Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 605 — Animal Welfare Act.

This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Animal Welfare Act

This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Animal Welfare Act. (Source: P.A. 78-900.)

Definitions

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 cha…

The Department may cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out Public Law 89-544, entitled, "An Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to regulate the transportation, sale, and handling of dogs, cats, and certain other animals intended to be used for purposes of research or experimentation, and f…

No dog dealer, dog breeder, or cat breeder shall separate a puppy or kitten from its mother, for the purpose of sale, until such puppy or kitten has attained the age of 8 weeks

No dog dealer, dog breeder, or cat breeder shall separate a puppy or kitten from its mother, for the purpose of sale, until such puppy or kitten has attained the age of 8 weeks. All licensees under this Act shall maintain records of the origin and sale of all dogs, and such records shall be made available for inspectio…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section, no person shall engage in business as a pet shop operator, dog dealer, kennel operator, day care operator, dog breeder, or cat breeder or operate a guard dog service, an animal control facility, or animal shelter, in this State without a license therefor issued…

Information on dogs and cats for sale by a dog dealer, dog breeder, or cat breeder

Information on dogs and cats for sale by a dog dealer, dog breeder, or cat breeder. Every dog dealer, dog breeder, and cat breeder shall provide the following information for every dog or cat available for sale: (a) The age, sex, and weight of the animal. (b) The breed of the animal. (c) A record of vaccinations and ve…

Foster homes

Foster homes. A person shall not operate a foster home without affiliating by formal written agreement with an animal shelter or animal control facility for which that person will operate the foster home. The written agreement shall include a clause allowing for the Department to inspect the foster home. The animal she…

Adoption of dogs and cats

Adoption of dogs and cats. (a) An animal shelter or animal control facility shall not adopt out any dog or adopt out or return to field any cat unless it has been sterilized and microchipped. However, an animal shelter or animal control facility may adopt out a dog or cat that has not been sterilized and microchipped i…

Transfer of animals between shelters

Transfer of animals between shelters. An animal shelter or animal control facility may not release any animal to an individual representing an animal shelter or animal control facility, unless (1) the recipient animal shelter or animal control facility has been licensed or has a foster care permit issued by the Departm…

Information on dogs and cats available for adoption by an animal shelter or animal control facility

Information on dogs and cats available for adoption by an animal shelter or animal control facility. (a) An animal shelter or animal control facility must provide to the adopter prior to the time of adoption the following information, to the best of its knowledge, on any dog or cat being offered for adoption: (1) The b…

Acceptance of stray dogs and cats

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 t…

Redemption of stray dogs and cats from animal shelters

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 th…

Prohibition of dogs and cats sold by pet shops; recordkeeping

Prohibition of dogs and cats sold by pet shops; recordkeeping. (a) A pet shop operator may offer for sale a dog or cat only if the dog or cat is obtained from an animal control facility or animal shelter, located in-state or out-of-state, that is in compliance with Section 3.9. (b) A pet shop operator shall keep a reco…

Animal control facilities and animal shelters supplying to pet shop operators

Animal control facilities and animal shelters supplying to pet shop operators. (a) An animal control facility or animal shelter that supplies dogs or cats to pet shop operators to be offered for sale shall not be a dog breeder or a cat breeder or obtain dogs or cats from a dog breeder, a cat breeder, a person who resel…

Disclosures for dogs and cats being sold by pet shops

Disclosures for dogs and cats being sold by pet shops. (a) Prior to the time of sale, every pet shop operator must, to the best of his or her knowledge, provide to the consumer the following information on any dog or cat being offered for sale: (1) The retail price of the dog or cat, including any additional fees or ch…

Applicant convictions

Applicant convictions. (a) The Department shall not require applicants to report the following information and shall not consider the following in connection with an application for a license under this Act: (1) Juvenile adjudications of delinquent minors as defined in Section 5-105 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, s…

Applications by individuals for original licenses shall be made to the Department, shall be in writing on forms prescribed by the Department and shall be accompanied by the required fee, which shall not be returnable. Any such application shall require such information as in the judgment of the Department will enable t…

Applications by partnerships or corporations for original licenses shall be made to the Department, shall be in writing on forms prescribed by the Department and shall be accompanied by the required fee, which shall not be returnable. Any such application shall list, but need not be limited to, the name of each partner…

Termination of application; forfeiture of license fee

Termination of application; forfeiture of license fee. Failure of any applicant to meet all of the requirements for compliance within 60 days of receipt of a license application shall result in termination of the application and forfeiture of the license fee. (Source: P.A. 90-385, eff. 8-15-97; 90-403, eff. 8-15-97.)

Applications for renewal licenses shall be made to the Department in a manner prescribed by the Department, shall contain such information as will enable the Department to determine if the applicant is qualified to continue to hold a license, shall report beginning inventory and intake and outcome statistics from the p…

Department reporting

Department reporting. The Department shall post on its website the name of each licensed animal control facility or animal shelter and all the reported intake and outcome statistics required under paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 7 of this Act by December 31, 2020 and by December 31 of each year thereafter. (Source: P…

Each non-resident applicant for an original license or renewal license, except a foreign corporation, shall file with the Department an irrevocable consent that actions against the applicant may be filed in any appropriate court of any county or municipality of this State in which the plaintiff resides or in which some…

Each license shall be issued for the term of one fiscal year or for such part thereof as remains at the time of the issuance of the license

Each license shall be issued for the term of one fiscal year or for such part thereof as remains at the time of the issuance of the license. Each license shall be renewed during the month of June of each year. Each license not renewed during June of each year shall expire on June 30 of that year. A license must be prom…

Grounds for discipline

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 regulati…

The Department may upon its own motion and shall upon the verified complaint in writing of any person who has been the recipient of an animal through purchase, gift or adoption setting forth facts which if proved would constitute grounds for refusal to issue or renew or for suspension or revocation of a license under t…