UPDATE

A plan to require owners of “dangerous animals” to pay for permits and insurance policies provoked lively discussion in the Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee.

Senate Bill 3264, sponsored by Senator Heather Steans (D-7th), would update Illinois’ Dangerous Animals Act for the first time since 1969. It doesn’t ban any particular species but adds to the list of animals considered dangerous and requires their owners to get permits, liability insurance, and microchips for their pets.

“Too often we hear stories of dangerous animals that escape from their owners’ supervision, posing a significant safety threat to anyone who may come in contact with these animals,” Steans said. “If an exotic animal is being kept in an unnatural habitat in a residential setting, we are obligated to ensure we have taken steps to protect the safety of the owner as well as the safety of those in the community.”

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Illinois Science Teachers’ Association appeared in support of the bill; dozens of opponents – many of them owners of exotic animals that might soon be deemed dangerous – also attended the hearing. Opponents and members of the committee expressed a few concerns about the bill, including the broadness of DNR’s authority to declare animals dangerous, while supporters believe the legislation is needed to protect both the public and the animals themselves.

The bill is being held in committee while Sen. Steans and DNR listen to animal owners’ concerns and prepare an amendment.

02-07-12

When lions, tigers, bears and other exotic animals were deliberately set free in October, terrorizing an Ohio town, it brought new national attention to the shortcomings in many states dangerous animal laws.

In response, State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) has introduced legislation that establishes new Illinois guidelines regarding ownership of a variety of dangerous animals.

“Too often we hear stories of dangerous animals that escape from their owner’s supervision, posing a significant safety threat to anyone who may come in contact with these animals,” Steans said. “If an exotic animal is being kept in an unnatural habitat in a residential setting, we are obligated to ensure we have taken steps to protect the safety of the owner as well as the safety of those in the community.”

The Ohio incident ended with more than 50 animals, including rare Bengal tigers, being shot and killed by authorities to protect the nearby community. The animals had been intentionally set loose by the owner of the exotic animal farm where they’d been kept.

Since then, states across the nation are re-examining what, in many cases, are decades old laws pertaining to the possession and housing of dangerous and venomous animals and reptiles.

Proposed changes to the Dangerous Animals Act include the registration of certain animals with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Department will require a Dangerous Animal Permit for large animals such as bears and tigers as well as certain snakes and reptiles. The legislation also establishes certain responsibilities for an exotic animal owner, including specific record keeping requirements and a minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance coverage for each exotic animal owned.

In 2010, Illinois joined a number of states that ban the possession of monkeys as pets after several instances of violent attacks against their owners, including a Connecticut case where a chimpanzee mauled and disfigured its owner.

The current proposal introduced by Steans would not ban the possession of any additional animals, instead relying on measures to control the possession of these dangerous animals.