More than 300 animal bites were reported in Milwaukee in each of the past two years, and the city has logged more than 200 so far in 2026.
Here's how to report a dog bite in Milwaukee, what happens next, and some tips for preventing it from happening in the first place.
Any time an animal bites or scratches another animal or human and breaks the skin, it should be reported, according to the Department of Neighborhood Services. That includes both dogs or cats.
Birds, reptiles and small rodents are excluded.
Call the Department of Neighborhood Services at 414-286-2268 during business hours, which are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. After hours, call the Milwaukee Police Department's non-emergency line at 414-933-4444.
Before you call, gather what you can: the owner's contact info, the victim's address and contact info, and a rundown of what happened.
Under city ordinances, quarantine is automatically triggered if an animal has bitten a person, contracted rabies, been exposed to rabies, or is suspected of having rabies.
Once a report comes in, a Department of Neighborhood Services inspector visits the owner's home to start a 10 to 14-day quarantine, then returns at the end to close it out. Until then, the dog can't go on walks, have unsupervised yard time, or leave the property.
The Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, or MADACC, can take the dog in for the quarantine period instead if the owner requests it.
If the animal is a stray, they are held at the shelter for the quarantine period, said Karen Sparapani, executive director of MADACC. If nobody claims them, they will be euthanized.
An animal can be labeled dangerous after a single unprovoked bite or attack on a person or another animal, or a single incident of aggressively lunging or charging at a person, even without biting them.
A documented pattern of aggressive behavior over time can also lead to that label.
After the city ended its restrictions aimed specifically at pit bulls and Rottweilers in July, dogs can no longer be labeled dangerous based solely on breed – it now takes a documented incident.
Owners must submit a behavioral plan to the Department of Neighborhood Services for approval within 30 days.
Plans can vary on a case-by-case basis, and may include confinement, supervision, training, veterinary care and other measures meant to protect public safety, according to city ordinance.
The dog's owner also has 30 days to get it spayed or neutered, and the city can order the dog microchipped at the owner's expense.
From then on, the dog must be muzzled and leashed outside its pen, kept in a secure enclosure at home, marked with warning signs on the property, and covered by at least $1 million in liability insurance.
The city can waive any of these requirements at its discretion.
An owner can ask the city to lift the dangerous label after a full year of compliance and no new incidents.
In Milwaukee, an animal can be declared prohibited if it kills a pet unprovoked off the owner's property, seriously hurts a person, comes from another city where it was already banished or ordered euthanized, or was kept for dog fighting.
Once a dog is prohibited, it must be removed from the city within seven days or euthanized.
Owners can appeal the order in writing within 72 hours to the Department of Neighborhood Services.
Under Wisconsin law, a dog owner is liable for the full amount of damages if their dog injures a person, another animal or property.
If the owner already knew the dog bit someone hard enough to cause permanent scarring, and it happens again, the law doubles that liability.
Owners can also be fined $50 to $2,500 for a first offense, according to state law, or $200 to $5,000 if they had prior notice.
If a dog seriously injures a person or pet off the owner's property twice, and the owner already knew about the first incident before the second happened, the state, a municipality or the injured party can ask a court to order the dog euthanized.
According to the Department of Neighborhood Services, there have been 892 animal bite cases in Milwaukee since the start of 2024. As of July 16, the department's numbers show 375 animal bite cases in 2024, 311 in 2025, and 206 so far in 2026.
"A bite does not always mean an animal is a menace to society," Sparapani, executive director of MADACC, said.
But it does mean its owner has the responsibility to do everything they can to prevent it from reacting that way again, she said.
To help prevent bites, Sparapani recommends using a standard leash in public instead of a retractable one, since flexible leashes make it harder to control a dog.
She also suggests a harness instead of a collar, especially for dogs over 40 pounds, since it protects the trachea and gives better control than a collar alone.
Finally, dogs aren't necessarily on walks to meet you, Sparapani said – always ask the owner first before approaching or petting their dog.
If a dog or other animal is loose in a public street or alley, that can be reported to the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission at 414-649-8640.
If the issue is on private property instead, like a dog at large within your apartment complex, that can be reported to the Department of Neighborhood Services through its online complaint portal.
Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter. She can be emailed at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @Quinn_A_Clark.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Milwaukee handles reports of dog bites, aggressive animals