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Pets · sources read September 15, 2026

Where a Dead Dog or Cat Goes in Wisconsin: Veterinarian, Shelter, Cart or Street

The DNR's rules stop at wild animals. What is left for a pet is Wis. Stat. § 95.50, a cremation drop-off in some metros, your city's street or cart rule, and your veterinarian. Nine metros below, including the ones that publish nothing.

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Who, if anyone, can take it on
Quoted on the call
Once the job is known
  • ✓ § 95.50: the 24/48-hour rule that does apply to a pet
  • ✓ MADACC and nine metros quoted from their own pages
  • ✓ No Wisconsin agency picks up a dead pet from a home on any page opened
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Quick answer

A dog or cat has died in Wisconsin. Who takes the call?

No Wisconsin agency picks up a dead pet from a home on any page we opened. The Wisconsin DNR says its wild-animal guidance "does not apply to domestic animals or their parts", and MADACC in Milwaukee County states it does not "provide removal services for companions that pass away at your residence". The routes that exist are owner drop-off for cremation (MADACC, Dane County Humane Society, Oshkosh Area Humane Society, Wisconsin Humane Society shelters), a veterinarian, or your city's published curb or cart rule. A pet killed on a city street goes to that city's street channel, and Wis. Stat. § 95.50 gives the owner 24 hours (April to November) or 48 hours (December to March) before an exposed carcass becomes a violation.

Why the DNR and WisDOT are not the call

Almost everything Wisconsin publishes about dead animals is about deer. The DNR's own possession guidance (PUB-LE-685A-2021) says in one line: "This guidance does not apply to domestic animals or their parts." No DNR page we opened names a dead-pet service, shelter or disposal channel, and the DNR's sick-deer page says that "in most cases, the department does not have the resources to remove dead animals".

WisDOT's Highway Maintenance Manual 07-15-01 has one pet clause, and it only reaches a pet already lying in a state highway right of way: "When animal remains include an identifier, such as a registration tag, indicating that the animal was a family pet, an attempt may be made to return the remains to the owner, if the owner's contact information can be determined." That is a courtesy, not a service, and WisDOT publishes no number for pet owners.

So for a dog or cat the state gives you a statute, not an agency. The rest of this page is that statute and what each metro actually publishes.

The one Wisconsin law that does apply to a pet

Wis. Stat. § 95.50 defines "carcass" as "the dead body, or any part of the dead body, of a livestock animal or other domestic animal." A dog or cat is a domestic animal, so this is the section that binds a pet owner, and the landowner too.

What § 95.50 saysWording
The clock"No person who owns or controls a carcass, or who owns or controls the land on which a carcass is located, may leave the carcass exposed to access by dogs or wild animals for more than 24 hours during the months of April to November or for more than 48 hours during the months of December to March if the person knows or reasonably should know that the carcass is exposed."
WaterNo person may "Dispose of a carcass in the waters of the state."
Method, depth, setbackNone. The section lists no permitted methods and no burial depth; § 95.50(4) only lets DATCP regulate by rule or order.
Penalty§ 95.99: a first offense is "fined not more than $1,000", or in lieu of that a forfeiture of "not less than $200 nor more than $5,000".

Two cautions. The clock runs only while the body is exposed to dogs or wild animals; a bagged pet in a closed cart or a garage is not what the section describes. And DATCP's carcass page restates the 24/48-hour rule without that condition, framed for livestock, so quote the statute rather than the summary. No Wisconsin statute we opened tells anyone to come and collect a pet.

Nine metros: at home, and on the street

Every row is what the agency's own page says on September 15, 2026. "Not published" means the pages we opened say nothing about a deceased pet; it does not mean nobody will help on the phone.

