As used in this chapter, the following are defined and shall be construed as hereinafter set out unless it shall be apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended:
"Animal" means any living vertebrate, domestic or wild, not including man.
"Animal control center" means a facility operated by and under the direct supervision of the Executive Director for the purpose of impounding animals as henceforth set out in this chapter.
"Animal control officer" means an employee of the Department who shall be responsible to it and the Executive Director and have the power and authority to issue citations for any violations of this ordinance relating to the care, treatment, control or impoundment of animals.
"Animal under restraint" means any animal:
(1) either secured by a leash or lead;
(2) within the premises of its owner, or confined within a crate or cage, or confined within a vehicle, or on the premises of another person with the consent of that person; provided that any animal not secured by a leash or lead and that is outdoors on the premises of its owner or outdoors on the premises of another person with consent of that person shall not be considered under restraint unless the animal is on a fenced portion of the premises and the fence is: (i) constructed to keep the animal from reaching through the fence; and (ii) of sufficient height appropriate to the size of the animal to prevent the animal from jumping or reaching over the fence; or
(3) within an area specifically designated by the Chicago Park District or by the City of Chicago as a dog park, or as an animal exercise run; provided that the animal is under the control of a competent person.
"Bite" means seizure with the teeth or jaws of an animal so that the skin of the human being or animal seized has been pierced or broken and further includes contact of the saliva of the biting animal with any break or abrasion of the skin of the human being or animal bitten.
"Cat" means any live male or female cat (Felis catus).
"City-owned animal" means an animal that has become the property of the City through: (i) the City’s possession of the animal and the owner’s failure to redeem the animal within the mandated time or (ii) the owner’s voluntary transfer of possession of the animal to the City.
"Commission" means the Commission on Animal Care and Control.
"Dangerous animal" means an animal meeting any one of the following criteria:
(1) any animal which bites, inflicts injury on, kills or otherwise attacks a human being or domestic animal without provocation on any public or private property; or
(2) Any animal which on more than one occasion, without provocation, chases or approaches any person in an apparent attitude of attack, on any public property or in any place outside or over the boundaries of its owner's property; or
(3) Any animal owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog or other animal fighting or any animal trained for dog or other animal fighting; or
(4) Any dog that is used as a guard dog; or
(5) Any animal which has been found to be a vicious dog under state law.
"Department" means Chicago Animal Care and Control.
"Dog" means any live male or female dog (Canis familiaris).
"Euthanasia" or "humane destruction" means death brought about by any method which produces instant loss of consciousness and results in painless death.
"Executive Director" means the Executive Director of the Department.
"Foster home" means a private or public facility that the Director has deemed suitable for the temporary care of animals, that accepts the transfer of one or more animals from the Department and cares for that animal until the Director effects the return of the animal to the Department or places it for adoption.
"Guard dog" means any dog used primarily for the purpose of defending, patrolling, or protecting property or life at a commercial establishment other than a farm; provided that, "Guard dog" does not include stock dogs used primarily for handling and controlling livestock or farm animals; provided further, that "Guard dog" shall not include any dog that is the property of any local, state or federal government.
"Horse" means an animal of the genus equus.
"Impounded" means having been taken into the custody of the Department or any other facility designated by the Executive Director.
"Licensed dog" means any dog four months of age or older for which the owner can produce proof of having paid the license fee for the current year.
"Microchip" means a passive electronic device that is injected into an animal by means of a prepackaged sterilized implanting device for purposes of identification or recovery.
"Owner" means any person having a right of property in an animal or who keeps or harbors any animal or who has an animal in his care or custody.
"Pet" means any species of domesticated animals customarily regarded as suited to live within an abode used for human occupancy.
"Provocation" means that the threat, injury or damage caused by the animal was sustained by a person who, at the time, was committing a willful trespass or other tort upon the premises occupied by the owner of the animal, or was tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the animal, or was committing or attempting to commit a crime.
"Severe injury" means any physical injury that results in death; loss of soft tissue; a broken bone; hospitalization admittance; impairment of any bodily function; disfiguring laceration; laceration requiring sutures or cosmetic surgery; or lacerations or puncture wounds caused by more than one bite.
"Snakehead fish" means a fish of the Family Channidae.
"Sterilization" or "sterilize" means the rendering of an animal unable to reproduce by altering the animal's reproductive organs. Sterilization includes the spaying of a female dog or cat, or the neutering of a male dog or cat.
"Stray animal" means any animal not under restraint and not in the presence of its owner.
"Vaccination" means the injection, as approved by the Department of Agriculture, State of Illinois, of an antirabies vaccine approved by said department, with verification thereof consisting of a current certificate and current tag issued in accordance with the statutes of the State of Illinois.
"Veterinarian" means a person currently licensed by the State of Illinois to engage in the practice of veterinarian medicine.
"Visiting hours" means posted days and hours during which an animal control center operated by the Department shall be kept open to the public for the transaction of appropriate business, as established by the Executive Director.
"Animal care facility", "Animal Exhibition", "Guard dog", "Humane society", "Pet show", and "Veterinary hospital" shall have the same meaning ascribed to them as in Section 4-384-010 of this Code.
(Prior code § 98-2; Amend Coun. J. 10-16-84, p. 10165; Amend Coun. J. 10-2-95, p. 8604; Amend Coun. J. 4-16-97, p. 42588; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-01, p. 75777, § 4.1; Amend Coun. J. 10-2-02, p. 94895, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 4.1; Amend Coun. J. 7-26-06, p. 81829, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-07, p. 98109, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 3-14-07, p. 99838, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-07, p. 104624, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-5-07, p. 6584, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. III, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. I, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 5-25-18, p. 77747, § 3)