Buffalo Grove bans the retail sale of dogs, cats, rabbits at pet stores

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. (WLS) -- A northwestern Chicago suburb has banned the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores.

The Buffalo Grove village board voted unanimously last week to prohibit the sale, reported the Daily Herald. Rabbits were the primary focus of the discussion.

Supports said the move targets puppy mill operations. Under the proposed ordinance stores would still be allowed to sell fish, hamsters and reptiles, as well as host adoption events.

Board Trustee Joanne Johnson said research shows rabbits are sold in small, dirty cages and often don't have access to proper nutrition or veterinary care.

Johnson added rabbits are marketed as low maintenance children's pets. But in reality, she said, they have complex needs that can lead unprepared owners to abandon them.

Lorianne Kloss, who works with an animal shelter in Chicago, said pet stores fail to educate owners about the importance of spaying or neutering rabbits. She added they can become aggressive if they aren't.

The ban follows a moratorium passed in October on the retail sale of dogs and cats at pet stores, which was expected to expire in July.