For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADMINISTRATOR. A veterinarian licensed by the State of Illinois and appointed pursuant to the Animal Control Act (510 ILCS 5/1 et seq.), or a non-veterinarian may serve as Administrator. In the event the Administrator is not a veterinarian, the Administrator shall defer to the Deputy Administrator regarding all medical decisions.
ANIMAL. Every living creature, domestic or wild, other than man.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER. Animal Control Warden.
ANIMAL PROTECTION SERVICES. The county department that operates rabies control, animal control, animal welfare enforcement and the county animal shelter. ANIMAL PROTECTION SERVICES may be used interchangeably with the term “animal control”.
BOARD. The County Board of Will County, Illinois.
ANIMAL PROTECTION SERVICES OFFICER or ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER. Animal Control Warden which is any person appointed by the Administrator to perform the duties set forth in the Animal Control Act (510 ILCS 5/1 et seq.) or in this chapter. ANIMAL PROTECTION SERVICES OFFICER is interchangeable with “Animal Control Warden”.
BUSINESS DAY. Any day including holidays that the animal protection services facility is open to the public for animal reclaims.
CAT. Felis catus.
COMPANION ANIMAL. An animal that is commonly considered to be, or is considered by the owner, to be a pet. COMPANION ANIMAL includes, but is not limited to, canines, felines, and equines.
COMPANION ANIMAL HOARDER. A person who (i) possesses a large number of companion animals; (ii) fails to or is unable to provide what he or she is required to provide under Section 3 of this Act; (iii) keeps the companion animals in a severely overcrowded environment; and (iv) displays an inability to recognize or understand the nature of or has a reckless disregard for the conditions under which the companion animals are living and the deleterious impact they have on the companion animals' and owner's health and well-being.
CONFINED. The restriction of the cat, dog or other animal at all times by the owner in a manner that will isolate the cat, dog or other animal from the public and other cats, dogs or other animals.
CONTROL. Any owned animal that is either secured by a leash or lead, or under voice control or within the premises of its owner or another person with the consent of the person and prevented from leaving said premises by some suitable barrier or restriction, or confined within a crate or cage, or confined within a vehicle.
DANGEROUS ANIMAL. A wild or exotic animal, not indigenous to this state, not commonly found as a domestic animal that would create a potential risk to public safety including but not limited to: bears, wolves, coyotes, jackal, fox, or hybrid thereof, lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, cougars, panthers, lynx, bobcats, ocelots, any hybrid thereof or any other similar feline animal, alligators, crocodiles, caimans, snakes and reptiles that are venomous or life-threatening, apes, baboons, macaques, bison, and rodents weighing more than one pound, with the exception of guinea pigs.
DANGEROUS DOG. 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 a dog that, without justification, bites a person and does not cause serious physical injury.
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR. The licensed veterinarian appointed by the Administrator and approved by the County Board, who is authorized to act on behalf of the Administrator if the Administrator is unavailable.
DEPICTION OF ANIMAL CRUELTY. Any visual or auditory depiction, including any photograph, motion-picture film, video recording, electronic image, or sound recording, that would constitute a violation of 510 ILCS 70/3.01, 3.02, 3.03, or 4.01 of the Humane Care for Animals Act or Section 26-5 or 48-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012.
DIFFERENTIAL. The difference in the registration fees paid for spayed, neutered or sterilized animals and the registration fees paid for intact animals.
DOG. All members of the family Canidae.
DOMESTIC ANIMAL. Any companion or farm animal.
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 dog in conjunction with other measures that may be taken by the owner or keeper, such as tethering of the vicious dog within the enclosure. The enclosure shall be securely enclosed and locked and designed with secure sides, top, and bottom and shall be designed 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.
FERAL CAT. A cat that (i) is born in the wild or is the offspring of an owned or feral cat and is not socialized, (ii) is a formerly owned cat that has been abandoned and is no longer socialized, or (iii) lives on a farm.
HAS BEEN BITTEN. Has been seized with the teeth or jaws, so that the person or animal seized has been nipped or gripped, or has been wounded or pierced and further includes contact of saliva with any break or abrasion of skin or mucous membrane.
HUMANELY EUTHANIZED. The painless administration of a lethal dose of an agent or method of euthanasia as prescribed in the Report of the American Veterinary Medical Association Panel on Euthanasia published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, March 1, 2001 (or any successor version of that Report), that causes the painless death of an animal.
IMPOUNDED. Taken into the custody of the Animal Protection Services and placed in an animal shelter or veterinary hospital/clinic in the county where the animal is found under the control of the Animal Protection Services.
INOCULATION AGAINST RABIES. The injection of a rabies vaccine approved by the State Department of Agriculture and administered by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the company’s recommendations for the vaccine used.
INTACT ANIMAL. An animal that has not been sterilized.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. An agency of the state or a unit of local government that is vested by law or ordinance with the duty to maintain public order and to enforce criminal laws or ordinances.
LEASH. A cord, rope strap or chain which shall be securely fastened to the collar or harness of a dog or the animal and shall be of sufficient strength to keep the dog or other animal under control.
LICENSED VETERINARIAN. A veterinarian licensed by the state in which he or she engages in the practice of veterinary medicine.
LOW-INCOME. Those persons eligible for the Food Stamp Program or Social Security Disability Benefits Program.
OWNER. Any person having a right of property in a dog, cat or other animal, or who keeps or harbors a dog, cat or other animal, or who has it in his or her care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits the animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by him or her. OWNER does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate for rabies, and return program.
PERSON. Any person, 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.
PEACE OFFICER. Has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2-13 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
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.
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG. A dog that is unsupervised and found running at large with three or more other dogs.
RECKLESS DOG OWNER. A person who owns a dog that while anywhere other than upon the property of the owner, and without justification, kills another dog that results in that dog being deemed a dangerous dog under 510 ILCS 5/15.1 of the State Animal Control Act and who knowingly allows the dog to violate 510 ILCS 5/9 of the State Animal Control Act on two occasions within 12 months of the incident for which the dog was deemed dangerous or is involved in another incident that results in the dog being deemed dangerous on a second occasion within 24 months of the original dangerous determination.
REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. A printed form prescribed by Animal Protection Services for the purpose of recording pertinent information as required under this chapter.
RETURN. “Return” in “return to field or trap, neuter, return program” means to return the cat to field after it has been sterilized and vaccinated for rabies.
SEIZE. The County Animal Protection Services or any officer of the law is authorized to enter upon public or private property; for the purpose of impounding any dog, cat or other animal which has been found to be in violation of this chapter.
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.
SERVICE ANIMAL. An animal trained in obedience and task skills to meet the needs of a person with a disability. As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Only dogs may be considered service animals. The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability in accordance with the ADA. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort are not considered service animals.
STRAYING. Any owned animal not on the premises of the owner or not confined or under control as set forth in this chapter.
VICIOUS DOG. A dog that, without justification, attacks a person and causes serious physical injury or death or any individual dog that has been found to be a “dangerous dog” upon three separate occasions.
(1980 Code, § 90.01) (Res. 99-61, adopted 2-18-1999; Res. 06-122, adopted 3-16-2006; Ord. 17-231, adopted 10-19-2017; Ord. 24-19, passed 1-18-2024)
Statutory reference:
Powers generally, see 55 ILCS 5/5-1014
Animal Control Act definitions, see 510 ILCS 5/2.01 - /2.04a, 2.05a, 2.07, 2.11 - 2.17c, 2.18a - 2.19b, 3.5
Humane Care for Animals Act definitions, see 510 ILCS 70/2.01, 2.01c, 2.09, 2.10, 20.1a