Illinois Law & Animal Welfare

Illinois new animal welfare laws (510 ILCS 70) require pet owners to provide a sufficient quantity of good quality, wholesome food and water, adequate shelter & protection from the weather, veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering, and humane care and treatment (Section 3). They prohibit abandonment, abuse and overwork (Section 3.01). They prohibit causing serious injury or death to a companion animal (Section 3.02) (does not apply to euthanization), depictions of animal cruelty (3.03-1), and make animal torture a felony (Section 3.03).

Illinois law now prohibits every aspect of dog fighting, and allows for immediate seizure of equipment used in dog fighting, including vehicles used to transport fighting dogs.

The Animal Welfare Act: FYI. It's mostly confusing, and much is irrelevant to companion animals. But this is the Federal Law governing animals.

Illinois General Assembly: Here you may look up any bill or law (public act) and find it's status in congress.

Lawcrawler: A legal search engine.