Learn About Animal Control in Waukegan, Illinois

If you have been bitten or otherwise injured by a dog or other pet, you should report the incident to Animal Control in Waukegan, Illinois. Animal Control is a branch of the Waukegan Police Department, so you can report a dog bite directly to Animal Control during weekday office hours or through the police during other hours.

Waukegan animal ordinances have provisions for impounding dangerous dogs and requiring rabies vaccines and testing, however, the city has no requirements for owners of dangerous animals to compensate victims for damage or medical costs incurred because of a dog bite or attack.

To be reimbursed for medical costs or other sufferings as a result of a dog bite in Waukegan, you more likely will need to contact the dog owner directly or consider suing the owner. You can avoid the cost of an expensive attorney by using DoNotPay to seek compensation.

About Waukegan Animal Control

Waukegan Animal Control is responsible for enforcing the city's animal ordinances, educating the public about animal control and welfare, and ensuring the welfare of animals within the city limits. Among the services performed by Animal Control are:

• Lost and found: Animal Control collects found pets and seeks to reunite them with owners and maintains a Facebook page where owners can report lost pets.
• Vaccinations: Waukegan Animal Control offers parvo and distemper shots for dogs and puppies and feline rhino shots for cats and kittens.
• Microchipping: Animal Control performs microchipping for pets.
• Complaints: Animal Control responds to complaints such as barking dogs, pets roaming free, and animal welfare checks.
• Unwanted pets: Owners can surrender unwanted pets for a fee.

Waukegan Animal Control does not handle adoptions directly but works through local rescue groups to find new homes for abandoned or unwanted pets.

Pet licenses are handled through the city collector's office in City Hall.

Waukegan Animal Control Location, Hours, and Contact Details

Waukegan Animal Control operates from a facility at 1698 N. McAree Road with office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. After-hours calls can be made to the Waukegan Police administrative line, and Animal Control officers are on-call to respond to reports of vicious dogs, etc. Waukegan Animal Control also operates a Facebook page where residents can post photos of lost and found pets.

Contact Details

Waukegan Dog Bite Laws

Waukegan requires owners to report within 24 hours whenever an animal has bitten another animal or person, according to the city's Code of Ordinances Sec. 4-12. But the ordinance is more concerned with the spread of rabies and whether the animal needs to be quarantined than with any damage the animal might have inflicted.

Waukegan also has a dangerous dog ordinance (Sec. 4-101) that allows officers to impound dangerous animals, but that also protects owners if the incident occurs on the owner's property or if officers deem the victim provoked the attack by taunting or abusing the animals.

Nothing in the code addresses compensation for the victim of a vicious attack by an animal, even if the animal was previously determined to be a vicious animal.

Can You Send Demand Letters To Someone for Dog Bites?

Because Waukegan animal control ordinances do not address compensation for victims of a dog bite or attack, turning to the courts might be your only opportunity to be paid for medical treatment or trauma. You can seek to be reimbursed for medical expenses on your own, but you would be better served to work with an experienced dog bite attorney to get paid for your pain.

How to Get Repaid for Expenses From a Dog Bite in Waukegan by Yourself

If you have been the victim of a dog bite in Waukegan, you should report the incident immediately to Animal Control or the Waukegan police. A police report will be an important piece of evidence in whatever method you choose moving forward as you try to get reimbursed for medical expenses. You should report the incident by calling Animal Control at 847-599-2690 during regular business hours or by calling the police administrative line after hours: 847-599-2608.

Ways you can seek to be repaid for medical expenses include:

1. Talk directly to the dog owner to see about being compensated. The owner might want to make it go away quickly and avoid court.
2. Find out the company that carries the homeowner's or renter's insurance for the dog owner. Contact the insurance company about your claim. This can take a considerable amount of time as insurance companies drag out claims.
3. File a small claims case through the Lake County Circuit Court. Small claims cases are designed to settle cases for $10,000 or less. Small claims cases normally are scheduled within a few weeks and settled quickly.
4. File a civil lawsuit through the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Lake County. For a larger case, you'll need to file a civil lawsuit, which will be costlier initially as you'll need to pay filing fees and attorney's fees, which could be repaid if you win the lawsuit. A civil lawsuit will drag on for potentially months, depending upon how much the dog owner wants to fight the case.

The time to get reimbursed for expenses through these methods can vary from days if the owner is willing to pay to months if you go through an insurance company or a civil lawsuit.

How DoNotPay Helps You Get Paid for Dog Bite Injuries

If you wish to report a dog bite incident to Waukegan Animal Control and seek compensation for injuries or damages, you can do the entire process simply through DoNotPay. You don't need to hire an attorney or waste a lot of your time trying to find out how to do things in just the right manner to satisfy the local authorities and/or the dog owner's insurance company. You simply provide a little bit of information to DoNotPay, and we take care of the rest of it.

How to Report an Animal-Related Incident on DoNotPay:

If you want to report an animal-related injury but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 3 easy steps:

1. Search "animal" on DoNotPay, find the Animal Control product, and select whether you've sustained a physical injury.

2. Select whether you would like to report this incident to your local government agency, or demand compensation from the pet owner.

3. Tell us more about the incident, including when and where you were injured, a description of the animal that caused the injury, and the contact information for the pet owner (if known).

And that's it! DoNotPay will file the demand letter or government report on your behalf with your incident details! You should hear back from them directly with further questions/confirmation regarding your demands.

Why Use DoNotPay to Get Compensation for a Dog Bite/Attack

You'll have the best chance at a positive outcome when you allow DoNotPay to help you report a dog bite and get compensated. These are the three reasons you'll want to use DoNotPay, rather than trying to complete the process yourself:

• Fast—You don't have to spend hours trying to solve the issue
• Easy—You don't have to struggle to fill out tedious forms or keep track of all the steps involved in solving your problem
• Successful—You can rest assured knowing we'll make the best case for you

DoNotPay Helps With Dog Bite Issues Across the Nation

DoNotPay can help you or your family and friends report vicious animal attacks in cities, counties, and states across the country. Among the places DoNotPay will help get compensation are:

• Los Angeles
• Atlanta
• Miami
• Pennsylvania
• California
• Texas
• Ohio

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

Handling animal incidents is just one of the many valuable services that DoNotPay provides. We can also help you with a variety of other issues, including:

• Small Claims Court
• Seeking Compensation for Victims of Crimes
• Contacting Government Agencies
• Neighbor Complaints

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a vicious animal attack or dog bite and needs compensation for medical expenses, sign up for DoNotPay or get the app and start the compensation process today.