Happiness Is Pets Closes Downers Grove Location After Ordinance

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A former Downers Grove pet store has moved out of town after an ordinance took effect regarding the sale of pets in the village. Happiness is Pets, formerly located at 605 Ogden Ave., has posted a sign saying they have relocated to Lombard.

The move follows the Oct. 1 effective date of an ordinance that intends to ban the sale of animals sourced from so-called puppy mills and other breeders.

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Per the ordinance, which was voted into effect after passionate debate in early March, businesses that sell dogs, cats, and rabbits in the village must show proof that the pets came from a shelter that meets the ordinance's requirements. These requirements include a stipulation that animals come from an "animal care facility, animal rescue organization, or humane society."

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The Downers Grove village council gave Happiness Is Pets until Oct. 1 to comply with the new law. Failure to comply would have resulted in fines from $500 to $1,000, depending on whether it was a first offense or subsequent offense.

As of early October, Happiness Is Pets posted a sign saying customers should visit their store in Lombard.

Google Maps shows the Downers Grove Happiness Is Pets location as permanently closed.

During the lengthy and polarizing debate about pet sales in Downers Grove that came before the ordinance, residents and village council members shared stories about pets they purchased from the location becoming ill.

At a Feb. 12 village meeting in Downers Grove, John Berning from Happiness Is Pets said, "The claim our puppies are mill-bred is an extraordinary claim."