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.
To read more about our methodology and see the most recent audits performed on the USDA, click here.
Our methodology:
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 direct or critical violations in Quarter 1 of 2025, as well as those who have received official warnings or fines. You will also find the statistics on the non-critical violations, but those will no longer be listed out individually in our reports.
This time period is from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025.
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.
We also include statistics on missed inspections, so we can monitor those facilities that are habitual offenders. 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
2025 Quarter 1 Violation Breakdown
92.4% of violations this quarter received by dog and cat breeders and dealers were Non-Critical. The USDA defines a non-critical violation as a noncompliance that is not designated as a direct NCI and is something that is not having a serious or severe impact on the welfare of an animal at the time of inspection
3.8% of violations this quarter received by dog and cat breeders and dealers were critical.
3.8% of violations this quarter received by dog and cat breeders and dealers were direct.
Non-Critical Violation Breakdown:
There were 82 USDA licensed cat and dog breeders and dealers who received non-critical violations this quarter.
25.4% of non-critical violations this quarter were for Attempted Inspections.
23% of non-critical violations this quarter pertained to Veterinary Care for Dogs.
9% of non-critical violations this quarter pertained to Housing Facilities.
9% of non-critical violations this quarter pertained to Records.
Top violations among the Non-Critical, Direct, and Critical Violations this Quarter:
There were a total of 87 USDA licensed cat and dog breeders and dealers who received violations.
26.5% of 2025 quarter 1 violations pertained to Attempted Inspections.
21% of 2025 quarter 1 violations pertained to Veterinary Care for Dogs.
8% of 2025 quarter 1 violations pertained to Housing Facilities.
8% of 2025 quarter 1 violations pertained to Records.
7.5% of 2025 quarter 1 violations pertained to Cleaning, Sanitation, Housekeeping, and Pest Control.
7.5% of 2025 quarter 1 violations pertained to Attending Veterinarian and Adequate Veterinary Care.
This time period is from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025.
Official USDA Warnings, Complaints, and Decisions
Darrell Knepp (W), Silky Pets LLC. Montgomery, Indiana- Silky Pets received an Official USDA Warning on February 27, 2025, after receiving a Critical violation on January 2, 2025, pertaining to handling of animals. Silky Pets is listed below for receiving this violation in Quarter 1 of 2025. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Florida and Michigan, and on the brokering website Puppies.com. USDA Official Warning Silky Pets 2.27.25
David Weaver (W). Millersburg, Ohio- Weaver received an Official USDA Warning on January 23, 2025, after receiving violations for three attempted inspections in June, September, and December of 2024. These attempted inspections came after Weaver received violations in Quarter 2 of 2024. Weaver also received non-critical violations in Quarter 1 of 2025 when inspectors could finally access his property. USDA Official Warning David Weaver 1.23.25
Ellen Roberts, Thunder River Pets AKA Rocky Top K-9s. West Plains, Missouri- Roberts received an Official USDA Warning on March 6, 2025, after receiving violations on May 6, 2024, pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (Direct), and May 16, 2024, pertaining to pest control. Roberts has had a history of USDA violations dating back to 2014 and had state violations in 2022. At the time of this report being released, Roberts has cancelled their USDA license but is still actively selling on the brokering website, Puppies.com, offering ground shipping and more than 4 breeds of dog. Our organization has filed a complaint with the USDA to bring Roberts back into compliance. USDA Official Warning Ellen Roberts 3.6.25
Heath Meyers, Century Farm Puppies. Grundy Center, Iowa- Meyers received an Official USDA Warning on March 5, 2025, after receiving violations between October 19, 2023, and October 22, 2024. There are 9 violations mentioned in the Warning which pertained to housing facilities, veterinary care for dogs, cleaning/sanitization/housekeeping/pest control, attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, records, and primary enclosures. Meyers received 31 violations between 2024 and 2023. USDA Official Warning Heath Meyers 3.5.25
Lois Baker, Louie’s Dachshunds. Andrews, North Carolina- Baker received an Official USDA Warning on March 18, 2025, after receiving a Direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care on December 20, 2023. Baker also received violations in 2023, 2021, and 2022 (which includes Direct violations in 2023 and 2021). At the time of this report being released, Baker has a cancelled USDA license and has not procured another. USDA Official Warning Lois Baker 3.18.25
McKenzie Neuroth, Oak Top Farm. Mountain Grove, Missouri- Neuroth received an Official USDA Warning on January 30, 2025, after receiving a Direct violation December 6, 2024, pertaining to watering. Neuroth had an attempted inspection on March 12, 2025, and appear to have cancelled their USDA license sometime after. At the time of this report, they have not procured another license and appear to no longer be state licensed either. Neuroth also received state non-compliances in 2024 and 2023. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Arizona and Texas. USDA Official Warning McKenzie Neuroth 1.30.25
