I hope Oswego chooses to lead the area with this ban. How we treat animals represents our true character. I am hopeful the character of our town will support this ban and make a statement about abusive puppy mills and other types of commercial breeding of that sort.

People can stop puppy mills by not patronizing these stores. I have worked the rescue field for over 20+ years and these mills are some of the worst forms of animal abuse I've seen. 6 dogs crammed into a small cage with barely enough room to move , then add their pups ( the ones that survive) and you have a living hell. Sun-zero temps in the winter, sweltering heat in the summer and they live their entire breeding lives in this cage exposed to the elements.
These poor animals eat garbage, if you can even call it that. Many have their teeth removed so they don't bite each other and the removal is not done by a vet. No medical care, in-breeding and high genetic disorders are common practice. The sick dogs are usually put down by snapping their necks and these are the lucky ones. Many are used for deep water fishing bait and they are alive when this is done.
Due to the recent economy many of the puppies end up at "Dog Caves" They are actually held in caves where they fill up a cage with puppies and raise it up in the air. They are then auctioned off to the highest bidder. These poor babies are scared out of their minds and left in these cages for an entire day until the auctions are over. Then they are packed and shipped to the stores or medical facilities for research.
There are reputable breeders but they never sell to stores. Adoption is another route. Please village don't allow the heartache that follows these dogs for life.

If you are considering getting a pet, look at local shelter and rescues. There are plenty in the fox valley area - some are breed specific.

I do hope Oswego will outlaw stores from selling puppies and kittens.

We got one of our dogs from a wonderful breeder, and our second one from a shelter. I researched a lot of breeders and through my conversations with them found out about where the dogs were kept, how often they were bred, etc. Finally found one that was wonderful!! Our second one was from a shelter. I encourage everyone to check out local shelters. As I was sitting in the lobby one night waiting for my dog after his neutering, I realized how many dogs were really in there that needed homes. I really took notice of all of the crates, and the large amount of dogs, and you realize this is no way to live. They deserve loving, responsible homes. They are not there for someone's profit like the puppy stores. They are there because they have no where else to go. They were either found as strays, given up, etc. It really hit me that night, and I thought, if only I could, I'd adopt one of two more. The puppy stores take advantage of dogs that are intentionally mistreated at the mills to make a profit. So wrong on so many levels.

I hope the Village will take the steps necessary to ban the sale of puppies raised in puppy mills. We need to stop the use of puppy mills.

I hope they ban pet stores! We have so many wonderful. loving, beautiful pets in need of homes - people can find their doggie soul mate through adoption, not from buying from stores that get their animals from puppy mills-- where mothers and fathers are physically and emotionally abused and tortured for profit. It's sick. And the public needs to stop supporting these awful companies. Adopt! Brava for them talking about this ban-- I hope to God that they go through with it. It will make a difference.

Way to go Jill & The Puppy Mill Project! Oswego really needs to step up and do the right thing for these dogs. The Mothers and Fathers are the ones suffering and it is no way for these poor animals to live. Shelters and rescue are FULL of wonderful dogs that need homes and a majority of them have come from "breeders" or pet stores that people no longer want them or they have developed problem and they just dump them!

Pet stores are in it for pure profit. They are not ANIMAL LOVERS, they are animal traffickers and the more money they make the more puppies they can have brought in. I am all about supporting LOCAL business, but not unless THEY ARE HUMANE! This would be a huge step in the right direction and one that Oswegoians can be proud of! I would love to say that I live and grew up in a town that CARES about animals and is willing to take a stand against Puppy Mills and be part of this great effort!

these people can also do their own research & find out more about puppy mills. there are videos out there of puppy mills that have been busted, & the conditions those animals have lived in. they need to put themselves in those situations & think about whether they'd like to be treated like that. these animals in these mills, including kitten mills, are living & feeling beings just like us. please make the right decision to ban sales in pet stores; countless lives are depending on it. the more stores that don't sell these animals, the more the mills are forced to shut down. unfortunately, the more that are shut down, the more will just be killed or left to suffer and die, or if they are hopefully busted, the more animals flood the shelters & will die regardless. it's a hopeless, painful situation all around.

Here is another article!

