For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER. The employee(s) or designee(s) of the Village of Frankfort including the Frankfort Township, Illinois Animal Control Officer, authorized to exercise policing powers in the enforcement of this chapter and animal control laws of Illinois.
AT LARGE. Animals not confined or otherwise restrained or controlled in an enclosure or by leash or lead.
BITTEN or BITES. An animal that has seized, gripped, wounded or pierced any person or animal with its teeth or jaw.
CAT. Felis catus (Feline family).
CONFINED. The restriction of an animal at all times by the owner, to an escape-proof building, house or other enclosure away from other animals and the public.
CONTROL or CONTROLLED. Any animal that is fully secured and restrained by a leash or lead line of sufficient strength not more than five feet in length, a run line, or confined.
DANGEROUS DOG.
(1) Any individual dog anywhere other than upon the property of the owner or custodian of the dog and unmuzzled, unleashed, or unattended by its owner or custodian that behaves in a manner that a reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death to a person or a companion animal; or
(2) A dog that, without justification, bites a person and does not cause serious physical injury.
DEFECATION CONTROL. The immediate removal and sanitary disposal of animal excrement from any property, public or private, including property of the owner.
DOG. All members of the family Canidae (Canine family).
ENCLOSURE. A fence or structure of at least six feet in height, forming or causing an enclosure suitable to prevent the entry of young children, and suitable to confine a vicious or dangerous dog in conjunction with other measures that may be taken by the owner or keeper, such as tethering of the vicious or dangerous dog within the enclosure. The ENCLOSURE shall be securely enclosed and locked and designated to prevent the animal from escaping from the enclosure. If the ENCLOSURE is a room within a residence, it cannot have direct ingress from or egress to the outdoors unless it leads directly to an enclosed pen and the door must be locked. A vicious or dangerous dog may be allowed to move about freely within the entire residence if it is muzzled at all times.
FRANKFORT ID TAGS or ANIMAL TAGS or FRANKFORT TOWNSHIP ID TAGS. Tags issued by the Village or Frankfort Township on the village’s behalf upon the owner’s application which includes a current certification from a State of Illinois licensed veterinarian that the animal has been fully and currently inoculated against rabies and otherwise poses no medical condition which would affect human beings or other animals.
GUARD DOG. A dog used in a commercial business for the purposes of patrol and protection security.
GUIDE DOG. A dog trained by a recognized organization to lead the legally blind, the hearing impaired or support dogs for the physically handicapped person.
HOME CONFINEMENT. Maintaining the animal within the residence of the owner possessing the animal or on the property of the owner, as long as it is controlled or confined.
IMPOUNDED. Taken into the custody of the animal control facility.
INOCULATION AGAINST RABIES. The injection of a rabies vaccine approved by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and administered by a veterinarian licensed by the State of Illinois in accordance with the vaccination manufacturer’s recommendations for its use.
INTACT ANIMAL. An animal that has not been spayed or neutered.
LEASH and/or LEAD. A cord, rope, strap, or chain which shall be securely fastened to the collar or harness of a dog or other animal and shall be of sufficient strength to keep such dog or other animal under control.
NUISANCE. Any animal(s) which runs at large, damages private or public property or barks, whines, or howls in an excessive, continuous, or untimely manner. For purposes of this chapter, barking, howling or whining on a repetitive basis over a 20-minute period is a NUISANCE.
OWNER. Any person having a right of property in an animal, or who keeps, maintains, possesses or harbors an animal, or who has it in his or her care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her.
PARCEL. Any legally recorded piece of land.
PERSON. Any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, society, association or other legal entity, any public or private institution, the State of Illinois, municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state, or any other business unit.
PHYSICAL INJURY. The impairment of physical condition.
POLICE ANIMAL. An animal owned or used by a law enforcement department or agency in the course of the department or agency’s work.
POUND. Any facility approved by the Animal Control Officer for the purpose of enforcing this chapter and used as a shelter for seized stray, homeless and abandoned animals.
RUN LINE. A system of tying an animal with a collar and clasp of adequate strength in a place with either a rope, cable or chain having a tensile strength sufficient to fully restrain and control the animal within the owner’s private property and when the run line is fully extended, it is at least three feet from the adjoining property or any public property.
RUNNING AT LARGE. Those animals which are not under control or confined as defined in this section.
SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY. A physical injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, serious disfigurement, protracted impairment of health, impairment of the function of any bodily organ, or plastic surgery.
SEIZE. To enter upon public or private property, for the purpose of impounding any dog, cat, or other animal considered by the Animal Control Officer to be in violation of this chapter.
STRAYING. A dog, cat or other animal not on the premises of the owner or not controlled or confined as set forth in this chapter.
VETERINARIAN. A doctor of veterinary medicine licensed by the State of Illinois who engages in the practice of veterinary medicine.
VICIOUS DOG.
(1) Any one of the following:
(a) Any dog that when unprovoked bites or attacks a human being or other animal either on public or private property.
(b) Any dog which on at least one prior occasion attempted to or did, without provocation or with a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack, to cause injury to or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or animals.
(c) Any dog that has a trait or characteristic generally known for a reputation for viciousness, dangerousness, of making unprovoked attacks upon human beings or other animals, unless handled in a particular manner or with special equipment.
(d) Any dog which attacks a human being or domestic animal without provocation.
(e) Any individual dog which has been determined by a veterinarian or governmental animal control authority to be a dangerous dog on three prior separate occasions.
(2) However, no dog shall be deemed vicious:
(a) If it bites, attacks or menaces a trespasser on the property of its owner or anyone who has harmed, tormented or abused it; or
(b) It is a professionally trained dog used as a guard dog or police animal.
(Ord. 633, passed 10-6-69; Am. Ord. 2414, passed 9-17-07)