Kirchgessner v. County of Tazewell

The plaintiff, Richard Kirchgessner, appeals from the trial court’s dismissal of his complaint against the defendant, the County of Tazewell.

In his complaint, the plaintiff alleged that the defendant allowed a dog to escape from the Tazewell County Animal Shelter, which the defendant operates. The dog ran onto a highway, causing the plaintiff, who was riding a motorcycle, to strike it and injure himself. The plaintiff further alleged that the defendant was the “owner” of the dog, as defined in the Animal Control Act (the Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 8, par. 352.16), and that the defendant…