USDA Fails to Crack Down on Puppy Mills

According to an internal government report, many dogs in USDA-licensed commercial breeding facilities are living in horrific conditions, and some are needlessly dying, due to lax government enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.

The USDA’s Office of Inspector General recently conducted another unfavorable audit of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), the unit responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act by inspecting and licensing commercial dog breeders and brokers. These government investigators have concluded that the USDA agency in charge of enforcing the law often ignores repeat violations, waives penalties, and fails to properly document the inhumane treatment of dogs.

Investigations of Missouri facilities for this report were conducted before the current administration took the reins in Jefferson City. In early 2009, the Governor and the Director of Missouri Department of Agriculture announced a new program to report unlicensed dog breeders throughout the state. There is no doubt that unlicensed activity has thrived in our state due in part to Missouri’s long-standing reputation for lax enforcement of the law and an unwillingness to impose monetary penalties when violations are found. During the 2010 legislative session, various supporters of the pet breeding industry attributed Missouri’s negative image almost exclusively to the activities of unlicensed breeders. With so many Missouri dog breeders being licensed by USDA, the findings of this report would strongly suggest that serious problems persist in many licensed as well as unlicensed facilities in Missouri.

We look forward to a vigorous response from the Missouri Department of Agriculture which will reflect USDA’s determination to step up investigation and enforcement activity for all facilities, not just those which are unlicensed.