The Illinois Joint Task Force on Breeders and Pet Stores is holding a public meeting at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Thursday, September 29 at 9:00 a.m. The AKC encourages responsible dog owners, fanciers, and breeders to attend or submit written comments and help educate the task force on responsible breeding and dog ownership. It is important that all concerned responsible breeders participate in this public forum.
This task force was created in response to concerns with legislation introduced early this year that sought to severely regulate and limit responsible breeding in Illinois. The task force is charged with investigating and making recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Department of Agriculture regarding pet stores and the breeding industry by January 2010.
The Department has requested that commentary focus on the seven areas of responsibility outlined in Senate Joint Resolution 56, which created the task force. These areas include:
- Humane care and treatment for dogs at pet stores and breeding facilities
- Creating more specific requirements for indoor and outdoor kennel facilities to ensure the health and welfare of dog used for commercial purposes
- Establishing more detailed specifications so that indoor and outdoor facilities provide dogs with proper shelter, temperature control, ventilation, air movement, lighting, bedding, sanitation, slope of ground and run, and flooring materials
- Creating more detailed record keeping requirements for breeders and pet stores
- Ensuring that consumers are provided adequate information prior to the time of sale of dogs
- Ensuring that dogs being sold are healthy
- Amending animal welfare laws to address these specific issues as well as related yet broader issues that could be addressed through such laws.
Additionally, the Department of Agriculture has distributed proposed changes to the Illinois Animal Welfare Act, and will entertain comments on those suggestions as well.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
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Attend the Joint Task Force meeting. The details of the meeting are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, September 29
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Illinois State Fairgrounds (Specific location is not yet determined, please contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 217-782-9013 for more information).Those wishing to testify are advised to prepare remarks approximately three minutes in length, and bring 15 copies of their testimony in writing to submit to the Task Force’s members. Testimony must be submitted no later than Friday, September 25. If you attend the meeting, please remember to be respectful and polite. This is an opportunity for education, not protests.
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Submit written comments to the task force. We recommend that you also submit your comments to the two breeder representatives on the task force:
Michele Kasten– Small Hobby Breeder Representative: illinoishobbybreeder@yahoo.com
Mary Jo Trimble– Sporting Dog Breeder Representative: trimnatchbritts@midamer.net
Please keep your comments respectful and remember this is an opportunity to educate task force members and attendees on the value of responsible breeding!
For more information on the Illinois task force meeting, please return to AKC.org, or contact AKC's Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
The Illinois Joint Task Force on Breeders and Pet Stores is holding a public meeting at the…