Horrible Hundred identifies problem puppy mills, calls on USDA to enforce penalties

After a routine veterinary check, the Humane Society has released their latest report, listing puppy mills and dog sellers for consumers to be wary of and government agencies to act on.

Photo by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, courtesy of humanesociety.org

Cedar Ridge Australians, also known as AussieDoodleWoods, located in Alton, Missouri, is one of several repeat offenders on the Horrible Hundred list.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recently published a list of one hundred problem puppy mills and dog sellers. Dubbed ‘The Horrible Hundred,' this report is published annually to warn consumers about common problems associated with puppy mills and to urge government oversight agencies, such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and some local departments of agriculture, to live up to their enforcement obligations. The USDA is responsible for inspecting dog breeding kennels in every state if they have five or more breeding females and sell sight-unseen, such as through pet stores or online.

Since last year, some of the dealers listed in the 2018 report appear to have closed their doors, while others have been penalized by the state, but appear to still be operating. “A few of the dealers listed have been shut down by local authorities or were urged to close voluntarily, due to ongoing and uncorrected violations,” says Kitty Block, president and CEO of the HSUS, in an interview with dvm360. “A few others have cleaned up their facilities to acceptable levels due to the increased scrutiny.”

Violations include dogs found shivering in the cold, dogs with only frozen water buckets available or no water at all, dogs with untreated wounds, sick puppies who had not been treated by a veterinarian and underweight dogs with their ribs and spines showing. Twenty-seven of the dealers in the 2019 report are repeat offenders.

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—dvm360 Magazine | Aug 2019