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1 | AN ACT concerning animals.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Animal Control Act is amended by changing | ||||||
5 | Section 8 as follows:
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6 | (510 ILCS 5/8) (from Ch. 8, par. 358)
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7 | Sec. 8. Rabies inoculation. | ||||||
8 | (a) Every owner of a dog 4 months or more of age shall have | ||||||
9 | each dog
inoculated against rabies
by a licensed veterinarian. | ||||||
10 | Every dog shall
have a second rabies vaccination within one | ||||||
11 | year of the first. Terms of
subsequent
vaccine administration | ||||||
12 | and duration of immunity must be in compliance with USDA
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13 | licenses of vaccines used. | ||||||
14 | (b) Every owner of a cat that is a companion animal and is | ||||||
15 | 4 months or more of age shall have each cat inoculated against | ||||||
16 | rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Every cat that is a | ||||||
17 | companion animal shall have a second rabies vaccination within | ||||||
18 | one year of the first. Terms of subsequent vaccine | ||||||
19 | administration and duration of immunity must be in compliance | ||||||
20 | with USDA licenses of vaccines used. This subsection (b) does | ||||||
21 | not apply to feral cats; however, if a feral cat is presented | ||||||
22 | to a licensed veterinarian for sterilization, the feral cat | ||||||
23 | shall be inoculated against rabies, unless the person |
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1 | presenting the feral cat for care provides an inoculation | ||||||
2 | certificate showing that the feral cat has been inoculated | ||||||
3 | against rabies, and the cost of the inoculation shall be paid | ||||||
4 | by the person presenting the feral cat to a licensed | ||||||
5 | veterinarian for care. | ||||||
6 | (c) A veterinarian immunizing a dog, cat, or ferret against | ||||||
7 | rabies shall provide the Administrator of the county in which | ||||||
8 | the dog, cat, or ferret resides with a certificate of | ||||||
9 | immunization. Evidence of such rabies
inoculation shall be | ||||||
10 | entered on a certificate the form of which shall be
approved by | ||||||
11 | the Board and which shall contain the microchip number of the | ||||||
12 | dog, cat, or ferret if it has one and which shall be signed by | ||||||
13 | the licensed
veterinarian administering the vaccine. Only one | ||||||
14 | dog, cat, or ferret shall be included on each certificate. | ||||||
15 | (d) Veterinarians who inoculate a dog
shall procure from | ||||||
16 | the County Animal
Control in the county where their office is | ||||||
17 | located
serially
numbered tags, one to be issued with each | ||||||
18 | inoculation certificate. The
Board shall cause a rabies
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19 | inoculation tag to be issued, at a fee established by the Board
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20 | for each
dog inoculated against rabies.
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21 | (e) A veterinarian who inoculates a cat that is a companion | ||||||
22 | animal shall issue an inoculation certificate to the owner | ||||||
23 | which shall comply with any registration requirements adopted | ||||||
24 | by the county under Section 3 of this Act. The owner shall pay | ||||||
25 | any fee imposed by the county under Section 3 of this Act. A | ||||||
26 | veterinarian who inoculates a feral cat shall issue an |
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1 | inoculation certificate to the person who presented the feral | ||||||
2 | cat for veterinary care. | ||||||
3 | (f) Rabies vaccine for use on animals shall be sold or | ||||||
4 | distributed only to
and used only by licensed veterinarians. | ||||||
5 | Such rabies vaccine shall be
licensed by the United States | ||||||
6 | Department of Agriculture.
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7 | (g) If a licensed veterinarian determines in writing that a | ||||||
8 | rabies inoculation would compromise an animal's health, then | ||||||
9 | the animal shall be exempt from the rabies inoculation | ||||||
10 | requirement, however, the owner is still responsible for the | ||||||
11 | tag fees. | ||||||
12 | (h) If a bite occurs from an exempt animal, the exempt | ||||||
13 | animal shall be treated as an unvaccinated animal. If the | ||||||
14 | animal is exempt, the animal shall be re-examined by a licensed | ||||||
15 | veterinarian on no less than an annual basis and be vaccinated | ||||||
16 | against rabies as soon as the animal's health permits. | ||||||
17 | (Source: P.A. 99-658, eff. 7-28-16.)
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