Bailing Out Benji 2022
All research and information was done by Bailing Out Benji and must be cited as such when shared or quoted!
To view the rest of our research, click here.
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“We don’t buy from puppy mills.”
“All of our puppies come from small, local breeders.”
“We visit every breeder we buy from.”
We have all heard these sentences come from the mouths of pet store owners and their employees. They paint this beautiful picture of puppies running by a pond and parents frolicking in the fresh, green grass… Sadly, 99% of the time that is false. The pet store owners know it, the employees might know it- but the customer is completely in the dark.
At Bailing Out Benji we extensively research the puppy mill industry and independently audit government health records of companion animals leaving commercial breeding facilities and heading to pet stores, as well as online website sales.
Through our research we have connected more than 400 pet stores across the United States to the commercial breeding facilities they source from and also exposed the nationwide puppy-laundering scheme. Through our research we have determined that the pet stores across the country are buying from some of the largest and most problematic commercial dog breeders and brokers in the midwest.
Sadly, the Puppyland pet store chain is no different. Puppyland opened their first location in Puyallup, Washington in October 2018 and rapidly expanded across the country.
Puppyland is currently located in the following places:
13103 Meridian E Suite #104, Puyallup, Washington 98373
Renton- 54 Rainier Ave S Renton, Washington 98057
Olympia- 2615 Capital Mall Drive A1 Olympia , Washington 98502- CLOSED
3100 E Florence Dr STE 102, Meridian, Idaho 83642
25 NE Interstate 410 Loop Suite 130, San Antonio, Texas 78216- CLOSED
651 I-35BL Ste 410, New Braunfels, Texas 78130
5354 McGinnis Ferry Rd Suite 202, Alpharetta, Georgia 30005
* And soon to be Oregon.
Advocates worked tirelessly to cut off the puppy mill pipeline in Olympia and San Antonio by passing humane ordinances in 2020. These humane ordinances required pet stores to cut ties with puppy mills and instead partner with rescues and shelters to help the pet overpopulation problem. Instead of tapping into the multi million dollar pet supply and pet services industry, Puppyland chose to close their doors in those cities and reopen elsewhere (Renton & New Braunfels, respectively).
Like many pet stores across the country, Puppyland sources all of their puppies from a broker instead of from breeders directly. These puppies are ordered from online purchasing programs like Pet XChange and DogOnWeb, then the broker picks the puppies up and transports them to the store.
Since they have opened, Puppyland has exclusively sourced from the large puppy broker JAKS Puppies Inc. out of Britt, Iowa. JAKS was at the center of the national puppy laundering scheme and had their two sham nonprofits shut down in Iowa by the Iowa Attorney General.
While many pet stores order through brokering websites and companies, the act of using a USDA broker adds a layer of secrecy for the public. If a sick puppy is sold through a large broker, it could take an enforcement agency weeks to track down where the animal originated in order to investigate disease outbreaks.
One of the programs that Bailing Out Benji offers to the public is to research the origins of the puppy they purchased. Since pet stores don’t often disclose that information to the customer before purchase, many families are left looking elsewhere for answers.
Below you will find a list of breeding facilities that Puppyland has sourced from in the years 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018.
- AJ’s Angels, Angeline McDuffee. Cushing, Minnesota – had 786 adult breeding dogs and 386 puppies at their latest inspection in October 2021. AJ’s Angels also sent in a letter supporting Puppyland to Washington state legislators. You can view that letter here: AJs Angels Letter
- Amos Schwartz. Princeton, Missouri – 25 adult breeding dogs and 24 puppies at their latest inspection in October 2021. We have record of Puppyland buying a Whoodle puppy from Amos Schwartz.
- Calvin Kroger, Kroger Kennel. Hudson, South Dakota – 43 adult breeding dogs and 36 puppies at their latest inspection in May 2021. Kroger also testified at a state hearing and admitted to supplying Puppyland.
- David Hershberger. Edgewood, Iowa – 4 adult breeding dogs and 23 puppies at their latest inspection in July 2021. We have record of Puppyland buying a Cocker Spaniel puppy from David Hershberger.
- Francis Wagler. Loogootee, Indiana – 37 adult breeding dogs and 29 puppies at their latest inspection in February 2021. We have record of Puppyland buying a Husky puppy from Francis Wagler.
