Illinois Bill Wants to Outlaw Live Animal Prizes at Carnivals
I can't lie, I've totally won goldfish from carnivals when I was younger. Now as an adult, I look at the whole concept very differently. Especially after I learned it isn't just goldfish and hermit crabs, it's animals like iguanas and other exotic reptiles that are offered around the country.
But if a bill in the Illinois Senate becomes law, carnivals would no longer be allowed to award live animals — such as fish, reptiles and hermit crabs — as prizes. The Southern details -
Illinois’ Humane Care for Animals Act already prohibits rabbits, ducklings and chicks as carnival prizes, but Senate Bill 2472 would expand the law’s protections to all animals — including the goldfish that winners can take home in a plastic bag. Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, a Democrat from Western Springs, introduced the bill with backing from the Humane Society of the United States.
“This isn’t just a ‘goldfish bill,’” she said. “Carnivals across the country give out other animals as prizes, specifically iguanas and other exotic reptiles.” Glowiak Hilton said these reptiles can grow up to 6 feet long and become a burden to people who did not consider the specialized care the animals need.
The bill was assigned to the Senate agriculture committee on Tuesday. If it passes committee, the bill will go to the full Senate for a vote.