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

Section 14-68 of the Winnebago County Code prohibits any dog owner from causing or permitting a dog to run at large in the unincorporated areas of the county. Enforcement is complaint-driven through the animal services department, and the only stated exception is a dog present on another person's property with that owner's permission.

An animal services officer or any peace officer is authorized to impound a loose dog under Sec. 14-112(a)(5), which covers dogs "at large in the unincorporated areas of the county that have been subdivided for residential purposes." Once impounded, Sec. 14-113 requires the department to mail the owner a notice, and Sec. 14-114 gives the owner seven days to redeem the dog by presenting proof of current rabies inoculation and registration (or paying for both), plus boarding costs and a service pickup fee.

The fee schedule at Sec. 14-116 sets the impoundment handling charge at $15 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $75 for any later offense if the dog wears a current registration tag; a dog picked up without a current tag is charged $35 regardless of offense count. A second running-at-large offense also triggers a mandatory spay charge of $175 or neuter charge of $145, plus an additional $25 fine, under Sec. 14-116(13).

Beyond those impoundment fees, Sec. 14-6 sets the criminal penalty for the whole chapter: a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense. Animal services or any law enforcement officer can issue a ticket for a running-at-large charge, letting the owner plead guilty in writing and pay the minimum fine without a court appearance, or contest it by pleading not guilty by the date printed on the ticket.