Bailing Out Benji is a national nonprofit organization that exists to provide transparency into the puppy mill industry. We forensically audit government health records and inspection reports in order to connect puppy mills and commercial dog breeders to the various outlets in which they sell. We pay for many of these documents and then make them available for free on our website and to the public in order to provide the transparency that the public deserves before buying a puppy.
To see our pet store and online broker research, click here.
According to the USDA: An inspection report documents an inspector’s observations and professional assessments of compliance at facilities regulated under the AWA. Below we have compiled a list of all of the USDA dog breeders and brokers that have had violations in Quarter 2 of 2024.
This time period is from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024
Editors note: USDA inspectors have 5 days to give a copy of their inspection to the licensee and 30 days to publish their reports online. There may be additional facilities we add to this list once more inspection reports are added to the database.
Omitted from these violations are missed inspections, unless those missed inspections are habitual. The list below also only reflects dog and cat breeders and brokers (licenses A and B).
This list of violations below was obtained from the USDA APHIS search engine. Any pet store connections were obtained from various state departments of agriculture.
You can view our previous Quarterly Violation Reports here.
If you have any questions about the breeders listed on this report or our methodology for obtaining this information, please email our research analyst: Alexis Bell, research@bailingoutbenji.com
This time period is from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024
Official USDA Warnings, Complaints, and Decisions:
Amos Zimmerman, Zimmermans Kennel AKA Amos-Alvin Zimmerman Kennel (200 dogs, 68 puppies). East Earl, Pennsylvania- At the time of their April 16, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Zimmerman received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and 1 non-critical violation pertaining to primary enclosures. Zimmerman last received a USDA violation in 2021. Zimmerman received an Official USDA Warning stemming from a direct violation received on April 16, 2024. Amos Zimmerman 4.16.24 USDA Warning Amos Zimmerman
Elisa Brandvik. Ozark, Arkansas- Brandvik received an Administrative Complaint in which her license was revoked and she was barred from getting another AWA license, she was ordered to give up all the animals at her facility and was given a civil penalty of $7,800. Brandvik also received a Decision and Order that is not viewable on the USDA website and is a continuation of the Administrative Complaint. USDA Administrative Complaint Elisa Brandvik
Ellen Roberts, Rocky Top K-9s (100 dogs, 57 puppies). West Plains, Missouri- Roberts has a history of violations dating back to 2014, including violations in 2023 and 2022. At the time of their May 6, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Roberts received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (repeat), and 2 non-critical violations pertaining to time and method of identification and cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. At the time of their May 16, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Roberts received 2 non-critical violations pertaining to housing facilities and cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (repeat). Roberts received an Official USDA Warning stemming from a direct violation received on February 11, 2024. Ellen Roberts 5.6.24 Ellen Roberts 5.16.24 USDA Warning Ellen Roberts
Freeman Beechy (25 dogs, 21 puppies). Hillsboro, Ohio- Beechy received violations in Quarter 2 of 2023 and then had attempted inspections on 11/2/2023 and 1/25/2024. On May 5, 2024, Beechy received 1 non-critical violation for an attempted inspection. Beechy received an Official USDA Warning stemming from the violations he received between 2024 and 2023 for attempted inspections. Freeman Beechy 5.20.24 USDA Warning Freeman Beechy
Israel Byler (B), Walnut Grove Kennel AKA Walnut Grove Kennel II (50 dogs, 16 puppies). Belleville, Pennsylvania- Byler received an Official USDA Warning for a direct violation he received on March 7, 2024. USDA Warning Israel Byler
Joyce Walters, Select Pets (14 dogs, 2 puppies). Anderson, Missouri- Walters received violations throughout 2023 and has had two attempted inspections in Quarter 1 of 2024. On June 20, 2024, Walters received another non-critical violation for an attempted inspection. Walters received an Offical USDA Warning for 6 attempted inspections between 2023 and 2024. Joyce Walters 6.20.24 USDA Warning Joyce Walters
Naomi Miller & Wayne Miller (E), Pine Creek Puppies (27 dogs, 25 puppies). Millersburg, Ohio- Pine Creek Puppies also received violations in 2023. On May 3, 2024, Pine Creek Puppies received 1 non-critical violation for an attempted inspection. They also received a violation in February of 2024 for another attempted inspection. Pine Creek Puppies received an Official USDA Warning stemming from violations they received between 2023 and 2024 for attempted inspections. Pine Creek Puppies 5.3.24 USDA Warning Pine Creek Puppies
