
170.04 Charges for keeping.
170.05 Sale of stray.
170.06 Removal of stray; neglect to give notice, etc.
170.065 Exemption.
170.01 Who may take up strays. No stray, except horses and mules, shall be taken up by any person not a resident of the town in which it is found nor unless it is found upon land owned or occupied by the person.
History: 1993 a. 482.
170.02 Finder to give notice; penalty.
(1) Every finder of a stray shall, within 7 days after finding the stray, notify the owner of the stray, if known to the finder, and request the owner to pay all reasonable charges and take the stray away. If the owner is unknown to the finder, the finder shall, within 10 days after finding the stray, file a notice with the town clerk, who shall transmit a copy to the county clerk.
(2) The finder of a stray shall publish notice, if the value of the stray exceeds $50, as a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, in the county. The notice shall contain all of the following:
(a) A brief description of the stray, giving its marks, natural or artificial, as near as practicable.
(b) The name and residence of the finder, specifying the section and town.
(c) The time when the stray was taken up.
(3) If the finder neglects or refuses to publish the notice required under sub. (2), the finder of the stray shall be liable in double the amount of damages sustained by the owner of the stray. If the finder neglects or refuses for one year to publish the notice required under sub. (2), the finder of the stray shall be liable for the full value of the stray, to be recovered by an action in the name of the town. The amount recovered shall be apportioned in the same manner as tax revenues collected by the town for schools under s. 60.33 (9) (d).
History: 1993 a. 482; 1997 a. 254.
170.03 Appraisal. Every finder of a stray of the value of $10 or more, at the time of such taking up, shall within one month cause the stray to be appraised by the chairperson of the town, and a certificate of the appraisal, signed by the chairperson, shall be filed in the town clerk's office. The finder shall pay the town chairperson 50 cents for the certificate and 10 cents per mile for each mile necessarily traveled to make the same.
History: 1989 a. 56 s. 258.
170.04 Charges for keeping. The owner or person entitled to the possession of the stray at any time within one year after the notice is filed with the town clerk may have the stray restored to him or her upon proving his or her right to the stray and paying all lawful charges. If the claimant and the finder cannot agree as to the amount of the charges or upon what should be allowed for the use of the stray either party, on notice to the other, may apply to the chairperson of the town to settle the dispute, who for that purpose may examine witnesses on oath. If any amount is found due the finder, over the value of the use of the stray, the amount, with the costs, shall be a lien upon the stray and costs of the adjudication shall abide the decision of the town chairperson. If either party refuses to accept the decision of the town chairperson, action may be brought in circuit court.
History: 1977 c. 449; 1989 a. 56 s. 258.
170.05 Sale of stray. If no claimant for the stray requests its return under s. 170.04 and if the stray has not been appraised at more than $10 the finder shall become the absolute owner; but if the appraised value exceeds $10 the stray shall be sold at public auction by the sheriff or any constable of the county on the request of the finder. Notice thereof shall be given and the sale shall be conducted and the same fees allowed therefor as in case of sales under ch. 815. The finder may bid at the sale and shall at the time of sale deliver to such officer a statement in writing of the finder's charges, which shall be filed by the officer with the town treasurer; and after deducting the charges, if just and reasonable, and the costs of the sale the officer shall pay one-half of the remaining proceeds to the finder and within 10 days thereafter the other half to the treasurer of the town for its use. If the finder of the stray neglects or refuses to cause the sale to be made when required by law the finder shall pay to the town the value of the stray, to be recovered in an action by the town.
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 775 (1975); 1975 c. 218.
170.06 Removal of stray; neglect to give notice, etc. If any person shall, without the consent of the finder, take away any stray taken up pursuant to this chapter without first paying all the lawful charges incurred in relation to the same the person shall be liable to the finder for the value of such stray; and if any finder shall neglect to give, file or publish the notices or have the appraisal made or do any other act prescribed by this chapter the finder shall be precluded from acquiring any right of property in such stray and from receiving any charges or expenses relative thereto.
