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

Section 10-11(b)(1) sets two related running-at-large rules. First, no owner or custodian of any domestic animal or livestock may knowingly let it run at large in the unincorporated county, or in a municipality that has an intergovernmental agreement with the county to enforce this chapter, and owners must provide the restraints needed to prevent that; it is a defense that the owner used reasonable care or had no knowledge the animal was loose. Second, and specifically for dogs, any dog off its owner's or custodian's property without a leash or other restraint is automatically deemed to be running at large, a stricter standard than the general livestock rule.

A dog or other animal found running at large is declared a public nuisance under section 10-11(b)(5) and can be apprehended and impounded, or destroyed on the spot by police if it cannot be safely caught. A second running-at-large violation for the same animal requires the animal be spayed or neutered before it can be reclaimed, unless it already is. 00 public safety fee required by state law, split between the county's pet population control fund and its general animal control fund.