10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Kane County, Illinois.
Verified from official government sources
Kane County's Animal Control Ordinance sets no numeric limit on chickens or livestock. Whether you may keep them, and how many, is governed by the Kane County Zoning Ordinance for unincorporated land, or by your city's zoning code inside a municipality.
Any dog not under the immediate control of its owner and found straying or running at large anywhere in Kane County is a public nuisance and may be impounded. "Control" means secured by a leash, on the owner's property, caged, or under voice recall.
Kane County Animal Control Ordinance § 9
Any dog not under the immediate control of its owner or the owner's agent, found straying or running at large... shall be deemed and considered to be a public nuisance. Any dog found running at large or straying in any incorporated or unincorporated area of Kane County... may be apprehended and impounded.
Neither Kane County nor Illinois bans any dog breed. State law (510 ILCS 5/24) bars any local regulation, policy, or ordinance that is breed-specific, and the county's own ordinance states "vicious dogs shall not be classified in a manner that is specific as to breed."
510 ILCS 5/24
Nothing in this Act shall be held to limit in any manner the power of any municipality or other political subdivision... to further control and regulate dogs, cats or other animals... provided that no regulation, policy or ordinance is specific to breed.
Kane County's Animal Control Ordinance does not regulate honeybees. Beekeeping is governed by the Illinois Bees and Apiaries Act (registration with the Department of Agriculture) and by county or municipal zoning for where hives may be sited.
Kane County bars keeping lions, tigers, bears, wolves, coyotes, wolf/coyote hybrids, foxes, crocodilians, and poisonous or life-threatening reptiles, except at approved zoos, circuses, research labs, or veterinary hospitals holding state, USDA, and county permits.
Kane County Animal Control Ordinance § 5-16
Possession of a lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, any hybrid thereof... bear, hyena, wolf, coyote, wolf-dog or coyote-dog hybrid, fox or any member of the vulpes family, any member of the crocodilian family, poisonous reptile, or any other life-threatening reptile shall be prohibited to be kept except at a properly maintained zoologi...
Kane County makes it unlawful to feed any cat or wildlife (except birds) — including hand-feeding or leaving out food — when doing so creates or could create a hazard to public health or safety. Such nuisance feeding is a public nuisance.
Kane County Animal Control Ordinance § 9.4
The feeding of any cat, or other wildlife except birds, including hand feeding or the placing or setting out of food to be left attended or unattended, which creates or has the potential to create a hazard to public health or safety is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and to be unlawful.
Keeping cattle, horses, goats, swine, or other livestock in Kane County is a zoning matter, not an animal-control one. Agricultural-zoned unincorporated parcels generally permit livestock; residential zones restrict it. The animal ordinance adds humane-care and transport rules that apply to all animals.
Kane County Animal Control Ordinance § 23
Each owner shall provide for each of his animals: sufficient quantity of good quality, wholesome food and water; adequate shelter and protection from the weather; veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering; and humane care and treatment.
Kane County has no ordinance section titled "hoarding," but hoarding is enforced through its humane-care and cruelty provisions. Owners must provide food, water, shelter, and vet care (§ 23); neglect or abuse (§ 24) can trigger notice, impoundment, and prosecution.
Kane County Animal Control Ordinance § 24
No person or owner may beat, cruelly treat, torment, starve, overwork or otherwise abuse any animal. No owner may abandon any animal where it may become a public charge or may suffer injury, hunger or exposure.
Kane County's Animal Control Ordinance sets no maximum number of dogs or cats per household. It does require every dog and cat four months or older to be registered and rabies-vaccinated. Cities may set their own per-household pet caps.
Every cat four months or older in Kane County must be inoculated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian and registered with Animal Control, wearing its tag. Feral cats are defined and exempted; nuisance feeding of cats is prohibited.
Kane County Animal Control Ordinance § 8
Every owner of a dog or cat four months or more of age shall cause such dog or cat to be inoculated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Every dog or cat shall have a second rabies vaccination within one year of the first vaccination and every year thereafter.
2 cities in Kane County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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