I support this legislation because meaningful change is urgently needed to protect the animals in our city and create a more humane, responsible, and sustainable framework for animal care. This ordinance introduces critical reforms—including mandatory microchipping, tethering restrictions, humane community cat management through trap-neuter-return, and enforcement against irresponsible ownership—that prioritize the health and safety of animals while also reducing shelter intake and community complaints. Importantly, it addresses the out-of-control problem of backyard breeding by requiring permits, veterinary oversight, and record-keeping for any litters, whether intentional or accidental. These measures will help curb the cycle of neglect, abandonment, and overpopulation that continues to overwhelm shelters and neighborhood streets. Similar ordinances in other cities have already proven successful, leading to fewer stray animals, reduced shelter euthanasia rates, and improved public safety. By implementing these ethical standards and accountability measures, Milwaukee has the opportunity to follow that proven path and become a model for compassionate and effective animal policy.
Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC), is proud to fully support this legislation, and were principal authors of it. MADACC takes in 13K strays a year, goes out on over 7K calls for assistance in the community, provides free and low-cost vaccines and spay/neuter surgeries to thousands of residents each year.
As the sole provider of animal control, bite quarantine, seized animal holding, and assisting law enforcement with cruelty and neglect cases we see daily the struggles and cruelty in the city. These changes are proactive, not punitive and address many long overdue issues. We want to educate and elevate the community. We know they love their pets.
Public safety, breeding oversight, consumer protection, sterilization for cats, microchipping and TNR services rather than euthanasia for outdoor cats and understanding the cruelty of 24/7 tethering of dogs in the outdoors are just some of the major issues in our city. We have built a strong coalition of support and resource providers to ensure that residents can comply with these ordinances and be introduced to many new ways to provide the resources to give their animals the best lives possible.
As a Milwaukee County resident of 25 years, a rescue volunteer for 13, and a TNR advocate for 12 years I fully support this step in the right direction. I have TNR'd around 80 cats in my life and given a female cat has an average of 100 kittens in her lifetime, the numbers go up exponentially. One could say I've saved hundreds of thousands of kittens from being born on our streets. We have a dedicated team of constituents who are volunteers working tirelessly to TNR and humanely reduce the cat population in Milwaukee, but municipal help is necessary to make true change. I look forward to reform on abuses to animals and aid to constituents to get a handle on managing cat colonies. It benefits our community, our environment, and of course, our animals.
On behalf of the Wisconsin Humane Society, I am writing to express concerns about proposed ordinance #250028. As the largest provider of spay/neuter and microchipping for the public in the Milwaukee area, as well as countless other services for tens of thousands of Milwaukee residents, we want to be a partner in conversations that impact animals and their families in our community.
While we support the goals of improving animal welfare, the ordinance mandates services without providing scalable resources to support compliance. Our own high-volume spay/neuter clinic is booked months in advance.
Mandating procedures like spay/neuter, microchipping, and training—without addressing affordability and access—will disproportionately impact low-income residents and communities of color. Punitive enforcement risks further marginalizing families already facing systemic barriers.
We recommend a community support approach that prioritizes access to services over legal mandates that punish those who are unable to comply. We respectfully urge the committee not to support this proposed substitute ordinance in its current form.
My name is Alisen Huske. I am a 20 year Milwaukee County resident. I fully support 250028 A substitute ordinance relating to the ethical treatment and ownership of animals. I have trapped-neutered-returned 25+ cats in my neighborhood over the years leading to 0 increase in the community cat population that I care for still. Prior to my efforts, our neighbors reported many litters of kittens outside every spring/summer. Targeted TNR efforts had a huge impact. I have also helped care for hundreds of Milwaukee county cats through volunteering with the Urban Cat Coalition over the years, an organization "dedicated to helping create a no kill community by humanely reducing the community cat population in the Milwaukee area through targeted trap-neuter-return". We have needed a humane plan for community cats and a TNR ordinance in Milwaukee County for many many years and I am very hopeful that this ordinance will really help us get all community cats sterilized, the community educated and help reduce the pain and suffering that we see when cats are born and live outside generation after generation. And I know this will help reduce the burden on our rescues and shelters too! Thank you!
