The case of a wallaby on the loose in Franklin not only became a somewhat viral story in Southeastern Wisconsin, it shined a spotlight on how few state statutes exist on the types of animals people can and cannot have in their homes.
“The state as a whole doesn’t have a whole lot of restrictions about what you can have,” says Kathy Shillinglaw of Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC). Shillinglaw was a guest Friday on WTMJ’s Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. “Wisconsin is one of only two states that allows you to have something like a wallaby. Our state laws aren’t really restrictive as far as holding or owning wild animals.”
However, she says many cities, towns, and villages have their own, more restrictive codes on exotic animals.
“A lot of people, they may have saw that story and realized in Franklin they could have a wallaby, but before you go out and think about getting an exotic, wild animal, you should check the municipal code.”