How Joliet Handles Animal Ordinances: A Practical Guide

Joliet maintains 95 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with animal ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Joliet falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Bird Protection

Joliet makes it illegal to catch, detain, kill or molest a banded or marked pigeon, whether the bird is a homing, high-flying or air-performing pigeon carrying an owner's identification. The rule protects racing and show pigeons even when they land on someone else's property.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 6-9. Protected class: Banded/marked pigeons only. Fine range: $150.00-$750.00 (Sec. 1-8). Related section: § 6-8, fowl property damage.

Violating Sec. 6-9 is a Code of Ordinances offense; because the section lists no dedicated fine, it falls under the general penalty in Sec. 1-8, punishable by a fine of not less than $150.00 nor more than $750.00 per offense, plus costs, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.

Chickens & Livestock

Joliet bans keeping chickens and other farm animals citywide unless the property qualifies as a 'farm' under the zoning ordinance, so a typical residential lot cannot keep backyard hens. A narrow exception lets households keep one spayed or neutered potbellied pig under strict fencing, tusk-trimming and vaccination rules.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 6-10(c). Chickens/fowl allowed: Only on zoned 'farm' land. Potbellied pig limit: 1 per residence, fenced 4 ft+. Adopted: Ord. No. 17547, 12-6-16. Fine range: $150.00-$750.00 (Sec. 1-8).

A violation of Sec. 6-10 carries no dedicated fine in the Code's fine schedule, so it is punished under the general penalty in Sec. 1-8: a fine of $150.00 to $750.00 per offense, plus costs, with each day the animal is unlawfully kept treated as a separate offense.

This is one of the stricter rules in Joliet's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Exotic Pets

Joliet outright bans owning or keeping any dangerous animal or primate as defined by state law, plus a detailed list of exotic species including alligators, bears, venomous snakes and non-domestic cats or dogs, anywhere within city limits. Zoos, licensed exhibitions and circuses are the only carve-out.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 6-10(a)-(b). State definition referenced: 720 ILCS 5/48-10. Exception: Zoos, licensed exhibits, circuses. Adopted: Ord. No. 17547, 12-6-16. Fine range: $150.00-$750.00 (Sec. 1-8).

Violating Sec. 6-10's dangerous or exotic animal ban is punished under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-8, since no dedicated fine is listed for this section: a fine of $150.00 to $750.00 per offense, plus costs, with each day of continued possession charged as a separate offense; the city may also seek civil enforcement to remove the animal.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Joliet actively enforces its exotic pets requirements.

Wildlife Feeding

Joliet bans feeding wild animals or waterfowl, including ducks, geese, and gulls, on public or private property when it creates an unclean, unsafe, or unsanitary condition. The nuisance declaration under Code of Ordinances Sec. 20-35 carries a $500.00 fine per offense under Sec. 20-36.

Key details: Governing sections: Code of Ordinances Sec. 20-34 to 20-36. Fine per offense: $500.00 (Sec. 1-8(d) fine schedule). Adopted by: Ordinance No. 17806, July 17, 2018. Bird feeders: Exempt if well-maintained (Sec. 20-35(b)). Continuing violations: Each day is a separate offense (Sec. 1-8(a)).

Violating Sec. 20-35 is punishable under Sec. 20-36, and the city's consolidated fine schedule in Sec. 1-8(d) lists a flat $500.00 penalty for a violation of Sec. 20-36, feeding of wild animals prohibited. Because Sec. 1-8(a) makes every day a violation continues a separate offense, repeated or ongoing feeding that keeps drawing waterfowl onto a property can generate multiple $500.00 fines rather than a single citation.

Pet Store Rules

Joliet outlaws operating or participating in a puppy mill and bans operating as an unlicensed dog breeder under City Code Sec. 6-34. Anyone commercially reselling dogs must source them consistent with the state Animal Welfare Act, and no one may separate a puppy from its mother before it turns eight weeks old, per Sec. 6-33.

Key details: Minimum age to sell/transfer puppy: 8 weeks (Sec. 6-33). Puppy mill operation: Prohibited citywide, Sec. 6-34. Unlicensed breeding: Code violation, Sec. 6-34. Pet shop license: Required, business license dept.. Sourcing standard: Must meet 225 ILCS 605/3.8.

