Full Text of SB2580 96th General Assembly
SB2580 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010 SB2580
Introduced 1/21/2010, by Sen. Linda Holmes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Makes it unlawful to tether a dog outdoors unless certain requirements are met. Provides penalties for violations. Defines "tether".
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CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY |
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A BILL FOR
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SB2580 |
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LRB096 15129 JDS 30185 b |
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| AN ACT concerning animals.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Humane Care for Animals Act is amended by | 5 |
| adding Section 3.035 as follows: | 6 |
| (510 ILCS 70/3.035 new) | 7 |
| Sec. 3.035. Tethering. | 8 |
| (a) As used in this Section, "tether" means to restrain a | 9 |
| dog by tying it to any object or structure, including without | 10 |
| limitation a house, tree, fence, post, garage, shed, or clothes | 11 |
| line, by any means, including without limitation a chain, rope, | 12 |
| cord, leash, or running line. | 13 |
| (b) A dog may be tethered outdoors only if all of the | 14 |
| following requirements are met: | 15 |
| (1) The dog must be visible to the responsible party. | 16 |
| (2) The dog must be tethered in such a manner as to | 17 |
| prevent injury, including strangulation. | 18 |
| (3) The dog must be at least 6 months of age. | 19 |
| (4) The dog must not suffer from illness or injury that | 20 |
| is exacerbated by being tethered. | 21 |
| (5) The dog must have access at all times to drinking | 22 |
| water, shelter, and a dry surface. | 23 |
| (6) If multiple dogs are tethered on the same property, |
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SB2580 |
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LRB096 15129 JDS 30185 b |
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| each dog must be tethered separately, and each dog must | 2 |
| have a separate food and water bowl. Each dog must also | 3 |
| have access to separate shelter. If multiple dogs are | 4 |
| tethered, sufficient space must be placed between the leads | 5 |
| to ensure that the leads do not tangle. | 6 |
| (7) The lead must not exceed one-eighth of the dog's | 7 |
| body weight and must not be made of a tow chain or log | 8 |
| chain, which is any chain that is more than one-quarter of | 9 |
| an inch in width. | 10 |
| (8) The lead must be 15 feet or longer in length. | 11 |
| (9) The lead must be attached to the dog by a | 12 |
| properly-fitting collar and must not wrap directly around | 13 |
| the dog's neck. Pinch, prong, or choke-type collars shall | 14 |
| not be used to tether a dog. | 15 |
| (10) The length and location of the lead must prevent | 16 |
| the dog from moving outside of its owner's property. | 17 |
| (c) Even if all of the requirements of subsection (b) are | 18 |
| met, it shall be unlawful to tether a dog outdoors: | 19 |
| (1) between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.; and | 20 |
| (2) during extreme weather conditions, including | 21 |
| conditions in which a heat or wind chill advisory or a | 22 |
| severe weather warning has been issued for the jurisdiction | 23 |
| by the National Weather Service. | 24 |
| (d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit | 25 |
| a person from walking a dog with a hand-held leash. | 26 |
| (e) A person convicted of violating this Section is guilty |
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LRB096 15129 JDS 30185 b |
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| of a Class A misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation is a | 2 |
| Class 4 felony with every day that a violation continues | 3 |
| constituting a separate offense. If the convicted person is a | 4 |
| juvenile or a companion animal hoarder, the court must order | 5 |
| the convicted person to undergo a psychological or psychiatric | 6 |
| evaluation and to undergo treatment that the court determines | 7 |
| to be appropriate after due consideration of the evaluation.
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