'Horrible Hundred' report reveals puppy mills cited for shooting & neglecting dogs

DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) -- On Monday, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released its annual report. The report revealed that there are 100 problem puppy brokers and puppy mills in the United States, as well as uncovering dogs suffering across the country at puppy mills.

Many puppy mills are still in business, even after years of animal care violations, including citations for injured and emaciated dogs, dogs and puppies exposed to extreme cold or heat without proper housing, and some dogs that lived in such filthy conditions they were covered in their own waste. Some dealers even admit that they have shot dogs or puppies if they are considered to be unwanted.

While the report has been published every May since 2013, since 2017 the Human Society has been unable to include the complete information of the different kennels. Some kennel names were unavailable, and some puppy mills were only identified by city and state. This loss of information came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture data purge in 2017. However, in 2020 HSUS researchers once again had access to complete information on each puppy mills, following Congress requiring the USDA to restore unredacted inspection reports to its online database.

With thirty recorded puppy sellers on the list, Missouri has the largest number reported for the eighth year in a row. Missouri is followed by Ohio (9), Kansas (8), Wisconsin (8), Georgia (7), and Pennsylvania (6). However puppies from breeders included in this report are often found across the country, as puppy mills will sell to pet stores via websites.

“With the Department of Agriculture failing to protect these helpless animals, and some agencies being forced to pause their inspection programs amid the pandemic, dogs rely more than ever on the public to vote with their dollar,” said John Goodwin, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States’ Stop Puppy Mills campaign. “Dog lovers can help by refusing to buy a puppy or any supplies from pet stores that sell puppies. In addition, it’s critical for pet lovers everywhere to contact their public officials and let them know they support stronger laws and enforcement.”

The report included some particularly disturbing findings, including:

• Wendy Pets: This USDA-licensed dealer in Kansas admitted to shooting and killing two dozen dogs. Wendy Pets was cited by state inspectors for the inhumane form of “euthanasia”, but the USDA did not. This is only the latest in USDA’s history of increasingly weak oversight, where enforcement actions have plummeted about 90% over the past few years. Wendy Pets sends puppies to pet stores across the U.S.
• Paul Steury, an AKC breeder in Michigan: Steury was investigated by HSUS and is currently being sued by the state’s attorney general after allegations of selling sick puppies, misleading customers, and killing unwanted puppies. Close to a third of the dealers in the report, like Steury, claim to be affiliated with the American Kennel Club or sell AKC puppies.
• Stonehenge Kennel: The kennel is a USDA-licensed dealer in Iowa, which has over 650 dogs, and has been found with nearly 50 that are sick or injured since 2015. This includes limping dogs and dogs with open wounds. However, Stonehenge Kennel remained licensed with USDA year after year. This kennel has been included in the horrible hundred report three times, and yet continues to sell to pet stores across the U.S.
• Cedar Ridge Australians and Puppy Love Kennel aka Cory’s Cuties: These two dealers were found with multiple emaciated dogs living in dreadfully poor conditions. They have both been taken to court by Missouri’s attorney general, and their cases are pending. They are both still advertising puppies for sale on their websites to unsuspecting consumers.

More than 50% of the dealers included in the report are licensed by USDA. This allows them to sell to pet stores or sell puppies online to unsuspecting consumers. At least four of the dealers in the report sell puppies to Portland stores, which is the largest puppy-selling pet store chain in the country. Since these events were last documented, dogs have been placed in even more danger because the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has halted USDA inspections indefinitely.

You can read the full report below.