The Naperville City Council has postponed a decision on whether to require local pet stores to sell only rescued animals.
Almost 40 people spoke out at the latest city council meeting, many with their puppy mill pets present and requesting council to pass the ordinance.
“You’ve heard all these stories, do you understand or not? Are these animals not your motivating factor? Sometimes we’re called upon to do the right thing even when it might seem a little risky,” said Greg Gordon, Owner of Dog Patch Pet & Feed.
Some say pet stores could adopt a model similar to that of Dog Patch in Naperville, where they already sell rescues only.
But some pet storeowners say that would not work for them.
“The only thing you will achieve is you will force my family’s business to close. If forced to a rescue only model you are forcing us to sell dogs with no known history or vaccination history,” said Jonathan Berning, owner of Happiness is Pets.
Councilwoman Becky Anderson said she’s in favor of the ordinance, saying pet stores’ profits can’t be a motivating factor.
“I’m sick of stuff being about the money. It’s always about the money,” Anderson said.
But Councilman Kevin Coyne said the focus should not be on pet stores but on closing puppy mills.
“To me I think the lobbying effort, the activist effort is misguided toward these stores where it should be toward the puppy mills and the farms that are breeding these dogs in a very inhumane, cheap, at times I’ve used the word evil way,” Coyne said.
Council tabled the discussion when two DuPage and Will county board members said they are trying to pass the ordinance at the county level.
Council plans to revisit the topic to check on the county’s progress in 60 days.
Naperville News 17’s Beth Bria reports.