104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB3791
 
Introduced 2/18/2025, by Rep. Tom Weber
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
510 ILCS 70/4.04  from Ch. 8, par. 704.04
    Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as Dax's Law. In provisions concerning injuring or killing police animals, removes references to service animals. Provides that, if an offender is convicted of willfully or maliciously torturing, mutilating, injuring, disabling, poisoning, or killing any animal used for law enforcement purposes, the offender shall, among other penalties, be responsible for any veterinarian bills for the animal that was injured. Makes other changes.


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A BILL FOR
 
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1    AN ACT concerning animals.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. This Act may be referred to as Dax's Law.
 
5    Section 5. The Humane Care for Animals Act is amended by 
6changing Section 4.04 as follows:
 
7    (510 ILCS 70/4.04)  (from Ch. 8, par. 704.04)
8    Sec. 4.04. Injuring or killing police animals, service 
9animals, accelerant detection dogs, or search and rescue dogs 
10being used for law enforcement purposes prohibited.  
11    (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or 
12maliciously torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison, or 
13kill (i) any animal used by a law enforcement department or 
14agency in the performance of the functions or duties of the 
15department or agency or when placed in confinement off duty, 
16(ii) any service animal, (iii) any search and rescue dog being 
17used for law enforcement purposes, (iii) (iv) any law 
18enforcement, service, or search and rescue animal in training, 
19or (iv) (v) any accelerant detection canine used by a fire 
20investigator or law enforcement officer for arson 
21investigations in the performance of his or her functions or 
22while off duty. However, a police officer or veterinarian may 
 
 
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1perform euthanasia in emergency situations when delay would 
2cause the animal undue suffering and pain.
3    (b) A person convicted of violating of subsection (a) of 
4this Section is guilty of a Class 4 felony if the animal is not 
5killed or totally disabled; if the animal is killed or totally 
6disabled, the person is guilty of a Class 3 felony.
7    (c) If the offender is convicted of violating subsection 
8(a), the offender shall be responsible for any veterinarian 
9bills for an animal that was injured, and the purchase and 
10training costs for another animal, if the animal injured or 
11killed is no longer able to be in service.
12    (d) A person does not violate subsection (a) if the animal 
13used by a law enforcement department or agency was used 
14against the person in violation of the law enforcement 
15department or agency's use of force continuum or policy. 
16(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-560, eff. 8-30-07; 
1796-1171, eff. 7-22-10.)