A bill in Illinois seeks to require all breeders to “have their dogs genetically tested for diseases that cause early death or physical impairments.” If a “genetic defect or mutation” is found that would cause this, it would require that the dog sterilized immediately.
It is possible that this bill could be considered as early as tomorrow (March 4). Club members and breeders are urged to register your opposition online TODAY to House Bill 1902 using the following steps:
1) Visit the House Agriculture and Conservation Hearing Committee page
2) Scroll down to HB1902 “Animal Welfare-Dog-Genetic Tst” and click the pencil icon under the “Witness Slips” column
3) Fully complete the online witness slip form. Include the name of your club in the “Representation” section if applicable. Select “Opponent”, and then if you are not attending the hearing, click “Record of Appearance Only”.
4) Select the box to accept the ILGA Terms of Agreement and click “Create (Slip)”
We also encourage you to contact the sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro (Dist. 48- Roselle, Carol Stream, Hanover Park), to respectfully express your concerns. If you are a constituent, be sure to mention that when contacting her office:
Springfield Office: (217) 782-4014
Carol Stream District Office: (630) 349-0645
Email: sanalitro@ilhousegop.org
Talking Points:
The AKC supports appropriate health testing in dogs based on their breed, and includes these tests in official registry records. However, the testing proposed in this bill simply isn’t possible. There are no reliable tests for every possible genetic mutation, as is required by House Bill 1902. In addition, just because a dog may possess a certain genetic marker does not guarantee the dog will later become ill or have an early death.
Instead, AKC encourages the State of Illinois to enforce and, if necessary, expand the state’s consumer protection laws. These laws already provide recourse and remedies to certain sellers when a puppy is sold that is sick or not as advertised. View our Consumer Protection key issue page in the AKC Legislative Action Center for more information on AKC’s position on consumer protection laws.
AKC Government Relations will continue to closely monitor this bill and all legislation impacting dog owners in Illinois. For questions, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.