The City of Springfield has decided to table a proposal at least temporarily that would require anyone who breeds in city limits to first obtain a $100 annual breeder permit.
AKC thanks local club members and hobbyists who took the time to reach out to the council to express your concerns with the proposal. We encourage you to continue reaching out to them at Cityaldermen@springfield.il.us. Thank them for agreeing to table the measure for now and encourage them to not institute breeder permits in the city.
Supporters claim the purpose of the proposal is to address shelter population concerns, so it is important for responsible breeders in the city to communicate the steps you take when raising a litter and ensuring that those dogs never end up in a shelter. Also encourage them to study the shelter population issues as a whole, rather than accepting the assumption that local breeders are the reason dogs are in shelters.
AKC Government Relations will continue to provide more information as it is available. For questions, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.