Will County, IL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

14 makes it unlawful for an owner "to permit at any time their domestic and companion animal to run uncontrolled," with the sole built-in exemption covering feral cats. Any animal caught running loose "may be apprehended and impounded in the manner provided in this chapter" by Animal Protection Services, meaning a wandering dog or cat can be picked up and taken to the county shelter regardless of time of day. The ordinance carves out two narrow exceptions that keep working and recreating dogs from being cited: a dog "actively engaged in a legal hunting activity, including training" is not running at large if it is on land open to hunting or land the handler has permission to use, and a dog in a designated dog-friendly area or dog park is not running at large as long as a person is monitoring or supervising it.

01 is broad, covering "canines, felines, and equines" and any animal the owner considers a pet, so the at-large ban reaches more than just dogs. Enforcement runs through the County's Animal Protection Services division, and the underlying statutory hook is 510 ILCS 5/9, the state Animal Control Act's at-large provision, which the county ordinance implements locally. The section was last amended by Ord. 24-19, passed January 18, 2024, replacing earlier 1999, 2001 and 2006 resolutions.