(A) Every owner of a dog, cat or ferret four months of age or older, residing in the county, shall register the dog, cat or ferret at a place designated by the county animal control. The owner must present an approved, properly completed vaccination certificate and pay a fee set by the County Board. The county animal control will furnish the owner with a completed one year or three year registration certificate and an official one year or three year county rabies tag. The period of registration shall be concurrent with the period of vaccination.
(B) A rabies tag and registration certificate issued by another county in the state will be honored until expiration if the owner has recently established residence in the county. New residents from outside the state owning or keeping a dog, cat or ferret four months of age or older, shall register the dog, cat or ferret at the county animal control facility, within 30 days after establishing residence in the county.
(C) (1) Registration of dogs, cats or ferrets must be processed upon receipt of a rabies vaccination from a veterinarian practicing in Will County or servicing a dog, cat, or ferret that resides in Will County. Veterinarians/animal hospitals must provide rabies registration service to all pet owners upon receipt of a rabies vaccination as specified in this chapter. Veterinarians who inoculate a cat, dog, or ferret shall procure from the County Department of Animal Control serially numbered tags, one to be issued with each inoculation certificate.
(2) If the owner of such dog, cat or ferret declines to purchase the rabies/registration tag from the veterinarian administering the rabies vaccine, the rabies certificate will be mailed immediately to the County Department of Animal Control noting that the pet owner declined to purchase the rabies/registration tag. A letter will be mailed to the pet owner with instructions to secure a rabies/registration tag within 21 days of the letter. If not done, the pet owner may be issued citations for failure to comply.
(3) Only one cat, dog or ferret shall be included on each certificate. Such tags shall be attached to the collar or harness worn by the cat, dog or ferret.
(a) The fee for such tag shall be as follows:
1. One year immunity - $15 for spayed, neutered, or sterilized animals; $40 for intact animals.
2. Three year immunity - $35 for spayed, neutered, or sterilized animals; $90 for intact animals.
(b) The fees shall be paid to the Department and transferred to the County Treasurer as received. The County Treasurer shall deposit $10 of the differential into a special fund identified as the Animal Population Control Fund. All costs of inoculation against rabies shall be borne by the owner of the dog, cat or ferret.
(D) All registration fees collected shall be remitted to the County Treasurer, who shall place the moneys in an Animal Control Fund. This fund shall be set up by him or her for the purpose of paying costs of the animal control program. All fees collected shall be used for the purpose of paying claims for loss of livestock or poultry as set forth in § 90.19 and for the following purposes as established by ordinance of the County Board: funds may be utilized by local health departments or county nurse’s offices for the purchase of human rabies anti-serum or vaccine, minor medical care and for paying the costs of stray dog control impoundment, education on animal control and rabies and other costs incurred in carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
(1980 Code, § 90.10) (Res. 99-61, adopted 2-18-1999; Res. 02-541, adopted 11-21-2002; Res. 04-508, adopted 11-18-2004; Res. 06-22, adopted 1-19-2006; Res. 06-122, adopted 3-16-2006; Ord. 17-231, adopted 10-19-2017; Ord. 22-285, passed 9-15-2022) Penalty, see § 90.99