Mundelein pet stores to be licensed, must post dog, cat breeding reports
Editor's note: The story has been corrected to show trustees Dawn Abernathy, Bill Rekus and Ray Semple and Mayor Steve Lentz voted for the plan, while trustees Holly Kim, Dakotah Norton and Kerston Russell were against it.
Mundelein pet stores must get special village licenses and publicly display breeding information about the dogs and cats they sell under rules adopted Monday night.
The regulations were prompted by concerns about the sale of animals from large-scale breeding facilities, often called puppy mills. Animal-rights activists and some residents have been lobbying for a ban on the local sale of animals from such facilities in recent months.
Such a ban would have affected one business in town: Doodles and Suds, which operates at 623 N. Lake St. Owner Robin Schroeder had threatened to sue the village if the board passed a ban.
After the vote, Schroeder said she was happy with the decision.
"It's what should have happened a month ago," she said, referring to the last time a pet-store ordinance appeared on the village agenda.
The policy requires pet shop operators to post disclosure statements about every dog or cat for sale. A report must include the breed, approximate age and color of an animal; the animal's lineage; descriptions of medical treatments; information about the breeder; and other breeding information.
The ordinance doesn't apply to veterinary clinics or hospitals, government-run animal shelters, nonprofit rescue centers or people who sell animals from family-owned litters.
The board voted 4-3 to adopt the new rules.
Trustees Dawn Abernathy, Bill Rekus and Ray Semple were for the plan, while trustees Holly Kim, Dakotah Norton and Kerston Russell were against it. Mayor Steve Lentz broke the tie.
The vote followed comments from more than a dozen audience members on both sides of the issue.
"We don't want to support businesses that support cruelty," said Mundelein resident Claire O'Dea, who favored stricter rules than what were adopted.
Conversely, former trustee and veterinarian Ed Sullivan said most breeders sell healthy puppies and called the ordinance "an effective compromise."
Norton said a local ban on the sale of pets from large-scale breeders would have been a "small step" toward the better treatment of animals.
Abernathy said puppy mills are a federal issue because the animals often cross state lines. She urged the activists in the audience to pursue congressional legislation.
A local ban, Abernathy said, "isn't going to solve your problem."