This dog was photographed by USDA inspectors in May 2021 at Helene Hamrick’s Wolf Point Kennel in Ackworth. (USDA photo courtesy of Bailing Out Benji)
Iowa again leads the nation in the number of puppy mill violations, but so far this year the Iowa Legislature doesn’t appear ready to address the issue.
During the last quarter of 2023, Iowa breeders and kennels racked up 34 violations, more than any other state in the nation. Wisconsin placed second, with 33 violations, followed by Missouri with 26, Ohio with 19 and Indiana with 18.
Two of the Iowa breeders who were cited for violations are the subject of criminal referrals by the Iowa-based animal-welfare group Bailing Out Benji, the organization that compiles quarterly data on violators throughout the nation.
The organization’s founder, Mindi Callison, said Wednesday that Iowa lawmakers should consider legislation that would fix a major “loophole” in the standards required of Iowa’s dog breeders.
Breeders who do business exclusively in Iowa by selling directly to consumers rather than to third-party brokers must be licensed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Breeders and brokers who sell to customers out of state are required to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.