Illinois State Lawmakers Pass Legislation Aimed At Shutting Down Puppy Mills
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS/AP) — The Illinois General Assembly has passed legislation that supporters say would ban pet stores from selling animals from so-called "puppy mills."
The law would allow pet shops to sell cats and dogs only if they are obtained from animal control facilities or shelters that comply with regulations set out in the bill.
"This bill is really to address the commercial puppy mill and to close that pipeline," said Sen. Cristina Castro, a Democrat from Elgin who sponsored the Senate bill.
The Chicago City Council passed a similar ordinance in April.
The proposed state legislation, which seeks to curb inhumane conditions for animals, passed the Illinois Senate in the final hours of the General Assembly session, which ended early Tuesday. It passed the Illinois House in April and now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
"If we don't put the welfare of these animals top of mind, there's something wrong with us," said Sen. Linda Holmes, a Democrat from Aurora. "These are living beings. These are not products where you're just going to maximize quantity over anything else."
But Sen. Jason Barickman, a Republican from Bloomington who voted against the bill, argued that the bill would put shops in the state out of business. A serious solution to the problem of puppy mills would be to regulate breeders, he said.
Frankfort Democrat Sen. Michael Hastings said an alternative solution is to have a third-party auditor verify where the animals are sourced from and "that the animals that are sourced are taken care of."
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
