The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, signed a bill on Wednesday (Tuesday?) in response to a fire in January in a West Chicago facility which killed 29 dogs.
The law sets high standards at cat and dog boarding kennels in order to protect the residents. These facilities are now required to be staffed at all times, or owners must install a fire alarm or sprinkler system in every building where animals are housed.
The fire alarm system notifies local fire departments in case of fire. In the fire referred to in West Chicago, it is thought that the smoke detectors worked but that it was unlikely that anyone heard them at the time of the incident.
Comment: I wonder whether this piece of legislation will make other states consider introducing a similar law. I wonder also whether it will make the people who run facilities like this in other states consider any weaknesses in their policies concerning the safety of the animals at their facilities. It’s a possible wake up call.
