Kankakee County, IL Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Sec. 121-99(c)(2) places animal farms raising exotic animals among the A1 Agriculture district's special uses rather than its permitted uses, meaning the operation cannot begin until the zoning board of appeals reviews it and the county board approves a special use permit. The provision names fox, mink, and chinchilla specifically alongside hogs, chickens, turkeys, dairy cows, horses, and other farm animals, and applies whenever the animal farm is not accessory to the pursuit of agriculture, that is, when raising the animals is itself the business rather than a sideline to crop or dairy farming.

Two physical standards apply regardless of species: no building or structure housing the operation may sit nearer than 200 feet from a lot line, and the lot itself must be no smaller than five acres. The A2 Agriculture Estate district cross-references the same standard for its residents: Sec. 121-100(b)(2)k permits keeping of exotic animals in A2 only as regulated under Sec. 121-99(c)(2), so the 200-foot setback and special use process carry over to estate-zoned parcels rather than being relaxed there. Applications go through the county planning department, which forwards them to the zoning board of appeals for a recommendation before the county board makes the final decision, the same track used for other A1 special uses such as commercial composting facilities and mining operations.