LEGISLATIVE ALERT!
ILLINOIS NEEDS A "PUPPY LEMON LAW"!
The "Puppy Lemon Law" known as Senate Bill 1639 (SB1639) will be heard in committee on Tuesday in Springfield.
It is CRUCIAL that the committee members hear from Illinois residents that support this bill!
The pet "lemon law," will provide civil remedies for consumers who purchase sick or genetically defective puppies. The bill would allow consumers to seek a refund, replacement and/or reimbursement of necessary veterinary costs if they purchased an animal with an undisclosed disease or illness, while allowing sellers to contest the remedy. The bill also requires pet shops to notify customers and the state veterinarian of any significant outbreaks of contagious diseases
Why is this law needed in Illinois?
- Consumer Protection: 17 states currently have pet lemon laws. In Illinois, pet stores are required to disclose certain information about a pet's health history to customers, but customers have no recourse if they purchase sick animals unknowingly from a pet store or online.
- Protect Public Health: Many animal diseases and parasites are contagious to humans and other animals -- such as giardia, which can causes severe gastrointestinal distress, and brucellosis, which can cause miscarriages. Some of these diseases were previously rare in domestic canines, but have been making a comeback due to the lack of adequate disease management at puppy mills. Many of these diseases are not immediately symptomatic, so a purchaser may be unaware that they are buying a sick animal.
- A 2012 outbreak of canine distemper was traced directly to a chain of 5 Chicago area pet stores.The stores continued to sell puppies to the public during the outbreak without warning buyers that their puppies may have been exposed to the disease. Over a two month period, ten confirmed cases of canine distemper were discovered in puppies purchased from the Happiness is Pets chain of stores. While distemper is not contagious to humans, it is highly contagious among dogs and most of the infected puppies died. Prior to this outbreak, canine distemper had nearly been eradicated in most parts of Illinois.
- Protect Animal Health and Welfare: Pet stores acquire their dogs from large scale commercial breeding operations, or "puppy mills," which often keep their dogs in shockingly poor conditions. Documented care problems at puppy mills include overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing of unwanted animals. To the unwitting consumer, this frequently means buying an animal with immediate veterinary needs - or an animal with a genetic disease that will not appear until years later.
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED by Tuesday March the 5th!
The Labor and Commerce Committee will determine if SB1639 will be heard by the Illinois General Assembly. Please call the committee members below asking for his/her support of SB1639. All you need to say is "I am an Illinois resident and I am calling to ask for the Senator's support of SB1693, the Puppy Lemon Law.
Labor and Commerce Committee Meeting: 3/5/13 6:00 pm
Gary Forby 59th District 217-782-5509
Linda Holmes 42nd District 217-782-0422
Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant 49th District 217-782-0052
Thomas Cullerton 23rd District 217-782-9463
Bill Cunningham 18th District 217-782-5145
Napoleon Harris III 15th District 217-782-8066
Toi Hutchinson 40th District 217-782-7419
Steven Landek 12th District 217-782-0054
Iris Martinez 20th District 217-782-8191
Kwame Raoul 13th District 217-782-5338
Patricia Van Pelt 5th District 217-782-6252
Jim Oberweis 25th District 217-782-0471
Pamela Althoff 32nd District 217-782-8000
Michael Connelly 21st District 217-782-8192
Dan Duffy 26th District 217-782-8010
Kyle McCarter 54th District 217-782-5755
TO IDENTIFY YOUR STATE SENATOR BY USING YOUR ZIP CODE VISIT: humanesociety.org/leglookup
Thank you for your support and thank you for caring about Illinois consumers! |
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