Public Act 099-0310
 
HB4029 EnrolledLRB099 09451 AMC 29658 b

    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Animal Welfare Act is amended by changing
Sections 2, 3.4, and 10 and by adding Sections 3.6 and 3.7 as
follows:
 
    (225 ILCS 605/2)  (from Ch. 8, par. 302)
    Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act unless the context
otherwise requires:
    "Department" means the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
    "Director" means the Director of the Illinois Department of
Agriculture.
    "Pet shop operator" means any person who sells, offers to
sell, exchange, or offers for adoption with or without charge
or donation dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, or other animals
customarily obtained as pets in this State. However, a person
who sells only such animals that he has produced and raised
shall not be considered a pet shop operator under this Act, and
a veterinary hospital or clinic operated by a veterinarian or
veterinarians licensed under the Veterinary Medicine and
Surgery Practice Act of 2004 shall not be considered a pet shop
operator under this Act.
    "Dog dealer" means any person who sells, offers to sell,
exchange, or offers for adoption with or without charge or
donation dogs in this State. However, a person who sells only
dogs that he has produced and raised shall not be considered a
dog dealer under this Act, and a veterinary hospital or clinic
operated by a veterinarian or veterinarians licensed under the
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 shall not
be considered a dog dealer under this Act.
    "Secretary of Agriculture" or "Secretary" means the
Secretary of Agriculture of the United States Department of
Agriculture.
    "Person" means any person, firm, corporation, partnership,
association or other legal entity, any public or private
institution, the State of Illinois, or any municipal
corporation or political subdivision of the State.
    "Kennel operator" means any person who operates an
establishment, other than an animal control facility,
veterinary hospital, or animal shelter, where dogs or dogs and
cats are maintained for boarding, training or similar purposes
for a fee or compensation; or who sells, offers to sell,
exchange, or offers for adoption with or without charge dogs or
dogs and cats which he has produced and raised. A person who
owns, has possession of, or harbors 5 or less females capable
of reproduction shall not be considered a kennel operator.
    "Cattery operator" means any person who operates an
establishment, other than an animal control facility or animal
shelter, where cats are maintained for boarding, training or
similar purposes for a fee or compensation; or who sells,
offers to sell, exchange, or offers for adoption with or
without charges cats which he has produced and raised. A person
who owns, has possession of, or harbors 5 or less females
capable of reproduction shall not be considered a cattery
operator.
    "Animal control facility" means any facility operated by or
under contract for the State, county, or any municipal
corporation or political subdivision of the State for the
purpose of impounding or harboring seized, stray, homeless,
abandoned or unwanted dogs, cats, and other animals. "Animal
control facility" also means any veterinary hospital or clinic
operated by a veterinarian or veterinarians licensed under the
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 which
operates for the above mentioned purpose in addition to its
customary purposes.
    "Animal shelter" means a facility operated, owned, or
maintained by a duly incorporated humane society, animal
welfare society, or other non-profit organization for the
purpose of providing for and promoting the welfare, protection,
and humane treatment of animals. "Animal shelter" also means
any veterinary hospital or clinic operated by a veterinarian or
veterinarians licensed under the Veterinary Medicine and
Surgery Practice Act of 2004 which operates for the above
mentioned purpose in addition to its customary purposes.
    "Foster home" means an entity that accepts the
responsibility for stewardship of animals that are the
obligation of an animal shelter, not to exceed 4 animals at any
given time. Permits to operate as a "foster home" shall be
issued through the animal shelter.
    "Guard dog service" means an entity that, for a fee,
furnishes or leases guard or sentry dogs for the protection of
life or property. A person is not a guard dog service solely
because he or she owns a dog and uses it to guard his or her
home, business, or farmland.
    "Guard dog" means a type of dog used primarily for the
purpose of defending, patrolling, or protecting property or
life at a commercial establishment other than a farm. "Guard
dog" does not include stock dogs used primarily for handling
and controlling livestock or farm animals, nor does it include
personally owned pets that also provide security.
    "Sentry dog" means a dog trained to work without
supervision in a fenced facility other than a farm, and to
deter or detain unauthorized persons found within the facility.
    "Probationary status" means the 12-month period following
a series of violations of this Act during which any further
violation shall result in an automatic 12-month suspension of
licensure.
    "Owner" means any person having a right of property in an
animal, who keeps or harbors an animal, who has an animal in
his or her care or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly
permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her.
"Owner" does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in
a trap, spay/neuter, return or release program.
(Source: P.A. 95-550, eff. 6-1-08.)
 
    (225 ILCS 605/3.4)
    Sec. 3.4. Transfer Release of animals between to shelters.
An animal shelter or animal control facility may not release
any animal to an individual representing an animal shelter,
unless (1) the recipient animal shelter has been licensed or
has a foster care permit issued by the Department or (2) the
individual is a representative of a not-for-profit,
out-of-State organization who is transferring the animal out of
the State of Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 96-314, eff. 8-11-09.)
 
