WI: Wisconsin
Summary: In Wisconsin, intentionally killing a police or fire animal is a Class G felony and intentionally injuring one is a Class H felony (§ 951.095). EMS may give first aid to any household pet animal, police dogs included, with immunity (§ 256.155), but there's no transport authority. Retired K9 care is covered by donor funded discounts at UW Veterinary Care, not by statute. Nothing was found on vests or retirement.
Body armor
- None found.
Medical & insurance
- Wis. Stat. § 256.155, First aid to domestic animals. An EMS practitioner or responder on a call may give first aid within their human scope of practice to a sick or injured domestic animal (pet, not farm animal) before handing it to a vet, with civil and criminal immunity for helping or declining to help. It allows care only, not transport.
- Not law: UW School of Veterinary Medicine gives donor funded discounted care to law enforcement K9s.
Retirement & service limits
- None found.
Post retirement care
- None found as statute. No 2025 to 26 bills were found. AB 505 and SB 501 deal with vet student loan repayment, not K9s.
Penalties for harming police animals
- Wis. Stat. § 951.095, Harassment of police and fire animals (also search and rescue dogs).
- Base offense: Class B forfeiture.
- Intentional or negligent with knowledge: Class A misdemeanor.
- Intentional injury: Class H felony.
- Intentional death: Class G felony.
Pending or failed bills
- None found.
Sources
- Ch. 951: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/951
- § 256.155: https://law.justia.com/codes/wisconsin/chapter-256/section-256-155/
- UW Vet Med K9 program: https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/wisconsin-k9-law-enforcement/ ; https://news.wisc.edu/health-care-is-for-the-police-dogs-of-wisconsin-too/
- K9 Medic map: https://www.k9medic.com/k9-laws/