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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, November 10, 2016 has been designated as National
3Puppy Mill Awareness Day, a day where the National Puppy Mill
4Project and animal advocates around the country will join
5together to ban puppy mills and their cruelty to animals; and
 
6    WHEREAS, According to the Humane Society of the United
7States, it is estimated that 10,000 puppy mills produce more
8than 2.4 million puppies a year in the United States; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Puppy mills are mass-breeding facilities that
10churn out puppies in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions
11without adequate veterinary care, food, water, or
12socialization; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The inhumane conditions in puppy mill facilities
14lead to health and behavioral issues, as well as congenital and
15hereditary illness and disease; puppy mill puppies often arrive
16in pet stores and their new homes with various diseases,
17including giardia, parvovirus kennel cough, heartworm, and
18distemper; these diseases can lead to excessive veterinary
19costs both upfront and down the line; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Enforcement authorities at local, state, and
21federal levels lack the resources to sufficiently monitor

 

 

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1breeding facilities for inhumane treatment, which allow puppy
2mills to continue to operate with impunity; due to budget
3constraints, the Illinois Department of Agriculture employs
4only 7 inspectors who are charged with overseeing more than
51,300 dog dealers, kennel operators, and pet shop operators in
6the State; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Every year, millions of cats and dogs are
8euthanized in our nation's animal shelters because there are
9more pets than there are responsible homes for them; puppy
10mills contribute to pet overpopulation and cause countless
11animals lifetimes of suffering; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Facilities in Illinois have impounded tens of
13thousands of dogs and cats that are not reclaimed by the owner;
14these facilities ultimately have to euthanize many thousands of
15animals; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Across the country, thousands of independent pet
17stores and large chains operate profitably with a business
18model focused on the sale of pet services and supplies and not
19on the sale of dogs and cats; many of these stores collaborate
20with local animal shelters and rescue organizations to offer
21space and support for showcasing adoptable homeless pets on
22their premises; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Illinois residents are encouraged to "adopt and
2not shop", because adopting homeless dogs from shelters and
3rescues helps put us closer to our goal of making Illinois a
4no-kill community and helps put bad breeders out of business;
5therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate September
818, 2016 as "Puppy Mill Awareness Day" in the State of Illinois
9in order to raise awareness of puppy mills and their effect on
10the animals and people of this State.