HB1128 has resurfaced in Illinois with amended language that will directly impact anyone who shows and/or breeds dogs. Fanciers will recall that this bill originally would have permitted cities and counties to enact breed-specific laws. Dog owners successfully convinced legislators not to support such language and were pleased to learn that Rep. Jerry Mitchell had amended his bill accordingly. In rewriting HB1128, however, Rep. Mitchell has now proposed several changes to the state's Animal Control Act, including a requirement that counties impose dog and cat registration fees. The bill further requires the fee for unaltered animals to be at least $10 higher than the fee for unaltered animals.
AKC and Illinois dog fanciers are concerned that counties could use this provision as an excuse to enact extreme, unreasonable licensing fees for those who keep intact animals. Such fees could prove unaffordable to some responsible owners and breeders, many of whom may only keep intact animals for the purposes of participating in conformation dog shows or performance events. Additionally, Illinois is already struggling with low licensing compliance, and extreme differentials could force those rates to drop even further.
Rep. Mitchell has repeatedly stated his desire to address dangerous dog and irresponsible dog ownership problems in his state. AKC strongly supports enforceable, non-discriminatory guidelines for doing so, but not in the form of unreasonable licensing fees.
Illinois fanciers are urged to contact their representatives today and express your concern regarding HB1128. To find out who represents you, visit: http://www.ilga.gov/ and click on Legislator Lookup. Purebred dog owners should also voice their concerns to the bill sponsor.
The Honorable Jerry Mitchell
209-N Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: (217) 782-0535
Fax: (217) 782-5257
For more information, contact:
Illinois Dog Clubs and Breeders Association
Lotzadots101@aol.com
773-763-5773
Canine Legislation department
doglaw@akc.org
HB1128 has resurfaced in Illinois with amended language that will directly impact anyone who shows…