SB1362 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 07887 MGM 28027 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB1362

Introduced 2/18/2015, by Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

510 ILCS 5/2.11b-2 new
510 ILCS 5/10	from Ch. 8, par. 360
510 ILCS 5/15.5 new

Amends the Animal Control Act. Provides that each Administrator shall post on his or her website: (1) all locations in the county that impound dogs and cats; (2) the operating hours of those locations; (3) the contact information for those locations; and (4) the applicable redemption fees for dogs and cats. Provides that any dog found to be vicious must be listed in a database by the Administrator or Director, along with any other dangerous wild animals. Provides that the database shall include the name, current address, contact information, and other pertinent information of the owner, and the database shall be made available to first responders in the region in order to put them on notice before they respond to a call to any location.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning animals.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Animal Control Act is amended by changing Section 10 and by adding Sections 2.11b-2 and 15.5 as follows:

(510 ILCS 5/2.11b-2 new)

Sec. 2.11b-2. First responder. "First responder" means and includes all fire departments and districts, law enforcement agencies and officials, emergency medical responders, and emergency management officials who would be called to the scene of an emergency.

(510 ILCS 5/10) (from Ch. 8, par. 360)

Sec. 10. Impoundment; redemption. When dogs or cats are apprehended and impounded, 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 Administrator shall make every reasonable attempt to contact the owner as defined by Section 2.16, agent, or caretaker as soon as possible. The Administrator shall give notice of not less than 7 business days to the owner, agent, or caretaker prior to disposal of the animal. Such notice shall be mailed to the last known address of the owner, agent, or caretaker. Testimony of the Administrator, or his or her authorized agent, who mails such notice shall be evidence of the receipt of such 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 Administrator 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 the dog or cat to another humane shelter, 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 control facility may proceed with the adoption, transfer, or euthanization.

In order to increase redemptions of lost or missing dogs and cats, each Administrator shall post on his or her website: (1) all locations in the county that impound dogs and cats; (2) the operating hours of those locations; (3) the contact information for those locations; and (4) the applicable redemption fees for dogs and cats.

In case the owner, agent, or caretaker of any impounded dog or cat desires to make redemption thereof, he or she may do so by doing the following:

a. Presenting proof of current rabies inoculation and registration, if applicable.

b. Paying for the rabies inoculation of the dog or cat and registration, if applicable.

c. Paying the pound for the board of the dog or cat for the period it was impounded.

d. Paying into the Animal Control Fund an additional impoundment fee as prescribed by the Board as a penalty for the first offense and for each subsequent offense.

e. Paying a $25 public safety fine to be deposited into the Pet Population Control Fund; the fine shall be waived if it is the dog's or cat's first impoundment and the owner, agent, or caretaker has the animal spayed or neutered within 14 days.

f. Paying for microchipping and registration if not already done.

The payments required for redemption under this Section shall be in addition to any other penalties invoked under this Act and the Illinois Public Health and Safety Animal Population Control Act. An animal control agency shall assist and share information with the Director of Public Health in the collection of public safety fines.

(Source: P.A. 97-240, eff. 1-1-12.)

(510 ILCS 5/15.5 new)

Sec. 15.5. Vicious dog database. Any dog found to be vicious must be listed in a database by the Administrator or Director, along with any other dangerous wild animals. The database shall include the name, current address, contact information, and other pertinent information of the owner. The database shall be made available to first responders in the region in order to put them on notice before they respond to a call to any location.