Illinois requires full pet disclosure

Springfield, Ill.

-- Illinois lawmakers will require full disclosure to new pet owners in the new year.

Starting Jan. 1, shelters, animal control facilities and pet stores must disclose the health history, and names and addresses for breeders and/or previous owners before any cat or dog can be sold in person or over the Internet.

Earlier versions of the bill also required that potential pet owners be notified about any citations the breeder or previous owners had, as well as the number of puppies or kittens born at a breeding facility over a certain period. The law was passed Aug. 23, 2010, and takes effect Jan. 1, 2011.