Current Law: Illinois Dangerous Animals Act

2014 Legislation

HB 5940 Short Description: CRIM CD-DANGEROUS ANIMALS

HB 5940 Text February 14, 2014

2012 Legislation

Bill Status of SB3264 97th General Assembly: DANGEROUS ANIMALS ACT-PERMIT

TEXT SB3264 PDF

NOTES: This bill needs to be killed. The existing law Illinois Dangerous Animals Act currently reads and bans from non commercial, non licensed, aka 'pet' ownership the  following: "Dangerous animal" means a lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, bear, hyena, wolf or coyote, or any poisonous or life-threatening reptile. and "Primate" means a nonhuman member of the order primate, including but not limited to chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, bonobo, gibbon, monkey, lemur, loris, aye-aye, and tarsier. The current "life-threatening reptile" wording is rather vague, does it mean animals like crocodiles, or any turtle that has salmonella?

The proposed legislation TEXT SB3264 would repeal the existing law, and replace it with a multispecies ban with few exemptions. It would ban harmless animals such as small reptiles, insects, amphibians, wolf dogs/hybrids, small mammals, and possibly F1-F4 exotic/domestic cat hybrids, depends on how one reads the definitions, etc...This bill needs to be killed. Trying to remove certain animals/species from the bill is only short term solution, as the following clause/paragraph allows the proposed Dangerous Animal Advisory Committee to review periodically the list of dangerous animals, and add to it on the species or individual level anytime later. (They can add exotic/domestic cat hybrids, etc. later):

(19) Other animals that the Director, after consulting with the Dangerous Animal Advisory Council, designates, by  administrative rule, as dangerous animals.

(20) Any individual animal identified by an authorized law enforcement officer, which is not specifically listed

The proposed bill also unfairly exempts private Pat Derby's of PAWS sanctuary club TAOS, which actually no longer exists.

"Wildlife sanctuary" means any non-profit organization that:
(1) is exempt from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code;
(2) is accredited by the Association of Sanctuaries (TAOS);
 

The currently active, private sanctuary clubs (not mentioned by name in the Illinois bill) are Tippi Hedren's ASA, American Sanctuary Association and HSUS/Born Free controlled GFAS, Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries , which tried to get exempt from legislation in Texas last year.

The insurance requirement is insane considering many harmless species listed: Prior to the issuance of the permit, the applicant must provide  proof of liability insurance in the amount of $100,000 for each  dangerous animal up to a maximum of $1,000,000. 

2010 Legislation

HB 4801, Pet Primate Ban  Passed Both Houses on 4/27/2010, and was Sent to the Governor on 5/26/2010
 

HB4801 DANGEROUS ANIMALS-PRIMATES

HB4801 PDF TEXT

Introduced on 1/12/2010 by Rep. Daniel J. Burke (Democrat, 23rd District)

Statutes Amended In Order of Appearance
720 ILCS 585/0.1 from Ch. 8, par. 240
720 ILCS 585/1 from Ch. 8, par. 241
Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act. Prohibits a person from having a right of property in, keeping, harboring, caring for, acting as custodian of or maintaining in his or her possession any primate, except at a properly maintained zoological park, federally licensed exhibit, circus, college or university, scientific institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital, hound running area, or animal refuge in an escape-proof enclosure. Provides that this provision does not prohibit a person who had lawful possession of a primate before January 1, 2011, from continuing to possess that primate if the person registers the animal by providing written notification to the local animal control administrator on or before April 1, 2011. Provides for other notification requirements.
 

Skunk Issues:

VIDEO: Skunks as pets?

Legalize domesticated skunks petition

"Death Row" Skunk Poster

In the news:

Getting behind skunks: Fayette County couple want lawmakers to allow them into homes 3/3/2008

Legislator from urban district considers skunk law  2/15/2008

Support bill that protects skunks By Calvin Wilson 2/14/2008

Pass state law to allow domestic pet skunks By Ken Walker 2/13/2008

Gift sparks effort to change law on skunks 2/10/2008

Illinois Wildlife Code
Illinois Domesticated Animals Act

Striped skunks make wonderful safe pets and have been mislabeled and unfairly banned in the state of Illinois. Many neighbor states allow domestic (pen raised) skunks as household pets (Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky). They are a non-aggressive animal and when properly cared for have been proven to be no risk to human or other pet health or safety.

Also send your message thru Grassroots Action Center

For more information on pet skunks, see SkunkHaven

Bullet Points:

1.Like any mammal, including our domestic cat and dog, skunks are rabies vector, but pet skunks are no more risk to public health than your domestics. No domestic skunk can spray (no defenses); skunks dig, are curious, have no homing instinct. i.e. if you leave your skunk in your fenced in back yard and go to work, when you get home, skunk dug under fence to see what is there, got lost, and a predator more than likely got it. They are indoor house pets and like cat-toys, similar diet to any small pet, litter box, etc...

2 Eventually there will have to be approved rabies vaccine (Canada has one Imrab3).Right now estimates are it would cost 1/2 million dollars, not much money really, if there were an epidemic outbreak in the WILD population, our tax dollars would pay for it . How much more costly would it be when various state agencies across the country are paying the bill.

3 Here's a twist no one ever tried. Skunks are the Original American Companion Animal, they were the "noble striped creatures befriended by the natives" from Christopher Columbus' writings.

Key line: It is shameful to see a country with such a proud heritage abandon and neglect one of its original inhabitants most noble and loyal companions. It saddens me to see that we have reduced this wonderful creature to a status of nuisance animal and established no law allowing any compassion to be shown to this species. These beloved animals deserve to be loved and understood.
Specifics: Please support hopefully soon to be introduced amendment to HB4632 eliminating the ban on striped skunks in Illinois. Establish a permit policy promoting responsible ownership of these marvelous animals.

For more info contact Dominique Durbin at driller_dominique@yahoo.com or see her website

History on pet skunk ban in Illinois

Because of the risk of rabies in wild animals (especially raccoons, skunks, coyotes, foxes, and bats), the AVMA, CSTE, NACA, and NASPHV strongly recommend the enactment and enforcement of state laws prohibiting their importation, distribution, translocation, and private ownership. More HERE

For more on Illinois rabies cases, see Illinois Department of Public Health - Rabies. However, as the table below shows, wild skunks are not causing rabies epidemic in Illinois, and domestic pet skunks, who are indoor animals ,should be legalized.

www.REXANO.org