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/15516017-418/oswego-silent-on-puppy-mill-ban.html

First off....A Minature Dashchund is not a breed. When these so called breeders / pet stores call anything minature it means they were born pre-mature and this causes many heath and development issues. Lawson did not do his research before the purchase of this dog and I am 100% sure he got it from a pet store. The only places that would advertise they have a minature SAshchund would be a pet store that obtained this dog from a puppy mill. It was bron pre mature so they decided to say minature. Good job on doing research first.
Second, The Village of Oswego really needs to do their research and think more about morals and what the want this community to take away from this situtation. Do we want to live in a community where the most important thing to the Village Officials is money. I know I sure don't! I would rather have a community that bases their policies on the greater good and really takes pride in their town not just on how much money something is going to make for them.
Third, I am sure there are many people that feel they way I do. I will not buy anything or support a business that doesn't care about the treatment of animals. There is no love for animals in that, it is animal trafficking to say the least!

This is just an issue of writing up an ordinace and saying okay here you go. It's really a beginning to the end of the Puppy Mills and the horrible conditions the Mothers and Fathers are forced to live in.
Come on Oswego! Be a community that is proud to say that WE, as a whole community, only support Humane treatment of animals and will not support any business that does not feel the same way!

Don't shop, ADOPT !

Cities such as Los Angeles, CA and Toronto, ON Canada have banned the sale of puppy mill dogs. This is an opportunity for the Village of Oswego to be on the leading edge of a movement. Many people will support the store, IF they offer rescue dogs, not mill dogs. Pet stores across the country have transitioned to selling rescue/shelter dogs, NOT mill dogs.

Here you go:
Albuquerque, N.M.
Austin, Tx.
Coral Gables, Fl.
Dana Point, Ca
El Paso, TX
Flagler Beach, Fl.
Fountain, Co.
Glendale, Ca.
Hermosa Beach, Ca.
Irvine, Ca.
Lake Worth, Fl.
Lauderdale Lakes, Fl
North Bay Village, Fl
Opa-Locka, Fl
Richmond, B.C.
South Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Toronto, Ontario
West Hollywood, Ca.
Chula Vista, Ca.
Hallendale Beach, Fl.
Laguna Beach, Ca.
Point Pleasant, N.J.
Aliso Viejo, Ca.
Huntington Beach, Ca.
Mississauga, Canada
Brick, N.J.
***all of these cities a long with the newest Villa park have adopted this ordinance, this was all done with these cities legal dept.

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
Immanuel Kant, "Duties towards Animals"

Please put a stop to this inhumane and heartless way of making a living. We are supposed to be a civilized society, there is absolutely nothing civilized about Puppy Mill breeding. What right have we to inflict such pain and cruelty? No right at all. BAN PUPPY MILLS!!!!!!

Come on Oswego! Show your community that you care about the welfare of companion animals! MILLIONS of dogs and cats are put down in animal shelters every year. Not only is this sad, it is costing tax payers money. When so many dogs are being killed, there is absolutely no reason to be mass producing more dogs in squalid conditions! Say "No" to greed and puppy mills!

Pet stores are SO out of date! Designer dogs??? They are mini mutts. I hope Kendall County Animal Control is prepared for the arrival of unwanted dogs :/ Puppy Mill Project is doing an awesome job of raising awareness. So is this group https://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-it-Illegal-to-sell-DogsPuppies-in-Pet-Stores/196025447082684?ref=stream I don't understand how people can pay $500+ for a puppy that was bought for $50 when they can adopt one for $2-300 without paying for spay/neuter and all the other vet bills that come with a puppy mill puppy. Don't shop~Adopt. Check out petfinder.com

I am so excited to see all the support in favor of a ban on pet stores selling puppy mill dogs/cats!! I have two dogs I rescued from shelters and I have been fostering dogs for about 1.5 years now. I want to do as much as I can to save dogs from being euthanized as a result of the pet overpopulation problem-I'm glad there are lots of like-minded people out there! Jill Edelman, you are doing amazing things! Please continue your extremely important battle against puppy mills-we're behind you!!

We got our beautiful husky, Lola, from the Aurora Animal Shelter and we've had her three years. She's such a great dog. It's also wonderful to know that we were able to save a dog that someone either didn't want, or couldn't keep. Absolutely try to find an animal at the shelter!

Keep up the fight Jill! There are plenty of supporters in Oswego that don't want to see any more dogs/puppies suffer needlessly all for someone to make money. It's a disgusting business that the government needs to stand up to and say "Enough!".

Puppy Mill Awareness community absolutely supports this ban! Please join nearly 16,000 followers to be updated on the latest news, events and protests from around the world at www.puppymillawareness.com

Oh the Village Board will soon be showing their True Colors on this issue. You have a couple of retailers that need the income Selling Pets and by the way, do in most of the communities that they are open for business. On the the otherside you have a Village Board that through it's recent votes have determined that; Bingo, Amusement Games, Raffles, etc. SHOULD NOT be allowed in establishments due to the fact that they might corrupt the moral ethics of the community.
Of course they may have already signed off on these businesses, that need to sell animals, to make it worth their while?
Seems to me that these Board Members have kind of backed themselves in a corner......