    (225 ILCS 605/3.6 new)
    Sec. 3.6. Acceptance of stray dogs and cats.
    (a) No animal shelter may accept a stray dog or cat unless
the animal is reported by the shelter to the animal control or
law enforcement of the county in which the animal is found by
the next business day. An animal shelter may accept animals
from: (1) the owner of the animal where the owner signs a
relinquishment form which states he or she is the owner of the
animal; (2) an animal shelter licensed under this Act; or (3)
an out-of-state animal control facility, rescue group, or
animal shelter that is duly licensed in their state or is a
not-for-profit organization.
    (b) When stray dogs and cats are accepted by an animal
shelter, they must be scanned for the presence of a microchip
and examined for other currently-acceptable methods of
identification, including, but not limited to, identification
tags, tattoos, and rabies license tags. The examination for
identification shall be done within 24 hours after the intake
of each dog or cat. The animal shelter shall notify the owner
and transfer any dog with an identified owner to the animal
control or law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction in which
it was found or the local animal control agency for redemption.
    (c) If no transfer can occur, the animal shelter shall make
every reasonable attempt to contact the owner, agent, or
caretaker as soon as possible. The animal shelter shall give
notice of not less than 7 business days to the owner, agent, or
caretaker prior to disposal of the animal. The notice shall be
mailed to the last known address of the owner, agent, or
caretaker. Testimony of the animal shelter, or its authorized
agent, who mails the notice shall be evidence of the receipt of
the notice by the owner, agent, or caretaker of the animal. A
mailed notice shall remain the primary means of owner, agent,
or caretaker contact; however, the animal shelter shall also
attempt to contact the owner, agent, or caretaker by any other
contact information, such as by telephone or email address,
provided by the microchip or other method of identification
found on the dog or cat. If the dog or cat has been
microchipped and the primary contact listed by the chip
manufacturer cannot be located or refuses to reclaim the dog or
cat, an attempt shall be made to contact any secondary contacts
listed by the chip manufacturer prior to adoption, transfer, or
euthanization. Prior to transferring any stray dog or cat to
another humane shelter or rescue group or euthanization, the
dog or cat shall be scanned again for the presence of a
microchip and examined for other means of identification. If a
second scan provides the same identifying information as the
initial intake scan and the owner, agent, or caretaker has not
been located or refuses to reclaim the dog or cat, the animal
shelter may proceed with adoption, transfer, or euthanization.
    (d) When stray dogs and cats are accepted by an animal
shelter and no owner can be identified, the shelter shall hold
the animal for the period specified in local ordinance prior to
adoption, transfer, or euthanasia. The animal shelter shall
allow access to the public to view the animals housed there. If
a dog is identified by an owner who desires to make redemption
of it, the dog shall be transferred to the local animal control
for redemption. If no transfer can occur, the animal shelter
shall proceed pursuant to Section 3.7. Upon lapse of the hold
period specified in local ordinance and no owner can be
identified, ownership of the animal, by operation of law,
transfers to the shelter that has custody of the animal.
    (e) No representative of an animal shelter may enter
private property and remove an animal without permission from
the property owner and animal owner, nor can any representative
of an animal shelter direct another individual to enter private
property and remove an animal unless that individual is an
approved humane investigator (approved by the Department)
operating pursuant to the provisions of the Humane Care for
Animals Act.
    (f) Nothing in this Section limits an animal shelter and an
animal control facility who, through mutual agreement, wish to
enter into an agreement for animal control, boarding, holding,
or other services provided that the agreement requires parties
adhere to the provisions of the Animal Control Act, the Humane
Euthanasia in Animal Shelters Act, and the Humane Care for
Animals Act.
 
    (225 ILCS 605/3.7 new)
    Sec. 3.7. Redemption of stray dogs and cats from animal
shelters. Any owner, agent, or caretaker wishing to make
redemption of a dog or cat held by a shelter under the
provisions of subsection (c) of Section 3.6 of this Act may do
so by doing the following:
        (1) paying the shelter for the board of the dog or cat
    for the period the shelter was in possession of the animal;
    the daily boarding rate shall not exceed the daily boarding
    rate of the animal control agency in the jurisdiction in
    which the shelter is located; and
        (2) paying the shelter for reasonable costs of
    veterinary care, if applicable.
    The shelter has the option to waive any fees or veterinary
costs.
 
    (225 ILCS 605/10)  (from Ch. 8, par. 310)
    Sec. 10. Grounds for discipline. The Department may refuse
to issue or renew or may suspend or revoke a license on any one
or more of the following grounds:
    a. Material misstatement in the application for original
license or in the application for any renewal license under
this Act;
    b. A violation of this Act or of any regulations or rules
issued pursuant thereto;
    c. Aiding or abetting another in the violation of this Act
or of any regulation or rule issued pursuant thereto;
    d. Allowing one's license under this Act to be used by an
unlicensed person;
    e. Conviction of any crime an essential element of which is
misstatement, fraud or dishonesty or conviction of any felony,
if the Department determines, after investigation, that such
person has not been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the
public trust;
    f. Conviction of a violation of any law of Illinois except
minor violations such as traffic violations and violations not
related to the disposition of dogs, cats and other animals or
any rule or regulation of the Department relating to dogs or
cats and sale thereof;
    g. Making substantial misrepresentations or false promises
of a character likely to influence, persuade or induce in
connection with the business of a licensee under this Act;
    h. Pursuing a continued course of misrepresentation of or
making false promises through advertising, salesman, agents or
otherwise in connection with the business of a licensee under
this Act;
    i. Failure to possess the necessary qualifications or to
meet the requirements of the Act for the issuance or holding a
license; or
    j. Proof that the licensee is guilty of gross negligence,
incompetency, or cruelty with regard to animals.
    The Department may refuse to issue or may suspend the
license of any person who fails to file a return, or to pay the
tax, penalty or interest shown in a filed return, or to pay any
final assessment of tax, penalty or interest, as required by
any tax Act administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue,
until such time as the requirements of any such tax Act are
satisfied.
    The Department may order any licensee to cease operation
for a period not to exceed 72 hours to correct deficiencies in
order to meet licensing requirements.
    If the Department revokes a license under this Act at an
administrative hearing, the licensee and any individuals
associated with that license shall be prohibited from applying
for or obtaining a license under this Act for a minimum of 3
years.
(Source: P.A. 89-178, eff. 7-19-95; 90-385, eff. 8-15-97;
90-403, eff. 8-15-97.)