Puppy Mill Legislation Proposed in IL

I was thrilled to learn that IL is targeting Puppy Mills. All I could think is FINALLY!

It was announced at PAWS Chicago, a no-kill animal shelter, that State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Mount Prospect) have proposed a law that would regulate large-scale dog breeders and pet stores with the goal of cracking down on abusive puppy mills. The Law named Chloe's Bill after a dog rescued from a puppy mill in downstate Macon County, is designed to allow potential guardians to distinguish between puppies who come from caring breeders and those reared in puppy mills.

Backed by the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Fritchey said, "This isn't something that should be considered radical, it's decent."Fritchey said opposition to the bill may be inevitable, but that he would have concerns about any dog breeder who opposed the law. Puppy mills take a factory-like approach to animal breeding: maximum puppy output with minimal cost and care, Fritchey said. He noted that's in contrast to many reliable breeders, who take loving care of animals and only breed a few dogs at a time.

If passed, the bill would specifically:

1) Create a Dog Breeder License Act, which would prevent breeders from having more than 20 unaltered (not neutered or not spayed) dogs.

2) Deny dog-breeding licenses to people that have been convicted of a felony animal-cruelty crime, including dog fighting.

3) Require dog breeders to keep dogs in buildings without wire flooring. Humane Society officials said Sunday that many puppy mills they've uncovered have dogs in crates stacked high on top of each other, with the wire flooring of the crates destroying the animals' paws.

4) Require breeders to maintain a certain level of heating, cooling, and ventilation.

5) Require pet stores and breeders to provide potential pet buyers with the dog's full medical history, information of spaying and neutering and information about any prior medical care. Humane Society officials said many dogs from puppy mills end up having substantial medical problems because of interbreeding and exposure to disease in cramped environments.

Penalties for violation of these tenets would begin with fines and progress to seizure of the animals and complete closing of breeding operations.

Chloe, the only surviving member of her litter at the puppy mill, is now 6 months old. She attended the news conference wearing a collar with a large bow. Chloe affectionately snuggled into the arms of her adoptive dad, Roy Austin, who heads animal control in Macon County.

The young spaniel, with her giant eyes, floppy ears and a shiny black coat, may have fetched $200 to $400 at a pet store in Illinois and $800 or more if she had been shipped to an upscale pet store in New York state, said Cori Menkin, ASPCA's senior director of legislative initiatives.

Menkin listed the many ailments Chloe suffered from in the puppy mill: The animals were covered with feces and fleas, and they had internal parasites, matted coats and damaged paws from standing 24 hours a day in urine-soaked wires cages."We've seen less enforcement by the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] and state departments of agriculture than we'd like," Menkin said. "This bill will change many of these horrific conditions."

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