History: 1993 a. 482.
170.065 Exemption. Sections 170.01 to 170.06 do not apply to a humane officer appointed under ch. 173 or a law enforcement officer who takes custody of an animal under ch. 173 or other applicable law.
History: 1997 a. 192.
A great article about what to do if you see or catch a loose dog: How to help stray animals in Wisconsin; Humane Society, MADACC tips (jsonline.com)
The key being it us BY LAW that all strays must go to the shelter for the county the dog is found in. Not where you work or live or are traveling to.
SIGHTING OF A LOOSE DOG
When you see a loose dog, but cannot capture it (for any reason, there are a few things you can do to find the owner.
Call non-emergency dispatch for the community the dog is seen in. Not where you live or are going.
Call the shelter for the community where the dog is seen, you can find out which shelter that is when you call non-emergency dispatch. Sometimes there is a unique contract with smaller communities for a different one than the main one for the city or county.
If in your neighborhood, post to Nextdoor.com. This is a free, neighborhood specific social media site that more and more people are using every day. You can even create an urgent alert and attach a photo to that. Also, join for free and post on Ring Neighbors.
Post to petfbi.org and pawboost.com as a sighting. They will post on their respective FB pages and be in national databases where case workers look to match up sightings and found with lost reports, whether a post online or a report with them.
Post to FB groups for the community the dog is found in.
Send us a pic to post to our page or share the URL to your post in a group or on your timeline of the found dog.
Please be sure to note in your post online that it is a SIGHTING, not a lost or found dog.
CAPTURE OF A LOOSE DOG
Follow the same steps as to the left for a sighting, just note it's a FOUND dog.
PLEASE NOTE: It is ILLEGAL to keep a dog on your property unless actually found on your property. It is also ILLEGAL to bring to a different county. The dog MUST be turned in, called in, and kept in the county the dog is found in.
Some shelters will allow you to hang on to the dog during the stray hold. THEY have the authority to decide this, not us or you. You MUST call them and let them know you have the pup and do as they instruct.
Remember: BRING THE DOG IN TO BE SCANNED at bare minimum, if you are trying to find an owner! Whether to a vet clinic or the county shelter. We can scan dogs as well but may not be available to do so at the time.
Also remember that there are many people who are NOT on social media and will not see posts or online reports filed. They will only look to PD or county shelter for their dogs. We have found this out during our handing out flyers on searches.
LURING A LOOSE AND SKITTISH DOG
This is an art form. It takes quiet, patience, and calm. And only if the dog is not bolting from you. The tools you'll need: A slip lead and smelly bait.
Make sure everyone in the area is being quiet and still. Only one person should be trying to connect with a skittish dog.
NOTE: If the dog is bolting from you, leave it alone! Do not keep trying! Do NOT follow/chase, call/whistle to, try to lure/catch.
If the dog is a block ahead of you and keeps going at a steady pace, there is no interest in you. Only if they stay close to you and keep turning to check you out.
Get low to the ground, we mean SIT ON THE GROUND, and do not face the dog head on or look directly into their eyes. These are to minimize the feeling of the threat.
Softly speak in a quiet baby talk. Speak reassuring phrases such as, "It's ok baby," "You're ok," "Come on, it's ok," etc. QUIET BABY TALK!!!
Know this can take a LONG time to make a capture happen. And should only be done by someone who has hours to spend gaining the trust of the dog. Yes, it could only take five minutes. It could also take several hours.
Let the dog come to you. Never make fast movements or turn to face the dog. Never make eye contact while luring. And never stand up when the dog is showing any interest and investigating your body and being there.
You can get up to take a break and get more bait, or whatever, when the dog is sitting or resting farther away from you.
If the dog comes up next you, eventually, make sure the slip lead and bait are there. Put the slip lead up in one hand, on the ready to be slipped over the dog's head, and the bait in the other and hold the baited hand just on the opposite side of the lead loop so the dog has to put its head through the slip lead to get the bait.