I hope Oswego makes the right choice here. Why would you need a pet store selling animals when there are 100's of wonderful animals at your local shelters. I have a senior female pug that was from a puppy mill and we adopted her. They bred her and bred her till she could not have anymore puppies b/c she developed tumors. So, because she could not make them money they threw her away like trash. She was rescued in horrible conditions and we took her in and now she is shown love that she never experienced before. Why in earth would you support this? If you went to a puppy mill you would NOT buy a dog from here, because you would see the horrible treatment of the animals there. People don't realize the puppies in the store are so cute and look so healthy, but its the parents that are left behind for the cruelty. We can make a difference here. Please do the right thing.

"The village recently approved a building permit for a pet store, Love Our Dogs, which would sell puppies." I hope this business is reading how Oswego citizens will NOT support their business. I only wish the best for our small business owners, and as such I think Love Our Dogs would be best to not invest the money to start a business here.

p.s. I love my rescue dogs!

Top Quality Breeder -
I am a local responsible breeder and I too believe we need to stop the production of these puppy mills. I got into breeding because of the puppy mills out there. I too purchased my first pet from a puppy mill but did not know it at the time until the puppy got very sick. This is why we decided to breed. To be able to put out on the market beautiful, happy healthy pups with great temperaments. We went to our vet and he help to educate us to be a responsible breeder. I have hundreds of very, very happy customers. A lot of them are repeat buyers. If for some reason the customer is unable to keep the puppy or dog because of their circumstances they have to return the puppy or dog to me no matter what the age is. I do this because I do not want my puppies or dogs in kill shelters. I always am able to find another home for them. I have never once had a puppy come back to me because of health issues. So all breeders are not bad. My breeding dogs are taken in every year for their yearly exams and vaccinations and also I get their teeth cleaned. They eat nutritional meals every day plus they get dog treats. They do sleep in crates at night but do get to have free time in our home during the day. So please do not mark all breeders as puppy mills

wow there's so many opinions out there isn't there. I am in my late 40's and have been a dog owner all my life or/ and considered them family. I have always purchased from a pet store and have had my dogs registered AKC, etc registered and chipped once it became avaiiable. I have seen think the pet store have reputable breeds. I would have no problem purchasing from private organizations. I think the puppy mills are rare and few these days and have never purchased from a shelter

@ Carol, with all due respect puppy mills are far from rare and few these days is terribly wrong and you're so misinformed. Having donated my time to the rescue industry for over 20 years this industry is alive and well. While you may have had one of the few non-issue purchases, you are an exception. The village is looking for major lawsuits by allowing this store to open. These stores open up and the customer gets burned, then sues the village once the store closes it's doors. It happens all the time.
In-case you're not aware these animals are living breathing creatures and are living and breeding in the most horrendous conditions imaginable. Due to the heat of this past summer there was a raid in Missouri where dogs were "FRYING" inside their cages. Have you ever seen or smelled a dog slowing burning? It's beyond what anyone can imagine or stomach. There are reputable breeders out there, but they never sell to pet stores and I'm sure Karen could shed light on that one.

FYI: AKC doesn't guarantee a well dog. Puppy Mills have AKC registration and frankly it means diddly squat.

There are currently more than 3000 USDA licensed puppy mills in the US today. Puppy mills are legal and fall under the jurisdiction of the USDA which classifies the dogs as livestock so they are not protected under our Companion Animal Laws like our pets are. APHIS is responsible for inspecting the mills to make sure they adhere to the minimal standards. An example of a standard is that the cage that the dog will spend their life in is 6" bigger than the dog not counting the tail. In May of 2010, the USDA wrote a scathing review on the inadequate job that APHIS does maintaining these minimum standards. The report is 69 pages long but it only takes a minute to scroll down and see the horrendous conditions that these animals endure. (See link Below) There are another 4000 unlicensed puppy mills that don't even get inspected. Over 3000 puppies are produced each year from these hell holes and sold to pet stores, on the internet, or in newspaper ads. We euthanize between 4 to 5 million homeless pets a year in this country alone, almost 11,000 a day. The AKC knowingly gives papers to puppy mill dogs although papers are easily forged at the mills daily. Most of the AKC's revenue comes from the puppies at the mills. They say right on their website that papers DO NOT ensure health or breeding standards, only that the parents had AKC papers. Kennel clubs for responsible breeders state they will not sell to pet stores, internet.
http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/33002-4-SF.pdf

