Waukegan, IL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Basis for declaration
- Unprovoked bite, chase, or attack
- Appeal window
- 7 days to file, 21 days to hearing
- Holding period
- 10 days after written notice
- Fine
- Not less than $500.00 plus costs
- Mandatory destruction
- Required if dog caused a death
- Exempt
- Vet hospitals, law-enforcement K-9s
Summary
Waukegan does not ban dogs by breed; instead Sec. 4-101 lets the chief of police declare an individual dog 'dangerous' after an unprovoked attack, impound it during the investigation, and order humane destruction if it injured or killed a person or pet, subject to a seven-day appeal window.
(c)Prohibition. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain, within the city:(1)A dog which has been declared by the chief of police or his/her designee to be a dangerous dog.(2)A dog which has been declared by any city, state, or other governmental unit to be a dangerous dog under a substantially similar regulation and process.(g)Penalty. A person who violates this section shall be punished by a civil fine of not less than $500.00 plus costs. The court may also order a person found to have committed a violation to pay restitution, including but not limited to reimbursement of impoundment expenses, reasonable costs incurred for the care and maintenance of the animal, and/or veterinary expenses. Each separate incident or animal so mistreated constitutes a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 113).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-101 defines an 'unprovoked' incident as one where a peacefully behaving victim was bitten, chased in a menacing fashion, or attacked, and excludes cases where the dog was defending itself or its owner from a trespasser or attacker. Once a report comes in, an animal control officer must investigate and may require a sworn affidavit before the chief of police or a designee decides whether the dog meets the 'dangerous dog' definition in Sec. 4-1; where there is probable cause the dog can be impounded at the owner's expense pending that determination, and impoundment is mandatory once the dog has actually caused injury or death.
If the chief of police declares the dog dangerous, the owner gets written notice describing the specific behavior and dates behind the finding and the right to appeal, and the dog is held for ten days to allow that appeal to be filed. A dog that caused an injury may be ordered humanely destroyed depending on severity; a dog that caused a death must be. Sec. 4-101(c) then makes it unlawful to keep any dog declared dangerous by Waukegan or by another government under a substantially similar process, and the exemptions in subsection (e) exclude veterinary hospitals treating a dangerous dog and law-enforcement K-9s.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 4-101(g) sets a civil fine of not less than $500.00 plus costs for keeping a declared dangerous dog in violation of the section, and the court can add restitution covering impoundment expenses, care and maintenance costs, and veterinary expenses; each dog or incident is a separate offense. A dangerous-dog citation also triggers the mandatory court appearance requirement under Sec. 4-19(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Waukegan restrict dogs by breed, like pit bulls?
Can I appeal if my dog is declared dangerous?
What happens to a dog that killed a person or pet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukegan
How Waukegan compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Waukegan to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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