The Sale of Dogs for Profit Prohibited in Highland Park

Bulletin Board: A Post From the Community

After months of deliberation and fact finding, Highland Park City Council has approved a text amendment to the city's zoning code. The omnibus vote came on October 28th with the Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 150, Article II of the 'City of Highland Park Zoning Ordinance of 1997,' as Amended, Regarding the Definition of 'Kennel'. 'This is a huge win for my great little city', said Dawn LoCascio. 'I am told that in addition to the text amendment change that limits kennels from large-scale breeding, pet stores are prohibited from selling dogs and cats by Special Use Permit in the City of HP.'

Companion Animal Protection Society reports that Villa Park City Council passed an ordinance in October 2012 banning pet shops that haven't leased or owned a retail store for at least one year from selling puppies and kittens. Being a non-home rule town, they couldn't do an outright ban. However, the only remaining pet shop in the town no longer sells dogs.

Dawn LoCascio, a Highland Park resident and animal advocate first brought this issue to City Council at a February 25th meeting of the whole and petitioned the council to use it's home-rule powers to enact a ban on the sale of dogs and cats. Mayor Rotering directed LoCascio at that meeting that the ordinance of animal sales cannot be discussed this evening, as this is an amendment to an existing Special Use Permit. 'I was not going to give up', states LoCascio. 'I followed up for months providing ordinance language and examples of other cities across the US that have successfully prohibited the sale of companion animals. Reputable breeders don't sell their dogs to pet stores, so where do people think the pet stores get their dogs. The answer is from puppy mills.'

Animal lovers are learning more and more about puppy mills through education and awareness programs like The Puppy Mill Project. According to The Puppy Mill Project, puppy mills in America are cruel, inhumane breeding facilities that breed solely for profit. There is little to no concern for the health and well being of the animals. Puppies are often born with severe health, behavioral and socialization issues. Breeding dogs are neglected, starved and left sick and injured without medical care or relief from overwhelming pain.

LoCascio first learned about puppy mills when she adopted her boxer Macie Beans from Boxer Rebound. Prairieland Anti Cruelty in Champaign, IL received Macie Beans as an owner relinquish from an Amish puppy mill in April of 2011, and from there she was brought to Boxer Rebound. At Prairieland she was simply known as breeding female, boxer, black. It is estimated that Macie produced 60 to 80 pups in her five years as a breeding dog . Today, Macie Beans is thriving and LoCascio remains committed to putting an end to puppy mills.