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.
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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/