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Illinois Statutes Chapter 510. Animals § 70/3.03. Animal torture

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

§ 3.03. Animal torture.

(a) A person commits animal torture when that person without legal justification knowingly or intentionally tortures an animal. For purposes of this Section, and subject to subsection (b), “torture” means infliction of or subjection to extreme physical pain, motivated by an intent to increase or prolong the pain, suffering, or agony of the animal.

(b) For the purposes of this Section, “animal torture” does not include any death, harm, or injury caused to any animal by any of the following activities:

(1) any hunting, fishing, trapping, or other activity allowed under the Wildlife Code,  1 the Wildlife Habitat Management Areas Act,  2 or the Fish and Aquatic Life Code;  3

(2) any alteration or destruction of any animal done by any person or unit of government pursuant to statute, ordinance, court order, or the direction of a licensed veterinarian;

(3) any alteration or destruction of any animal by any person for any legitimate purpose, including, but not limited to: castration, culling, declawing, defanging, ear cropping, euthanasia, gelding, grooming, neutering, polling, shearing, shoeing, slaughtering, spaying, tail docking, and vivisection; and

(4) any other activity that may be lawfully done to an animal.

(c) A person convicted of violating this Section is guilty of a Class 3 felony. As a condition of the sentence imposed under this Section, the court shall order the offender to undergo a psychological or psychiatric evaluation and to undergo treatment that the court determines to be appropriate after due consideration of the evaluation.

1 520 ILCS 5/1.1 et seq.
2 520 ILCS 20/0.01 et seq.
3 515 ILCS 5/1-1 et seq.
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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Illinois Statutes Chapter 510. Animals § 70/3.03. Animal torture - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/il/chapter-510-animals/il-st-sect-510-70-3-03/

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