HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 15-O-25 Amending Title 9, Chapter 4 of the City Code7/7/2025
15-O-25
AN ORDINANCE
Amending Title 9, Chapter 4 of the City Code
WHEREAS, the Evanston Animal Shelter (“Animal Shelter”) takes in
approximately hundredtwo stray, domesticatedunrestrained year,eachanimals
primarily dogs and cats; and
WHEREAS, all Shelter,Animaltheat arrival upon such arestrays
checked for tags or microchips in an attempt to identify the animal’s owner. Where an
owner is identified, the Animal Shelter must hold the animal for seven days pursuant to
Illinois state law; and
WHEREAS, throughidentifiedbecannot such stray’s where owner
microchip, tags, or other means, it is extremely unlikely, in the Animal Shelter’s
experience, that an owner will be identified , especially when no owner comes forward
within the first four days after impoundment; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Shelter has a limited amount of space and
resources available to care for impounded animals and desires, where possible, to
release animals to rescue organizations as quickly as possible if they are not returned
to an owner; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Shelter is also involved in the continued Trap,
Neuter, Release (“TNR”) efforts with respect to fe ral, undomesticated cats and groups
of cats (feral cat colonies); and
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WHEREAS, in order to control the population of feral cats in Evanston and
decrease the spread of diseases such as rabies, the Animal Shelter takes in feral cats
via the TNR program, vaccinates them, and arranges for their sterilization procedures ;
and
WHEREAS, said feral cats, because they have never been or are no
longer socialized to humans, are extremely stressed when in the presence of humans ;
and
WHEREAS, feral cats that are trapped and held at the Evanston Animal
Shelter suffer extreme distress due to the contact with humans and being caged while
they recover from the neuter or spay procedure; and
WHEREAS, unlike cats that have owners that must be notified and given
ample opportunity to retrieve their animal(s), these feral cats have no owners and
therefore themholding necessary absolutelylongerthan after posttheir-surgery
recovery endangers handlers and needlessly prolongs the animal’s extreme distress
and anxiety; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5/10 provides that
the by sodomay animals redeemof wishwhoanimals impoundedowners to
presenting proof of current rabies inoculation and registration or by paying for rabies
inoculation and registration; paying the impoundment entity for the cost of boarding the
animal; paying an additional impoundment fee as prescribed by the County animal
control board; paying a $25 public safety fine to be deposited in the county animal
control fund; and paying for microchipping and registration if not already done; and
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WHEREAS, the Evanston City Council finds that it is in the best interest of
the City of Evanston residents to amend the City Code to reduce the amount of time
that feral cats and stray, socialized animals with no identifiable owner must be held at
the Evanston Animal Shelter.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
EVANSTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS:
SECTION 1: Title 9, Chapter 4 of the Evanston City Code of 2012, as
amended, is hereby further amended as follows:
TITLE 9 – PUBLIC SAFETY
CHAPTER 4 – DOGS, CATS, ANIMALS AND FOWL
9-4-8. - IMPOUNDMENT PROCEDURES.
(A) As used in this section, the following words, terms, and phrases have the following
meanings:
DOMESTICATED ANIMAL:
An animal that is socialized to humans
and is appropriate as a companion to
humans
FERAL:
A cat that is:
(1) born in the wild or is the offspring of
an owned or feral cat and is not
socialized, or
(s) a formerly owned cat that has been
abandoned and is no longer socialized
MICROCHIP:
An electronic animal identification
device implanted in an animal
OWNER:
Any person having a right of property in
an animal or who keeps or harbors an
animal. “Owner” does not include an
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individual or entity that provides food,
water, or shelter to, or otherwise cares
for, a feral, unsocialized cat or group of
such cats.
(B) Disposition of Unredeemed Animals: Unrestrained dogs may be taken by police or
the animal control officer and impounded in an animal shelter, and confined in a
humane manner. Impounded animals whose owner is identifiable, because of
license tag, microchip, or other means must kept for not less than seven (7) days
unless reclaimed, upon a showing of proof of rabies inoculation by their owners.
Impounded, domesticated animals whose owner is not identifiable must kept for
not less than four (4) days unless reclaimed, upon a showing of proof of rabies
inoculation by their owners. If the owner can be identified by a license tag or other
means, the Animal Control Warden must immediately upon impoundment notify
the owner by telephone or mail of the impoun dment of the animal. Domesticated A
animals not claimed by their owners within seven (7) days the time period set forth
in this section become the property of the City of Evanston and any such animal's
subsequent disposition will be in accordance with the policies and procedures set
forth by the City of Evanston.
(C) Disposition of Feral Cats: Feral cats shall, when appropriate in the discretion of the
Animal Warden or the Animal Warden’s designee, be vaccinated and sterilized by
a licensed veterinarian and released from the Animal Warden’s custody and
control as soon as practicable and humane after such procedures are complete.
Where, in the sole discretion of the Animal Warden or the Animal Warden’s
designee, release is inappropriate due to disease or other reasons, the Animal
Warden or the Animal Warden’s designee shall contact the Cook County
Department of Animal and Rabies Control or its successor department for further
instructions.
(D) Redemption of Impounded Animals. An owner claiming an impounded animal shall
pay a fee of ten twenty-five dollars ($10.00 $25.00) plus three dollars ($3.00) for
each day that the animal has been impounded; provided, however, that where
such animal is unlicensed, the fee shall be increased by the cost of the license,
said amount to include the issuance of a license.
(E) Option of Animal Control Warden to Proceed Against Owner For Violation . In
addition to the authority granted in Subsection (A) of this Section 9-4-8, the Animal
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Control Warden, or a police officer, shall issue to any person violating any
provisions of this Chapter a notice of ordinance violation. Such notice shall
disclose the penalty provided by ordinance for such violation which may, at the
discretion of the violator, be paid to the City Collector within ten (10) days of the
issuance of said notice in full satisfaction of the assessed penalty. In the event that
such penalty is not paid within the ten (10) day period, a complaint may be filed in
the circuit court of Cook County and upon conviction thereof the violator shall be
punished in accordance with the provisions of Section 9-4-20 of this Chapter.
SECTION 2: All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3: If any provision of this Ordinance or application thereof to
any person or circumstance is held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such invalidity
shall not affect other provisions or applications of this Ordinance that can be given effect
without thisof applicationeachandinvalidorapplicationinvalidtheprovision,
Ordinance is severable.
SECTION 4: This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect after its
passage and approval.
SECTION 5: The findings and recitals contained herein are declared to
be prima facie evidence of the law of the City and shall be received in evidence as
provided by the Illinois Compiled Statutes and the courts of the State of Illinois.
Introduced: _________________, 202 5
Adopted: ___________________, 202 5
_______________________________
Daniel Biss, Mayor
July 7
September 29
Approved:
_________________________, 2025
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Attest:
_______________________________
Stephanie Mendoza, City Clerk
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Approved as to form:
_________________________________
Alexandra B. Ruggie, Corporation Counsel
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