Proposed State Law Targets Puppy Mills

By Prescott Carlson in News on Jan 19, 2009 9:30PM

Illinois legislators are trying to take their minds off of all the current ickiness the same way we do -- by thinking about puppies. State Rep. and U.S. Congress hopeful John Fritchey is a sponsor of a bill which seeks to license breeders and allow the state to regulate the industry and shut down any breeding facilities not operating under humane conditions. Fritchey obviously has a soft spot in his heart for furry creatures, as last year he also sponsored a bill to ban the gassing of animals at shelters.

As it doesn't take an advanced degree to get two dogs to mate, the industry is rife with "backyard breeders" looking to make a buck, while having no idea what they are doing. Often times the dogs are overbred and inbred, overcrowded, neglected, and spend their days in filthy cages. Puppy mill owners have no respect for the animals beyond them being a profit center, and once that usefulness is gone the dogs are euthanized. So if you have to have a purebred pooch, please go to a reputable breeder. Or even better, as regular Chicagoist readers know, we're big fans of adoption.