(A) Teasing, striking or tampering with police animals, service animals, accelerant detection dogs, or search and rescue dogs prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully and maliciously taunt, torment, tease, beat, strike or administer or subject any desensitizing drugs, chemicals or substance to any animal used by a law enforcement officer in the performance of his or her functions or duties, or when placed in confinement off duty, any service animal, any search or rescue dog, any police, service, or search and rescue animal in training, or any accelerant detection canine used by a fire officer for arson investigations in the performance of his or her functions or while off duty. It is unlawful for any person to interfere or meddle with any animal used by a law enforcement department or agency or any handler thereof in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency, any service animal, any search and rescue dog, any law enforcement, service, or search and rescue animal in training, or any accelerant detection canine used by a fire officer for arson investigations in the performance of his or her functions or while off duty.
(B) Injuring or killing police animals, service animals, accelerant detection dogs, or search and rescue dogs prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison, or kill any animal used by a law enforcement department or agency in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency or when placed in confinement off duty, any service animal, any search and rescue dog, any law enforcement, service, or search and rescue animal in training, or any accelerant detection canine used by a fire officer for arson investigations in the performance of his or her functions or while off duty. However, a police officer or veterinarian may perform euthanasia in emergency situations when delay would cause the animal undue suffering and pain.
(C) Violation of division (A) of this section. Any person convicted of violating division (A) of this section is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
(D) Violation of division (B) of this section. Any person convicted of violating division (B) of this section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor where the animal is not killed or totally disabled, but if the animal is killed or totally disabled the person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
(1980 Code, § 90.25) (Res. 99-61, adopted 2-18-1999; Res. 06-122, adopted 3-16-2006; Ord. 24-19, passed 1-18-2024) Penalty, see § 90.99
Statutory reference:
Humane Care for Animals Act, see 510 ILCS 70/1 et seq.
Teasing, striking or tampering with police animals, service animals, accelerant detection dogs, or search and rescue dogs prohibited, see 510 ILCS 70/4.03
Injuring or killing police animals, service animals, accelerant detection dogs, or search and rescue dogs prohibited, see 510 ILCS 70/4.04