Ban Puppy Mills

Puppy mills are breeding facilities that mass-produce puppies for sale in pet stores, over the Internet, and directly to the public. Dogs are stacked in filthy wire cages, often with no veterinary care or human interaction, and they are treated not like pets but like a cash crop. Mother dogs are constantly bred and kept in continuous confinement. They are destroyed or discarded when they can no longer churn out puppies.

Fortunately, legislation (H.B. 198/S.B. 53) has been introduced in Illinois to limit the number of dogs in these facilities to prevent mega puppy mills from operating and put in place some basic animal welfare standards.

TAKE ACTION
Your state senator, Frank Watson, sits on the committee that will consider this legislation soon. Please take a moment to call Senator Watson at (217) 782-5755 to urge support for S.B. 53.

When you call, you will likely speak to a staff member who will pass your message along to your legislator. Remember to be polite and professional, and leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent. You can say:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am calling from [your town] to ask Senator Watson to support S.B. 53, legislation to crack down on puppy mills. As a constituent, I am very concerned about large scale breeding and the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. Thank you."

After making your call, send a follow-up email to your senator in support of this legislation. Finally, please tell your friends and family in Illinois how they can help.

Thank you for all you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Mike Markarian
Executive President
The Humane Society of the United States