Michael Raber. Fredericksburg, Ohio- Raber received an Official USDA Warning January 16, 2024, after three attempted inspections August 5, 2024, November 7, 2024, and November 21, 2024. Raber received 3 non-critical violations August 21, 2024, and then has had 3 attempted inspections which include the November ones included in his Warning and another on December 3, 2024. This means that an inspector has not been on Raber’s property since he received violations in August of 2024. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Florida. USDA Official Warning Michael Raber 1.17.25
Sadie Yoder & Daniel Yoder, Loper Farm Pets. Jasper, New York- The Yoders received an Official USDA Warning on January 23, 2025, after receiving Direct violations November 26, 2024, and November 29, 2024, pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. The Yoders are listed below for receiving violations this Quarter (which includes another Direct), and have had USDA violations in 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. USDA Official Warning Sadie Yoder & Daniel Yoder 1.23.25
Sylvia Kurtz, Valley Kennel. Augusta, Wisconsin- Kurtz received a Consent Decision and Order January 17, 2025 which assigned her a civil penalty of $1000. Kurtz received a Critical violation September 28, 2023 for refusing an inspection, sometime after this violation Kurtz cancelled her license. Kurtz also received USDA violations in 2022 and 2021, and state violations in 2022. On February 21, 2024, William Kurtz of Barking Valley Kennel took over the license. Though the Consent Decision and Order does not specify what the civil penalty is for, we assume that it is in regards to her Critical violation that she received prior to cancelling her USDA license. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in at least 3 states. USDA Consent Decision and Order Sylvia Kurtz 1.17.25
Teresa Rauch, Ratepa Kennels. Bolivar, Missouri- According to the USDA website, Rauch received an Official USDA Warning March 12, 2025, however, when the report is clicked to view the page says ‘the requested page could not be found’. Due to the timing of this Official Warning, it is assumed that it is in regards to the Direct violation Rauch received January 29, 2025, which is listed below. Rauch has also received violations in 2024 and 2023. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Connecticut and Florida, as well as on the brokering websites Puppies.com and Lancaster Puppies.com.
William Kurtz, Barking Valley Kennel. Augusta, Wisconsin- Kurtz received an Official USDA Warning February 27, 2025, after receiving a Direct violation December 11, 2024, pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. Prior to his licensing in February of 2024, Sylvia Kurtz of Valley Kennel was licensed at this property and had received USDA violations in 2023 (a Critical violation), 2022, and 2021. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in at least 3 states. USDA Official Warning William Kurtz 2.27.25
Direct Violations this Quarter (violations at the time of inspection having serious or severe adverse effects on the welfare of the animals):
Becky Goodman & Leonard Goodman, Goodman’s Good Dogs. Ringling, Oklahoma- The Goodmans also received violations in Quarter 3 of 2023. At the time of their March 31, 2025, routine inspection, the Goodmans received 2 Direct violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. During a focused inspection on March 31, 2025, the Goodmans received 4 non-critical violations pertaining to housing facilities, exercise for dogs, and cleaning, sanitization, housekeeping, and pest control. We have records of this facility selling on the brokering website, Puppies.com. Becky Goodman & Leonard Goodman 3.31.25.pdf
Mabel Yoder (J), Sugar Valley Puppies. Sugarcreek, Ohio- At the time of their February 10, 2025, routine inspection, Yoder received 1 Direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. We have records of this facility selling to a pet store in Connecticut. Mabel Yoder (J) 2.10.25.pdf
Sadie Yoder & Daniel Yoder, Loper Farm Pets. Jasper, New York- The Yoders have also received USDA violations in 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. At the time of their March 5, 2025, routine inspection, this facility received a Direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. During a routine inspection March 18, 2025, this facility received 1 non-critical violation pertaining to primary enclosures. Sadie Yoder & Daniel Yoder 3.5.25.pdf
Teresa Rauch, Ratepa Kennels. Bolivar, Missouri- Rauch also received violations in Quarter 1 of 2024, and Quarters 1, 2, and 4 in 2023. At the time of their January 29, 2025, routine inspection, this facility received a Direct repeat violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Connecticut and Florida, as well as on the brokering websites Puppies.com and LancasterPuppies.com. Teresa Rauch 1.29.25.pdf
Critical Violations this Quarter:
K&M Pets LLC. Saginaw, Michigan- K&M Pets also received violations in 2024 (which include Direct and Critical), 2023 (which include Direct), a License Suspension in 2024, and an Official USDA Warning in 2023. K&M Pets received 4 Critical violations this Quarter for attempted inspections of their two locations. The USDA has been attempting to inspect this facility since November 2024, assigning them seven violations for attempted inspections since November 7, 2024. This facility has had puppies and exotic animals in the past. K&M Pets 2025.pdf
Darrell Knepp (W), Silky Pets LLC. Montgomery, Indiana- At the time of their January 2, 2025, routine inspection, this facility received 1 Critical violation pertaining to handling of animals. We have records of this facility selling to pet stores in Florida and Michigan, and on the brokering website Puppies.com. Silky Pets 1.2.25.pdf