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Panel backs tougher temporary-use rules for rodeos after public concern over animal welfare
Summary
The Zoning Board approved petition Z260030 (6-0) to strengthen temporary-use permitting for rodeos: the draft raises the application window to 60 days for rodeos, requires incident-action plans for all rodeos, adds revocation and injunctive-relief language, and codifies veterinary and security expectations. Public commenters urged still stronger protections.
The McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals on June 6, 2026 approved (6-0) a text amendment (Z260030) that tightens temporary-use permitting standards for events such as rodeos, following extensive staff explanation and several public statements urging stronger animal-welfare safeguards.
What the draft changes do: planning staff said the amendments are intended to address large, privately organized events that have grown in frequency and complexity. Key provisions in the draft forwarded to the county board include: - Application timing: for rodeos, the application window would be changed from 30 days to 60 days to allow time for required veterinary reviews, incident-action planning and interagency coordination. - Incident-action plans: staff recommended that all rodeos, regardless of expected attendance, require an incident-action plan that coordinates emergency management, fire, EMS and animal-welfare responses (previously only events with 500+ attendees triggered such a plan). - Enforcement: the ordinance adds explicit revocation authority for noncompliance, and permits the county to seek injunctive relief to stop events that operate without or in violation of a permit. - On-site controls: the draft lists rodeo-specific standards (letters A–Q in the text) that include veterinarian presence, egress/ingress plans, on-site EMS and security plans reviewed by the sheriff'9s office; staff said deputies plus private supplemental security may be required for crowd control.
Public comment and suggested changes Multiple speakers from animal-welfare groups testified in support of stronger rules. Jody Whitaker of Shark Showing Animals for Respect and Kindness urged more prescriptive measures, including requiring a licensed large-animal veterinarian who inspects health certificates on arrival and remains on-site for the event, limited runs per animal, dedicated pens for injured animals and numbered identification for participants so people can be held accountable.
Whitaker also warned of impersonation by out-of-state veterinarians and said: "these new rules are very impressive," while urging staff and board to adopt additional clarifying language on large-animal veterinary oversight and injured-animal handling.
Board discussion and vote Board members discussed whether some enforcement elements belong in the county public-health code; staff said the health-department ordinance (under separate review) would incorporate criminal penalties where appropriate, and that written public comments will be available to the planning committee and county board. Dwayne Dolman moved to approve Z260030; Jessica Beverly seconded and the board voted 6-0 to forward the draft to the county board.
What happens next Staff said the county board can make line edits and that the public-health ordinance review will provide complementary enforcement tools. Because the draft will proceed to the county board, members of the public were advised to submit any specific text changes in writing to PEED and county-board members before that vote.
Sources: staff presentation and public comment at the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on petition Z260030; board motion and 6-0 vote to forward the draft ordinance to county board.