Sylvia Kurtz & William Kurtz, Valley Kennel AKA Barking Valley Kennel (144 dogs, 38 puppies). Augusta, Wisconsin- Sylvia Kurtz of Valley Kennel received an Administrative Complaint for the critical violation she received on September 28, 2023, for refusal to conduct an inspection. Kurtz has since canceled her USDA license and now William Kurtz of Barking Valley Kennel is licensed at their address. USDA Administrative Complaint Sylvia Kurtz
Virginia Whaley (62 dogs, 19 puppies). Anderson, Missouri- At the time of their April 17, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Whaley received 2 direct violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and 2 non-critical violations pertaining to records and cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. Whaley received an Official USDA Warning stemming from direct violations received on April 17, 2024. We have records of this facility selling to a pet store in Arizona. Virginia Whaley 4.17.24 USDA Warning Virginia Whaley
Critical Violations This Quarter:
Arthur Schmucker (L) (28 dogs, 41 puppies). Clyde, New York- Schmucker also received violations in Quarter 4 of 2023. On May 3, 2024, Schmucker received 1 non-critical violation for an attempted inspection. At the time of their June 4, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Schmucker received 1 critical violation pertaining to compatible grouping and 1 non-critical violation pertaining to veterinary care for dogs. Arthur Schmucker (L) 5.3.24 Arthur Schmucker (L) 6.4.24
Direct Violations This Quarter:
Angela Weaver (21 dogs, 1 puppy). Howe, Oklahoma- Weaver received 21 violations in Quarter 1 of 2024 after accruing 6 violations for attempted inspections between 2023 and 2022 and after the USDA gained injunctive relief to enter her property. At the time of their May 7, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Weaver received 6 non-critical violations pertaining to records and housing facilities. On that same day, May 7, 2024, during a focused inspection, Weaver received 2 direct violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (repeat) and handling of animals. Weaver has since canceled her USDA license and has not procured another. Angela Weaver 5.7.24 (1) Angela Weaver 5.7.24
Brenda Callen, Waggletails Kennels (27 dogs, 9 puppies). Frontenac, Kansas- Callen also received 8 violations in Quarter 3 of 2023. At the time of their May 21, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Callen received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and 13 non-critical violations pertaining to records (repeat), contingency planning, housing facilities, sheltered housing facilities, primary enclosures, exercise for dogs (repeat), cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (repeat), and veterinary care for dogs (repeat). Brenda Callen 5.21.24
Donna Taber, Jet Kennels (74 dogs, 32 puppies). Wasola, Missouri- Taber also received violations in Quarters 1 and 4 of 2023. At the time of their April 3, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Taber received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. At the time of their April 10, 2024, USDA-focused inspection, Taber received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (repeat). At the time of their June 27, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Taber received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (repeat). Donna Taber 4.3.24 Donna Taber 4.10.24 Donna Taber 6.27.24
Harvey Miller (E), Locust Grove Kennels (41 dogs, 30 puppies). Greenwood, New York- Miller also received violations in Quarters 1 of 2023 and 2024. At the time of their June 27, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Miller received 3 non-critical violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care and exercise for dogs. At the time of their June 27, 2024, USDA focused inspection, Miller received 1 direct violation pertaining to watering. Harvey Miller (E) 6.27.24 (1) Harvey Miller (E) 6.27.24
Heath Meyers, Century Farm Puppies (125 dogs, 134 puppies). Grundy Center, Iowa- Meyers also received violations in Quarter 1 of 2024 and throughout 2023. At the time of their April 23, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Meyers received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and 4 non-critical violations pertaining to requirements and application, watering, cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control (repeat), and veterinary care for dogs. Heath Meyers 4.23.24
Larry Albrecht, Coldwater Kennel (196 dogs, 108 puppies). Greene, Iowa- Albrecht also received violations in Quarter 1 of 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. At the time of their April 8, 2024, USDA routine inspection, Albrecht received 1 direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Delaware and Indiana. Larry Albrecht 4.8.24