Pets require a commitment for their lifetime. They should not be an impulse purchase but a well thought out decision. Please discuss with your Veterinarian before deciding on the best place to get your pet. There is an excellent website but together by Veterinarian Professionals that can help you make a good decision. Set a good example for your children. After all they are learning how to make good decisions from you and they will be deciding where you end up one day. If they learn that instant gratification is more important than responsible, caring decisions, there is a price to pay. For them and you.
http://pupquest.org

Some facts about BREEDERS. There are USDA licensed breeders (puppy mills) that sell to retail Pet stores. Unlicensed breeders (also puppy mills) are not supposed to sell retail but can sell over the internet which is like the wild west, no guarantees, no returns or recourse and sometimes, you don't even receive the puppy! Then there are Private Breeders who have a few dogs that are bred in their homes as pets. You can go to their home and see how the dogs live and meet the Mother. You can see health records going back years. I have always adopted my pets using www.petfinder.com or I search for a local rescue, but if you're going to BUY your pet, you're much better off finding a Private Breeder through your local Kennel Club for that breed. You'll get a healthier dog, AND you won't be supporting puppy mill cruelty. I'm all for small business but free enterprise doesn't mean NO ETHICS. It doesn't mean it's OK to lie to the consumer about the source or quality of what you're selling. That is Consumer Fraud. Pet Stores sell Cruelty and Consumer Fraud. Are you still buying? Read what a Responsible Breeder has to say on the subject.
http://www.thedogpress.com/Editorials/10013-Dog-Breeders-Defined_Andrews.asp

@Patricia, You're correct Patricia. I as a private breeder would never sell to a pet store. For one thing a pet store will sell to whomever can afford the pet. I for one want to make sure that I meet each and everyone that purchases my puppies. I want to make sure that they are responsible enough and are capable enough to care for my puppies. This is one of the reasons I will never ship a puppy on a plain. I want to meet the families that purchase my puppies and I want them to see the home they are raised in. Another reason I do not ship is because they are kept in the cargo area of the plain that can be very traumatic to the puppy. Also the cargo area of the plain is not temperature regulated. So in the summer it is extremely hot and in the winter it is extremely cold. AKC is the number one kennel club.

(continued from above) AKC is doing more and more home inspections with private breeders. If your pets, home and paperwork are not up to their standards you can loose your AKC rights. This is why more breeders are steering away from AKC and going with other kennel clubs that do not do home inspections. They don't want AKC to see the living conditions they are breeding their pets in. Puppy mills do give us responsible private breeders a bad name. But if you're a responsible breeder and you care for your pets, the buyers will see it by the love you give your pets and the home they are raised in. It breaks my heart to see and read about how these puppy mills living conditions are for the pets they breed. It is inhumane and they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. These pets are living creatures that the good Lord allowed us to have as companions. Even though a pet cannot speak they do have feelings and can show emotions. I'm all for cracking down on these puppy mills. We need to put them out of business because they are only in it for the dollar not for to put out on the market happy healthy pets. Most of the pet stores purchase their puppies from out of state where the bulk of the puppy mills are located at.

The Puppy Mill Project is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago. Our mission is to make people aware of puppy mills and their connection to pet stores, Internet sites, and newspaper ads that misrepresent where they get their pets, and also the quality of the breeding. Our concern is for animal welfare, and also for the consumer, who can become an unsuspecting victim of fraud, emotional duress, and high Veterinarian bills. We've read that more than 70% of people surveyed do not know what a puppy mill is. We'd like to change that. We do age appropriate educational presentations to groups from age 6 up through adults at no cost. If you, or anyone you know, would like to schedule a presentation or receive more information, please contact us through the link below. There is also information on puppy mills and help on how to find the right pet for you. When we know better, we do better.
http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/contact-the-puppy-mill-project/
http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/help-me-find-a-pet/

Our last two dogs were from rescue shelters. However, there's big money involved with these shelter organizations too. Most are affiliated with local vet clinics where they 'show' the rescued dogs and handle the transactions.

The fees for buying a rescue dog start at around $300 plus all of the initial vet fees. The vet clinic where the animal is first 'shown' usually picks up a new customer. That makes for a nice cozy relationship between the rescue organizations and the vet clinics.

I found it ironic that the lady we bought our dog from got it from a rescue center in TN and was basically then re-selling their stock of animals. Try giving them away at no charge then I'll trust that it's out of the goodness of her heart. But these rescue organizations are simply 'selling' the dogs from the puppy mills- most having been obtained at a very low cost, or free.

I agree that puppy mills need to be banned but don't take it out on the local pet stores. I'd be interested in finding out where the rescue shelters are that give dogs away. Or do they just all sell the same dogs that the puppy mills do?

