Cook County, IL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Code §§ 10-77 to 10-88
- Breed classification
- expressly barred, Sec. 10-78(g)(5)
- Vicious-dog finding
- requires Circuit Court petition
- Vicious dog confinement
- spay/neuter, microchip, approved enclosure
- Worst penalty
- Class 4 felony if dog kills
Summary
Cook County can declare a dog "dangerous" or "vicious" and order confinement after an attack, but Code Sec. 10-78(g)(5) expressly forbids classifying vicious dogs by breed: the ordinance regulates behavior, not breed.
(a)A dog may be declared vicious if the Court determines that without justification, the dog attacks a person or companion animal causing serious physical injury or death, or any individual dog that has been found to be a "dangerous dog" upon three separate occasions. ... (5)Vicious dogs shall not be classified in a manner that is specific as to breed.
Full Breakdown
The Code defines a vicious dog as one that, without justification, attacks a person or companion animal causing serious injury or death, or any dog found "dangerous" three separate times (Sec. 10-77). A vicious-dog finding requires a Circuit Court petition proven by clear and convincing evidence (Sec. 10-78); a dangerous-dog finding follows an Administrator investigation with notice and appeal rights (Sec. 10-81, 10-84). Vicious dogs must be spayed or neutered, microchipped, and confined to an Administrator-approved enclosure, muzzled and leashed to six feet whenever taken outside it (Sec. 10-79, 10-80). Sec. 10-78(g)(5) bars classifying vicious dogs by breed, consistent with Illinois's statewide ban on breed-specific ordinances.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a vicious dog outside its approved enclosure is unlawful; if the owner knowingly ignores a court or Administrator order and the dog seriously injures someone, it's a Class A misdemeanor, or a Class 4 felony if the dog kills someone (Sec. 10-80, 10-88).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cook County ban specific dog breeds?
What happens once a dog is declared vicious?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
How Cook County compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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