MetroPet died at homePet killed on a city street
MilwaukeeMADACC (414-649-8640): "MADACC does not perform removal services for dead animals located on the side of the road or in other public areas, nor do we provide removal services for companions that pass away at your residence." Owner drop-off cremation for a fee, no ashes returned. City DPW Sanitation takes a dead animal "at the curb, in street or wrapped in plastic and placed in cart" through 414-286-CITY (2489).414-286-CITY (2489)
MadisonCity Engineering: "City crews cannot go onto private property." Options on its page: move the animal to the terrace, "Place the animal in your trash container", or hire a private company. Dane County Humane Society: owners "have the option of bringing the animal to DCHS for cremation services", by appointment at 608-838-0413 ext. 100, one appointment a day, typically booked a week out.City Engineering, 608-266-4430, or the Report a Problem form; crews collect after 3 PM on weekdays
Green BayNo city or Brown County page names a deceased-pet service; Green Bay PD Animal Control is live-animal only. Wisconsin Humane Society Green Bay Campus: cremation "as a standalone resource after your pet has already passed away", owner drop-off.Not published. WisDOT assigns local roads to the municipality; Public Works is 920-448-3100 and no page opened names a carcass duty.
KenoshaNot published. No City or County page opened names a deceased-pet channel, and the shelter page was not reachable when reviewed.Street Division, 262-653-4070, for "animal carcasses/road kill", weekdays 7 AM to 3 PM
RacinePublic Health: "Deceased animals, if they must be moved, should be safely handled using tools (e.g. shovel) and gloves then placed into a garbage bag and deposited into a solid waste container." The Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus page (262-554-6699) lists no deceased-pet intake; WHS's statewide page says cremation is offered "at all of our sheltering locations". Confirm by phone."Animals, domestic or wild, killed on the roadway report to the City of Racine Department of Customer Service (262-636-9171)."
AppletonFox Valley Humane Association (920-733-1717) publishes nothing about deceased pets. Municipal Code Sec. 15-33(i): "Small dead animals shall be collected by the Department. Animals must be placed in a disposable bag." Sec. 12-28(2) makes a carcass not buried or disposed of within 24 hours a public health nuisance.Not published on any resident-facing page
OshkoshOshkosh Area Humane Society: "We also assist the public or police departments when they find a deceased cat or dog by taking the animal in and coordinating cremation for them". Intake 920-424-2128 ext. 114; after hours, Oshkosh PD non-emergency 920-236-5700. Drop-off, not pickup; no fee published.Street Department, 920-236-5380, for "a dead animal in the roadway or terrace"
Eau ClaireNot published. The Eau Claire County Humane Association pages say nothing about deceased animals. City code 8.32.090(C) lists "carcasses" among wastes a licensed hauler handles only under state and federal law, and 8.32.120(A) bars keeping "dead animals" on any premises more than seven days.SeeClickFix "Streets" category, scoped to "debris or animal carcasses in the right-of-way"
La CrosseNot published for a pet at home. Coulee Region Humane Society (608-781-4014) lists "Found Deceased Pet" for Onalaska and county villages and townships, and states that City of La Crosse animal control concerns go to the police instead."Domestic animals (e.g., cat or dog), that are running loose or found deceased on the street should be reported directly to the La Crosse Police Department Animal Control Technician": 608-789-8697 weekdays 8 AM to 4 PM, otherwise dispatch 608-782-7575

In Waukesha, HAWS (262-542-8851) publishes private cremation by appointment and no pickup. Nowhere in the nine metros does a page say a crew will come to a house for a pet. Where a city takes the body at the curb or in the cart, the resident does the moving.

Burying a pet in the yard

The two questions people ask Google, "Can I bury my dog in the backyard in Wisconsin?" and "Can you bury your pet in your yard in Wisconsin?", have no Wisconsin page answering them, so here is what the sources do and do not say.

§ 95.50 sets no burial depth and no setback from wells or property lines; its only location rule is the ban on disposal "in the waters of the state". The DNR's "deep enough to prevent scavengers from digging it back up" line is on its deer carcass page and is written for hunters and landowners with a deer, not for pets. § 289.43(9) exempts a carcass buried under §§ 95.35 and 95.50 on the owner's own property from DNR solid-waste regulation "if the owner is a farmer", and says nothing either way about a homeowner.

None of the nine city pages we opened publishes a pet-burial depth, setback or permit. Cities do add their own clocks (Appleton's 24-hour nuisance clause, Eau Claire's seven-day limit), so the honest instruction is: keep the body out of water, keep it where dogs and wildlife cannot reach it within the § 95.50 window, and ask your city clerk whether a local ordinance restricts burial before you dig. This site does not invent a depth that no Wisconsin source states.

Will a private operator take a pet?

This site cannot answer that in advance. Private dead-animal operators are built around wildlife: raccoons, skunks, deer, the carcass under a deck or in a crawl space. Whether one takes a dog or cat is theirs to say on the call, and no page here promises one will. For a pet, the veterinarian you already use, or the shelter drop-off named above for your metro, is the route that exists today.

Availability for any Wisconsin address is checked on the call; there is no operator whose coverage this site can state. If the animal turns out to be wild rather than a pet, the who-picks-up guide and the disposal guide cover that case.

