(510 ILCS 70/3.04)
Sec. 3.04. Arrests and seizures; penalties.
(a) Any law enforcement officer making an arrest for an offense involving one or more companion animals under Section 3.01, 3.02, or 3.03 of this Act may lawfully take possession of some or all of the companion animals in the possession of the person arrested. The officer, after taking possession of the companion animals, must file with the court before whom the complaint is made against any person so arrested an affidavit stating the name of the person charged in the complaint, a description of the condition of the companion animal or companion animals taken, and the time and place the companion animal or companion animals were taken, together with the name of the person from whom the companion animal or companion animals were taken and name of the person who claims to own the companion animal or companion animals if different from the person from whom the companion animal or companion animals were seized. He or she must at the same time deliver an inventory of the companion animal or companion animals taken to the court of competent jurisdiction. The officer must place the companion animal or companion animals in the custody of an animal control or animal shelter and the agency must retain custody of the companion animal or companion animals subject to an order of the court adjudicating the charges on the merits and before which the person complained against is required to appear for trial. The State's Attorney may, within 14 days after the seizure, file a "petition for forfeiture prior to trial" before the court having criminal jurisdiction over the alleged charges, asking for permanent forfeiture of the companion animals seized. The petition shall be filed with the court, with copies served on the impounding agency, the owner, and anyone claiming an interest in the animals. In a "petition for forfeiture prior to trial", the burden is on the prosecution to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the person arrested violated Section 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, or 4.01 of this Act or Section 26-5 or 48-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012.
(b) An owner whose companion animal or companion animals are removed by a law enforcement officer under this Section must be given written notice of the circumstances of the removal and of any legal remedies available to him or her. The notice must be posted at the place of seizure, or delivered to a person residing at the place of seizure or, if the address of the owner is different from the address of the person from whom the companion animal or companion animals were seized, delivered by registered mail to his or her last known address.
(c) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, upon conviction for violating Sections 3, 3.01, 3.02, or 3.03 the court may order the convicted person to forfeit to an animal control or animal shelter the animal or animals that are the basis of the conviction. Upon an order of forfeiture, the convicted person is deemed to have permanently relinquished all rights to the animal or animals that are the basis of the conviction. The forfeited animal or animals shall be adopted or humanely euthanized. In no event may the convicted person or anyone residing in his or her household be permitted to adopt the forfeited animal or animals. The court, additionally, may order that the convicted person and persons dwelling in the same household as the convicted person who conspired, aided, or abetted in the unlawful act that was the basis of the conviction, or who knew or should have known of the unlawful act, may not own, harbor, or have custody or control of any other animals for a period of time that the court deems reasonable.
(Source: P.A. 97-1108, eff. 1-1-13; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015