May 10--Cook County is a step closer to requiring registration of convicted animal abusers and banning them from owning pets for at least 15 years after a legislative panel on Tuesday approved those steps.
The Cook County Board Law Enforcement Committee approved the plan despite objections from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which contends it's not fair to ask pet store employees to turn away registered offenders.
"While no one wants people who've been convicted of abusing animals to cause harm to other animals, we also don't want our store associates to be placed in a position where they confront a potential convicted abuser," said Tanya Triche, an attorney for the retail association. "The data is clear that people who abuse animals have violent tendencies toward people as well.
"Business owners should be protected from overregulation, and we ask that you keep their employees in mind who would have to deal with the consequences of an angry convicted animal abuser," Triche added.
Commissioner John Fritchey, D-Chicago, who proposed the registry with the support of Sheriff Tom Dart, dismissed Triche's concerns, saying it was no different than requiring bartenders to refuse drinks to drunken patrons.
"We don't have special protections," Fritchey said. "We don't say that you have to serve somebody if they're overserved because the bartender may be assaulted. We have those laws in place, and there's no reason to believe that would be an issue that would exist whatsoever.
"Most pet store owners are good actors who want to care about the well-being of animals and for that very reason they should encourage and welcome this," Fritchey added.
Under Fritchey's proposal, animal abusers would be required to register and would face a fine of up to $2,000 for not doing so. They also would be barred from owning animals, unless they were disabled and needed a service animal, and would face a fine of up to $5,000 for violating that ban.
Fifteen years after conviction, they would be removed from the registry, but if they committed a second offense, they would remain on the registry for life. Animal shelters, rescue operations, pet shops and other pet sellers who "knowingly" provided animals to registered animal abusers would face a $5,000 fine.
If the full board approves Fritchey's proposal when it meets Wednesday, the regulations would go into effect Jan. 1. That will give Dart time to set up a registry, Fritchey said.
hdardick@tribpub.com
