Hey Look what I found!
I was searching for a way to get some one to help the animals cruelly confined and abused at the neighboring farm. I still can no one to come out but while I was searching, I came across this that spells out our rights as animal keepers in regards to unleashed dogs attacking our livestock. This is from the Illinois Animal Cruelty Manual. I know we’ve had discussions on this forum before about this but this spells out the sections of the Illinois code and says it it plain English! We were right!
(Source: P.A. 93-548, eff. 8-19-03.) (510 ILCS 5/18) (from Ch. 8, par. 368) Sec. 18.
Any owner seeing his or her livestock, poultry, or equidae being injured, wounded, or killed by a dog, not accompanied by or not under the supervision of its owner, may kill such dog.
(Source: P.A. 93-548, eff. 8-19-03.) Sec. 18.1.
The owner or keeper of a dog is liable to a person for all damages caused by the dog pursuing, chasing, worrying, wounding, injuring, or killing any sheep, goats, cattle, horses, mules, poultry, ratites, or swine belonging to that person.
(Source: P.A. 88-600, eff. 9-1-94.) (510 ILCS 5/19) (from Ch. 8, par. 369) Sec. 19.
Any owner having livestock, poultry, or equidae killed or injured by a dog shall, according to the provisions of this Act and upon filing claim and making proper proof, be entitled to receive reimbursement for such losses from the Animal Control Fund; provided, he or she is a resident of this State and such injury or killing is reported to the Administrator within 24 hours after such injury or killing occurs, and makes affidavit stating the number of such animals or poultry killed or injured, the amount of damages and the owner of the dog causing such killing or injury, if known.
The damages referred to in this Section shall be substantiated by the Administrator through prompt investigation and by not less than 2 witnesses. The Administrator shall determine whether the provisions of this Section have been met and shall keep a record in each case of the names of the owners of the animals or poultry, the amount of damages proven, and the number of animals or poultry killed or injured.
The Administrator shall file a written report with the County Treasurer as to the right of an owner of livestock, poultry, or equidae to be paid out of the Animal Control Fund, and the amount of such damages claimed. The County Treasurer shall, on the first Monday in March of each calendar year, pay to the owner of the animals or poultry the amount of damages to which he or she is entitled. The county board, by ordinance, shall establish a schedule for damages reflecting the current market value.
If there are funds in excess of amounts paid for such claims for damage in that portion of the Animal Control Fund set aside for this purpose, this excess shall be used for other costs of the program as set forth in this Act.
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