Operating or participating in a puppy mill, or operating as an unlicensed breeder, is a Code violation under Sec. 6-34, enforced by Joliet police and the animal control officer. Selling a dog obtained inconsistent with the state sourcing rule, or separating a puppy from its mother before eight weeks, violates Sec. 6-33. Operating a pet shop without a city license, or violating the Article XIII disclosure and inspection requirements, can lead to license denial or revocation.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Joliet actively enforces its pet store rules requirements.

Microchipping

Joliet will not release an impounded dog back to its owner until the dog is microchipped at the owner's expense, on top of proof of ownership, rabies inoculation and payment of all applicable fees. Dogs formally declared dangerous face a second, independent microchip mandate under the dangerous-dog rules.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 6-24. When required: Before release of an impounded dog. Cost: At owner's expense. Dangerous dog rule: Separate mandate, § 6-28(b)(5)c. Related fine: $150.00-$750.00 (Sec. 1-8).

A dog cannot be released from the animal control center under Sec. 6-24 until it is microchipped and all fees are paid; refusal to comply keeps the dog impounded. Under Sec. 6-28(d)(1), failing to microchip a dog after a dangerous-dog order is enforced under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-8: $150.00 to $750.00 per offense, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.

Coyote Management

Joliet's Code defines coyotes, deer, foxes, raccoons, and other non-domesticated animals as 'wild animals' and bans feeding them, or waterfowl, in a manner that creates unclean, unsafe, or unsanitary conditions, under City Code Sections 20-2 and 20-35. The rule targets nuisance-level feeding, such as luring waterfowl into yards, not incidental feeding, and carries a $500 fine.

Key details: Wild animal defined to include: Coyotes, deer, foxes, raccoons. Trigger: Unclean/unsafe/unsanitary condition. Fine: $500 fine schedule amount. Exempt: Well-maintained bird feeders. Exempt: Incidental, sporadic feeding.

Feeding a wild animal or waterfowl so that it creates an unclean, unsafe, or unsanitary condition is a nuisance violation under Section 20-35, punishable by a $500 fine under the city's fine schedule at Section 20-36. Incidental feeding, such as a single piece of bread or an ear of corn on a squirrel feeder, and feeding songbirds from a well-maintained feeder, are expressly exempt under Sections 20-34 and 20-35(b).

Dog Leash Laws

Joliet bars owners from letting a dog run at large anywhere in the city; any dog found on a public street, sidewalk, alley or unenclosed area without a firm leash or an enclosed vehicle is deemed at large. A second at-large offense triggers mandatory sterilization within 30 days at the owner's expense.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 6-22. Restraint required: Firm leash or enclosed vehicle. Impound hold: 7 business days (§ 6-23). 2nd offense: Sterilization within 30 days. Fine range: $150.00-$750.00 (Sec. 1-8).

A first at-large violation of Sec. 6-22 is punished under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-8: a fine of $150.00 to $750.00 per offense, plus costs, with each day a violation continues counted separately. A second or later at-large finding also triggers mandatory sterilization within 30 days of reclaiming the dog, and failure to sterilize in time results in impoundment with the sterilization cost billed to the owner.

Breed Restrictions

Joliet has no breed ban; instead it runs a behavior-based dangerous and vicious dog declaration process after any dog attack, with an administrative hearing, mandatory leash-and-muzzle rules, $100,000 liability insurance, warning signage, and euthanasia for dogs found vicious.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 6-28. Basis: Behavior after attack, not breed. Liability insurance: $100,000 minimum. Leash length: 6 feet max, muzzled. Appeal window: 35 days (vicious finding).

Sec. 6-28(d) makes any violation of the section, including failure to comply with a dangerous-dog order, punishable under the Code's general penalty in Sec. 1-8: a fine of $150.00 to $750.00 per offense, plus costs, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. A dog found vicious must be euthanized by a date certain, and if the owner fails to comply, police or their designee may seize the dog and euthanize it at the owner's expense; the city may also seek civil injunctive relief and recover attorney's fees if it prevails.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Joliet actively enforces its breed restrictions requirements.

Beekeeping

Joliet prohibits keeping bee apiaries on residential property under Section 6-10(c), which bans all farm animals including bees within the city except on property meeting the farm definition in the zoning ordinance.

Key details: Code Section: Sec. 6-10(c). Residential: Prohibited. Exception: Farm property only (Sec. 47-3.9(c)). State Preemption: None.

Fines up to $750 per offense under Section 1-8. Bees may be ordered removed.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Joliet actively enforces its beekeeping requirements.

The Bottom Line

Joliet is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Joliet, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Joliet's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.