Reclaiming your loose animal?

My pet got loose and is at the Fond du Lac Humane Society as a stray. Intentionally or unintentionally allowing a pet to run loose is unlawful. It is the responsibility of the pet owner to keep a pet under their control at all times. State law requires we hold the pet for four days in order for the owner to make arrangements to regain custody of the pet. If the owner does not reclaim the pet within the four days, by law, legal custody is retained by the Fond du Lac Humane Society; and therefore, any and all ownership, rights, and title are relinquished by the owner.

Within the required four day stray hold: state law requires that the owner provide proof of a current rabies vaccination prior to reclaiming the pet. By law, rabies vaccinations are only valid and recognized if they have been administered by a licensed veterinarian. Wisconsin State Law requires rabies vaccination by the age of 5 months. Rabies vaccinations are good for 6 months, 1 year or 3 years depending on the type of vaccine used and the age of the animal when the vaccination was given. If the pet is not legally current on a rabies vaccination, the owner must purchase a rabies shot from a Veterinary Clinic of their choice and provide a copy of the veterinary receipt of purchase to the Fond du Lac Humane Society.

City ordinance requires pets to be licensed and this will be required by the police department and city attorney’s office. Failure to have the rabies shot administered or failing to get the pet licensed may cause additional fines to be incurred. The standard reclaim fee for the Fond du Lac Humane Society ranges from $43 to $93 as follows.

In addition to the proof of rabies that the state law requires, our policy also requires proof of ownership of the pet. Proof of ownership may include, but is not limited to, vet records with your name and the animal description, proof of purchase with your name and animal description, microchip registration in your name, etc.

Starting at standard reclaim fee of $93…

• If the animal was previously spayed or neutered there is a $50 discount on the reclaim fee.
• The Fond du Lac Humane Society will also provide a $50 rebate if the animal is spayed or neutered within 90 days of the reclaim.