Type: Title:
Committee(s) Assignment:
Dowell (3) Ervin (28) Beale (9) Thomas (17) Fioretti (2) Brookins (21) Ordinance
Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 4-384 by adding new Section 015 to regulate retail sale of dogs and cats Committee on License and Consumer Protection
Committee on License and Consumer Protection ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago (the "City") is a home rule unit of government under Section 6(a), Article VII of the 1970 Constitution of the State of Illinois and as such may legislate as to matters which pertain to its local government and affairs;
WHEREAS, pet stores selling live animals have traditionally been a sales outlet for young dogs and cats bred in "puppy mills" and "kitten mills" both within the United States and abroad. According to the Humane Society of the United States, it is estimated that 10,000 puppy mills produce more than 2,400,000 puppies a year in the United States and that most pet store puppies and many pet store kittens come from puppy mills and kitten mills, respectively. According to Illinois Department of Agriculture records, in the City alone, City pet stores purchased approximately 1,500 - 2,000 dogs from out-of-state breeders for sale to the public in 2011 and 2012. The number of dogs purchased for sale, and sold to the public, is likely higher as these records do not reflect dogs purchased from in-state breeders. When consumers buy puppies and kittens from pet stores, there is a strong likelihood that consumers are unknowingly supporting the puppy mill or kitten mill industry;
WHEREAS, the documented abuses of puppy and kitten mills include over-breeding; inbreeding; minimal to non-existent veterinary care; lack of adequate food, water and shelter; lack of socialization; lack of adequate space; and the euthanization of unwanted animals. The inhumane conditions in puppy and kitten mill facilities lead to health and behavioral issues with animals, which many consumers are unaware of when purchasing animals ...
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