frogaddiction, that's simply heartbreaking. It's always sad to hear about the unhealthy animals coming from these big chains. Hopefully the ones with health issues get better as time goes on.

Hill, frogaddiction has great advice. I don't know of any local breeders, but I'm also from the Chicagoland area and I know of a few reptile shows where you can get Pacman frogs. The Chicago Reptile Show is coming up in June in Crystal Lake. It's definitely a small event, but it was this convention last fall that I got my horned frog from Go!Lizards. She is about 8 months old now and going strong, ate food from tongs the first day I brought her home. Obviously your mileage may vary, but I had a very good experience buying from them.

There is also the North American Reptile Breeders Conference (NARBC) that will be coming to Tinley Park next fall. Although this is a gigantic show, you'll find the majority of it is snake morphs. There will still be breeders with Pacman frogs, though, just have to keep your eyes peeled! Of the two times I've gone, both Josh's Frogs and LLLReptile were there and they had some really healthy looking Cranwellis and Ornatas. LLLReptile even had some nice looking Fantasy ones, if that interests you. Other breeders are hit and miss, I saw both healthy and unhealthy frogs while walking around there, so you want to make sure to inspect any frogs well and ask questions. My friend bought a healthy looking baby Pacman from a breeder that ended up being a fussy eater, turns out it had only been fed feeder fish and pinky mice! He's doing great now, but definitely an experience that taught us to always ask about these things, lol.

There may be more events where they sell reptiles/amphibians, but these are the only two I have been to.

You can also order a cutie online, but I personally like seeing them in person. I feel it's less stressful for both you and the frog, and it gives you more control in assessing the frog's current health and responsiveness. I hope this may help you find a Pacman that can keep you company for years to come.