Questions

Who picks up your dead dog?
In Wisconsin, on every agency page we opened, nobody comes to a house for a dead dog. MADACC in Milwaukee County says it does not provide removal for companions that pass away at your residence; Madison says city crews cannot go onto private property. The published routes are owner drop-off for cremation at MADACC, Dane County Humane Society, Oshkosh Area Humane Society or a Wisconsin Humane Society shelter, a veterinarian, or your city's curb or cart rule where one exists.
Does Milwaukee animal control pick up deceased animals?
No. MADACC's FAQ states it does not perform removal services for dead animals on the road, in public areas, or for companions that pass away at your residence. It offers owner drop-off cremation for a fee with no ashes returned. Within the City of Milwaukee, DPW Sanitation collects a dead animal at the curb, in the street, or wrapped in plastic in the cart through 414-286-CITY (2489).
Is there a Wisconsin rule on burying a pet at home?
No Wisconsin statute we opened forbids it or sets a depth. Wis. Stat. § 95.50 bans disposal in the waters of the state and bars leaving a domestic animal's carcass exposed to dogs or wild animals for more than 24 hours (April to November) or 48 hours (December to March). The DNR's "deep enough to prevent scavengers" wording is deer guidance. Check your city ordinance before digging; none of the nine metro pages we opened publishes a pet-burial rule.
How do I properly dispose of my dead dog?
Wear gloves, bag the body, and use the route your metro publishes: owner drop-off cremation (MADACC in Milwaukee, Dane County Humane Society in Madison by appointment, Oshkosh Area Humane Society, Wisconsin Humane Society shelters), a veterinarian, or the cart where the city allows it (Milwaukee wrapped in plastic, Madison's trash container, Racine's solid waste container, Appleton in a disposable bag). Eau Claire's code lists carcasses among the wastes a hauler handles only under state and federal law. Never in a lake, river or pond.
Does the 24-hour rule apply to a pet?
Yes. § 95.50 defines carcass as the body of a livestock animal or other domestic animal, so a dog or cat is covered, and it binds the owner and whoever controls the land. The clock runs only while the body is exposed to access by dogs or wild animals. Penalties are in § 95.99: a fine of up to $1,000 for a first offense, or a forfeiture of $200 to $5,000.
My cat was hit on the street. Who do I call?
The city's street channel, not animal control, unless the city says otherwise. Milwaukee 414-286-CITY; Madison City Engineering 608-266-4430; Racine Customer Service 262-636-9171 for animals "domestic or wild, killed on the roadway"; Kenosha Street Division 262-653-4070; Oshkosh Street Department 920-236-5380; La Crosse routes a cat or dog found deceased on the street to the Police Department Animal Control Technician at 608-789-8697, or dispatch 608-782-7575 after hours. On a state highway, 911 if it is in the traveled lane.
Will a wildlife removal company take a dead pet?
This site does not promise one will. Private operators here are set up for wildlife carcasses on private property, and whether one takes a dog or cat is theirs to answer on the call. For a pet, your veterinarian or the shelter drop-off for your metro is the route that exists today. If an independent operator is available for your address and takes pets, that is confirmed on the call, never assumed.

Official sources

The Wisconsin sources this page rests on, each opened on the date shown. Statutes and administrative code are rank 1, a state agency's own page rank 2, and a county, city or local body's page rank 3. Every row is a primary source. No business directory, competitor page or review site is cited.

Accuracy and review

Last reviewed
Reviewed against
Wisconsin Statutes ch. 95 and § 289.43 · Wisconsin DNR, WisDOT and DATCP pages · MADACC, humane society and city pages for nine metros
Editorial process
See our editorial policy

Statements of Wisconsin law on this page are quoted from the Statutes and the Administrative Code as the Legislature publishes them at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, and linked so you can open the section yourself. Statements of agency practice are attributed to the agency that wrote them, because guidance and law are not the same instrument and this subject runs mostly on the first. None of it is legal advice. Every quotation on this page belongs to the agency, shelter or code section named and was read on September 15, 2026. Where a metro publishes nothing about a deceased pet, this page says so rather than guessing; a shelter or veterinarian may still accept a pet on a phone call. The City of La Crosse guidance survives only in an Internet Archive capture of its 311 knowledge base, and the Kenosha shelter page was not reachable when reviewed. Cremation fees are set by each shelter and are not repeated here.

Two kinds of fact here expire faster than the rest. Deer baiting, feeding and carcass rules are drawn county by county and redrawn between seasons, so a chronic wasting disease answer that held last fall may not hold this one. Municipal collection practice changes without an announcement and is rarely published at all. Where a current city, county, DNR or WisDOT page contradicts this one, that page governs and this one is out of date.

Found something here that has moved? Send the agency page or the statute section that reads differently and we will reopen it at the source before a word changes. Corrections go through this form or the same line everything else does, (414) 928-2653. When a fix lands, the review date above moves with it.

If it is a wild animal on your property, not a pet

For a raccoon, skunk, deer or unidentified carcass in a yard, under a deck or in a crawl space, call (414) 928-2653 and describe the animal and where it is. There is nothing to promise in advance. Whether anyone is available for the address, what falls inside their scope, and what it costs all come out of that conversation. For a dog or cat, start with your veterinarian or the shelter drop-off named above for your metro.

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