Full Text of SR1152 99th General Assembly
SR1152 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, November 10, 2016 has been designated as National | 3 | | Puppy Mill Awareness Day, a day where the National Puppy Mill | 4 | | Project and animal advocates around the country will join | 5 | | together to ban puppy mills and their cruelty to animals; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, According to the Humane Society of the United | 7 | | States, it is estimated that 10,000 puppy mills produce more | 8 | | than 2.4 million puppies a year in the United States; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Puppy mills are mass-breeding facilities that | 10 | | churn out puppies in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions | 11 | | without adequate veterinary care, food, water, or | 12 | | socialization; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, The inhumane conditions in puppy mill facilities | 14 | | lead to health and behavioral issues, as well as congenital and | 15 | | hereditary illness and disease; puppy mill puppies often arrive | 16 | | in pet stores and their new homes with various diseases, | 17 | | including giardia, parvovirus kennel cough, heartworm, and | 18 | | distemper; these diseases can lead to excessive veterinary | 19 | | costs both upfront and down the line; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Enforcement authorities at local, state, and | 21 | | federal levels lack the resources to sufficiently monitor |
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| 1 | | breeding facilities for inhumane treatment, which allow puppy | 2 | | mills to continue to operate with impunity; due to budget | 3 | | constraints, the Illinois Department of Agriculture employs | 4 | | only 7 inspectors who are charged with overseeing more than | 5 | | 1,300 dog dealers, kennel operators, and pet shop operators in | 6 | | the State; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Every year, millions of cats and dogs are | 8 | | euthanized in our nation's animal shelters because there are | 9 | | more pets than there are responsible homes for them; puppy | 10 | | mills contribute to pet overpopulation and cause countless | 11 | | animals lifetimes of suffering; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Facilities in Illinois have impounded tens of | 13 | | thousands of dogs and cats that are not reclaimed by the owner; | 14 | | these facilities ultimately have to euthanize many thousands of | 15 | | animals; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Across the country, thousands of independent pet | 17 | | stores and large chains operate profitably with a business | 18 | | model focused on the sale of pet services and supplies and not | 19 | | on the sale of dogs and cats; many of these stores collaborate | 20 | | with local animal shelters and rescue organizations to offer | 21 | | space and support for showcasing adoptable homeless pets on | 22 | | their premises; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Illinois residents are encouraged to "adopt and | 2 | | not shop", because adopting homeless dogs from shelters and | 3 | | rescues helps put us closer to our goal of making Illinois a | 4 | | no-kill community and helps put bad breeders out of business; | 5 | | therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate September | 8 | | 18, 2016 as "Puppy Mill Awareness Day" in the State of Illinois | 9 | | in order to raise awareness of puppy mills and their effect on | 10 | | the animals and people of this State.
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