Kankakee County, IL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Kankakee County Code § 10-13
- Exempted role
- feral cat caretaker in a TNR program
- Shelter intake rule
- report strays to animal control by next business day
- Microchip scan window
- within 24 hours of intake
- Owner notice before disposal
- at least seven business days
Summary
Kankakee County's animal code exempts feral cat caretakers from being treated as an "owner" when they take part in a trap, spay/neuter, return or release program. Section 10-13 defines "owner" broadly for stray and abandoned dogs and cats but expressly carves out TNR caretakers, so feeding a recognized feral colony does not itself trigger county owner obligations.
(c)"Owner" means any person having a right of property in an animal, who keeps or harbors an animal, who has an animal in his or her care or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her. "Owner" does not include a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, return or release program.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-13, "Acceptance of stray dogs and cats and other animals," defines who counts as an "owner" for the county's animal control chapter: anyone with a property right in an animal, anyone who keeps, harbors or has custody of it, or anyone who knowingly lets a dog remain on property he or she occupies. The same section then excludes a feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, return or release program from that definition, meaning a resident managing a recognized TNR colony in unincorporated Kankakee County is not automatically saddled with the registration, vaccination and at-large duties that sections 10-2 and 10-11 impose on pet owners.
The section also sets rules for shelters and animal care facilities that take in strays: an animal shelter may not accept a stray dog or cat unless it reports the animal to county animal control by the next business day, must scan every intake for a microchip within 24 hours, and must give at least seven business days' notice to a known owner before disposing of an unclaimed animal. If county animal control waives custody of a stray in writing, the shelter holds the animal for the period set by local ordinance before adoption, transfer or euthanasia, at which point ownership passes to the shelter by operation of law.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-13 does not carry its own fine schedule, but a feral cat caretaker who exceeds the TNR exemption, for example by keeping a cat as a de facto pet without registering or vaccinating it, falls back under the general owner duties in sections 10-2 and 10-11, exposing the caretaker to the same registration, rabies-vaccination and running-at-large penalties assessed under the fee schedule in section 18-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does feeding a feral cat colony make me its legal owner in Kankakee County?
What must an animal shelter do when it takes in a stray cat in the county?
How long must a shelter wait before disposing of an unclaimed stray?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kankakee County
Compare Kankakee County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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