Did You Know?
Did you know that the Humane Society of the United States pays its CEO over half a million dollars and doesn’t run any pet shelters? (Read more here.)
Did you know many rescues rely on importing animals from other states to generate revenue?
Did you know that one common proposal to supposedly combat puppy mills actually helps puppy mills?
There are a lot of things you may not know–but should. Take a moment to learn more.
Why Retail Pet Bans Don’t Work
Some animal rights organizations claim that banning the sale of puppies at pet stores will combat puppy mills. The opposite is true.
Completely banning sales of dogs from breeders creates a black market, just as Prohibition created a black market for alcohol. If people can’t get a dog from a local store, they go online looking for a certain breed of dog and are at risk of getting scammed. One alleged online puppy scam was recently busted in Lake County, Illinois.
Banning the sale of dogs creates an incentive for dogs to be trafficked from other states or countries. The CDC has noted an increase in dog imports. Hundreds of dogs may be flown in at a time, under the guise of “rescue.” In reality, these dogs may simply come from a foreign puppy mill.
Regulations such as lemon laws and sourcing transparency can ensure that dogs only come from high-quality breeders and that consumers and animals are protected.
Imports
More than 20,000 dogs are imported into Illinois every year by shelters and rescues, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. There can be several potential animal welfare issues with importing dogs including:
- Importation can be stressful on the animals, especially if they are mixed with other animals they don’t know
- Importation can spread diseases – 1,000 Chicago-area dogs were sickened by deadly dog flu after rescuers brought in the disease
- The true origin of the animals may be unknown –they could potentially come from puppy mills. Read more from the CDC.
Here are recent import figures from three major Illinois shelters:
| Name | Dog Imports | Surrenders | Strays | In-State Transfer | Import Rate | Revenue | Sourcing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAWS Chicago | 1,013 | 494 | 14 | 715 | 45% | $25.8 Million | Missouri, Arkansas |
| Wright Way | 3,120 | 854 | 0 | 333 | 72% | $3.1 Million | Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi |
| Anderson Humane | 1,819 | 321 | 3 | 0 | 85% | $4.6 Million | Oklahoma |
Combined, these three groups bring in over $25 million a year. Trafficking animals is a big business.
Information on this page was obtained from public records.
All animals should be properly cared for. Please take action to learn how you can help strengthen protections for pets in Illinois!