Support
I support this legislation because meaningful change is urgently needed to protect the animals in our city and create a more humane, responsible, and sustainable framework for animal care. This ordinance introduces critical reforms—including mandatory microchipping, tethering restrictions, humane community cat management through trap-neuter-return, and enforcement against irresponsible ownership—that prioritize the health and safety of animals while also reducing shelter intake and community complaints. Importantly, it addresses the out-of-control problem of backyard breeding by requiring permits, veterinary oversight, and record-keeping for any litters, whether intentional or accidental. These measures will help curb the cycle of neglect, abandonment, and overpopulation that continues to overwhelm shelters and neighborhood streets. Similar ordinances in other cities have already proven successful, leading to fewer stray animals, reduced shelter euthanasia rates, and improved public safety. By implementing these ethical standards and accountability measures, Milwaukee has the opportunity to follow that proven path and become a model for compassionate and effective animal policy.
Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC), is proud to fully support this legislation, and were principal authors of it. MADACC takes in 13K strays a year, goes out on over 7K calls for assistance in the community, provides free and low-cost vaccines and spay/neuter surgeries to thousands of residents each year.
As the sole provider of animal control, bite quarantine, seized animal holding, and assisting law enforcement with cruelty and neglect cases we see daily the struggles and cruelty in the city. These changes are proactive, not punitive and address many long overdue issues. We want to educate and elevate the community. We know they love their pets.
Public safety, breeding oversight, consumer protection, sterilization for cats, microchipping and TNR services rather than euthanasia for outdoor cats and understanding the cruelty of 24/7 tethering of dogs in the outdoors are just some of the major issues in our city. We have built a strong coalition of support and resource providers to ensure that residents can comply with these ordinances and be introduced to many new ways to provide the resources to give their animals the best lives possible.
I fully support TNR & humane treatment for ALL.
Support TNR and ethical treatment of animals.
As a Milwaukee County resident of 25 years, a rescue volunteer for 13, and a TNR advocate for 12 years I fully support this step in the right direction. I have TNR'd around 80 cats in my life and given a female cat has an average of 100 kittens in her lifetime, the numbers go up exponentially. One could say I've saved hundreds of thousands of kittens from being born on our streets. We have a dedicated team of constituents who are volunteers working tirelessly to TNR and humanely reduce the cat population in Milwaukee, but municipal help is necessary to make true change. I look forward to reform on abuses to animals and aid to constituents to get a handle on managing cat colonies. It benefits our community, our environment, and of course, our animals.
Support! Lets TNR!
On behalf of the Wisconsin Humane Society, I am writing to express concerns about proposed ordinance #250028. As the largest provider of spay/neuter and microchipping for the public in the Milwaukee area, as well as countless other services for tens of thousands of Milwaukee residents, we want to be a partner in conversations that impact animals and their families in our community.
While we support the goals of improving animal welfare, the ordinance mandates services without providing scalable resources to support compliance. Our own high-volume spay/neuter clinic is booked months in advance.
Mandating procedures like spay/neuter, microchipping, and training—without addressing affordability and access—will disproportionately impact low-income residents and communities of color. Punitive enforcement risks further marginalizing families already facing systemic barriers.
We recommend a community support approach that prioritizes access to services over legal mandates that punish those who are unable to comply. We respectfully urge the committee not to support this proposed substitute ordinance in its current form.
Respectfully, Alison Fotsch | President & CEO
My name is Alisen Huske. I am a 20 year Milwaukee County resident. I fully support 250028 A substitute ordinance relating to the ethical treatment and ownership of animals. I have trapped-neutered-returned 25+ cats in my neighborhood over the years leading to 0 increase in the community cat population that I care for still. Prior to my efforts, our neighbors reported many litters of kittens outside every spring/summer. Targeted TNR efforts had a huge impact. I have also helped care for hundreds of Milwaukee county cats through volunteering with the Urban Cat Coalition over the years, an organization "dedicated to helping create a no kill community by humanely reducing the community cat population in the Milwaukee area through targeted trap-neuter-return". We have needed a humane plan for community cats and a TNR ordinance in Milwaukee County for many many years and I am very hopeful that this ordinance will really help us get all community cats sterilized, the community educated and help reduce the pain and suffering that we see when cats are born and live outside generation after generation. And I know this will help reduce the burden on our rescues and shelters too! Thank you!