Mike, I'm confused about how you bought your last two dogs. We went online to the Aurora Animal Shelter and saw some pictures of dogs. We called to see if the dog we were interested in was still available. We then went to see her. We then went back a second time and adopted her. I think it was around $60.00. The dogs there are either found wandering around with no way to identify them, or they've been brought in because people are unable to keep them for various reasons. I know there are other types of rescue places, but this is how we got Lola.

I have been fostering dogs for the last five years. The only "payment" I get is the feeling that I helped save a life. My yard has holes and my carpet is trashed but the "reward" of seeing a dog go to a loving home is the best.

It's so much more rewarding knowing you have rescued a dog. I know that shelters count on donations and volunteers to keep on doing what they do. Volunteers clean the kennels. Volunteers transport the dogs to vet appointments, and from shelters that cannot take any more dogs to shelters that can house them. Donations are needed in the form or towels, cleaning supplies,etc. Much of the money they charge for adoption goes towards the spay or neutering fee. They hold fundraisers to raise money for medical care, housing, etc. It's a huge process and done solely from the heart and for the benefit of these animals. All not for profit. I cringe every time I see people in a pet store....

I have volunteered in rescues for about 10 years now and I've done everything from cleaning kennels to socializing dogs to counseling adopters and people wanting to give up their animals to doing bookkeeping and being on the board of directors of a local shelter. Let's look at the cycle of a dog purchased in a pet store. First, someone goes in thinking they'll "just look" at the cute little puppies. Then they get caught in how cute the puppy is and they purchase on impulse and because the salesperson implores that if they don't buy today, someone else will buy the puppy and they'll lose out. Many people purchasing at a pet store do so on impulse. Then when they realize they are not prepared for the amount of work or the cost of the pet, they try to take it back to the store, however the store will not take the pet back. This is where the rescues come in. Because they don't want a dog put to sleep, they take it in and give it proper vet care (spay/neuter, vaccinations and anything else it may need) and they feed it properly. This ALL COSTS MONEY. The original people that purchased the dog don't want that cost so they dump it on a shelter. Most rescues have a few paid personnel, but many, many, many more volunteers that assist with caring for these tossed aside pets. The cost incurred is passed on to adopters in the form of an adoption fee. However, these fees normally don't come anywhere near the cost of caring for these animals.

I have adopted 4 dogs in my adult life from local shelters and I know positively that one is from a puppy mill purchased at a pet store that the original purchaser gave up. I saw the pet store contract and that gave a 3 day guarantee on health and didn't guarantee for luxating patella, which is hereditary. He had luxating patella - both knees and it cost over $5,000 to fix this. I also saw his "papers". The pet store tells people the dogs are "papered" and he is - but he's a MUTT - so papers don't mean anything. Don't let them fool you - designer breed is a fancy word for mutt. There's nothing wrong with mutts, but they shouldn't cost $1,400 as they do in some pet stores (plus spay/neuter, vaccinations,etc.). I saw that my puppy mill puppy originally cost his owners $850 back in 1999. Most people don't give all that paperwork when they give up a dog. I just got lucky. A good breeder would want to know about luxating patella and not breed that line again. A good breeder will be AKC registered. If you want a good breeder, check out http://www.akc.org/classified/search/landing_breed.cfm. If the breeder you're thinking about isn't listed, then keep looking. Good breeders want to participate in AKC and want to guarantee their puppies health and want to know where their puppies wind up and want to take them back if you no longer can handle the dog.

My wife and I made the mistake of buying one of our dogs at a very popular Puppy Store in Naperville. They claim that their puppies are NOT from Puppy Mills. Well, after a lot of research of tracing the name of the breeder it turns out they are from a puppy mill. (For the most part, any puppy from Iowa or Missouri is from a puppy mill). We have two dogs, one from a breeder and one from this store. The one from the puppy store has racked up over $8000 in vet bills for two surgeries, multiple procedures, special food, and now the early onset of a heart condition that will likely shorten his life dramatically. (Bad genetics). The breeder pup is healthy as can be. Sure, you pay a little more up front to go with a breeder but you save money long term in not having to fight a life of avoidable and heartbreaking health issues. Please Oswego, don't allow these animals to be sold in Oswego.

Does anyone know if the Love our Dogs buys from puppy mills?

Yes, Love our Dogs buys from puppy mills. That is the only way they can get puppies to be sold in that type of environment. AKC registered breeders will not sell in pet stores. A good breeder wants to know where their puppies are going and won't put their puppies in the hands of a 3rd party to decide that.