- Gary Simmons. Amity, Missouri – 54 adult breeding dogs, and 50 puppies at their latest inspection in May 2020. We have record of Puppyland buying a Bullmastiff puppy from Gary Simmons.
- Herman Raber. Montgomery, Indiana – 28 adult breeding dogs and 29 puppies at their latest inspection in March 2021. We have record of Puppyland buying a French Bulldog puppy from Herman Raber.
- Janet Sloan. Versailles, Missouri – 13 adult breeding dogs and 5 puppies at their latest inspection in May 2021.
- John Lambright, Straw Hat Kennel. Hillsburo, Wisconsin- Canceled USDA license but had 33 adult breeding dogs and 36 puppies at their last inspection in November 2018. We have record of Puppyland buying a Shiba Inu puppy from Straw Hat Kennel.
- Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies, Britt Iowa – 179 puppies at their latest inspection in November 2021. Noethe has had as many as 254 puppies on site. JAKS has also started their own “rescue” in order to lie to the public about not being a puppy mill. You can read that information here. JAKS was also named one of the worst puppy mills in the country. To see where JAKS Puppies buys their dogs from, click here.
- Lester Troyer. Clark, Missouri – 48 adult breeding dogs and 21 puppies at their latest inspection in March 2021. We have record of Puppyland buying a Shirinian puppy from Lester Troyer.
- Mike Decker, M-J Kennels. Cherokee, Iowa – 105 adult breeding dogs and 56 puppies at their latest inspection in October 2020. We have record of Puppyland buying Klee Kai and Havanese puppies from M-J Kennels.
- Megan Peterson, Crane Canines. Wesley, Iowa – Crane Canines missed their last inspection in November 2021 but had 45 adult breeding dogs and 21 puppies at their latest inspection in August 2019. Peterson testified at a Washington state hearing and admitted to supplying Puppyland. Peterson is also on the board of the now-shuttered sham rescue “Hobo K9 Rescue” alongside JAKS Puppies.
- Reuben Schrock, Premier Kennels. Westby, Wisconsin – Schrock has not been inspected in 2 years. He had 48 adult breeding dogs and 6 puppies at their last inspection in May 2019. We have record of Puppyland buying a King Charles Cavalier puppy from Premier Kennels.
- Terisa Steiber, Rockytopp Kennel. Lansing, Iowa – 87 adult breeding dogs and 24 puppies at their last inspection in September 2021. Steiber also testified at a Washington state hearing and admitted to supplying Puppyland.
- Tim Hostetler. Jamesport, Missouri – Hostetler is not USDA licensed. We have record of Puppyland buying a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy from Tim Hostetler.
- AJ’s Angels, Angeline McDuffee. Cushing, Minnesota – had 786 adult breeding dogs and 386 puppies at their latest inspection in October 2021. AJ’s Angels also sent in a letter supporting Puppyland to Washington state legislators. You can view that letter here: AJs Angels Letter
This is just a small sampling of the facilities that have been directly connected to Puppyland through sale records. The puppies being sold from Puppyland are likely coming from dozens of additional facilities but due to the lack of transparency provided through broker purchases, we cannot be certain. We do have a list of the breeding facilities that JAKS puppies has sourced from in 2021, 2020 and 2019 that you can view in full here. JAKS sources from hundreds of breeders and then separates those litters to pet stores in at least 17 states.
As we stated earlier, the list above came from customers who contacted us and wanted to know more about where their puppy was born. Sadly many more customers likely fear coming forward due to the contract that Puppyland requires them to sign upon purchase. Puppyland’s contract states that if customers leave a negative review online, they will not only void their health guarantee, but will require them to pay back any reimbursements issued by Puppyland.
Read that again.
If you are sold a sick puppy and speak out about it, Puppyland can void your warranty and require you to pay them back. Part of their contract also includes a Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement pertaining to ‘information regarding breeders, veterinarians, treatment, sales, trader secrets, techniques, suppliers, practices, purchases, and contracts’.
Many of the customers who have come forward were unfortunately sold puppies who were sick upon purchase or became sick soon after going home. Those sick puppy reports show that Puppyland has sold puppies in 2021 and 2020 with:
- Worms, Giardia, & Coccidia, despite being treated for these infections numerous times before reaching the store.
- Dermatitis.
- Hip dysplasia.
- Luxating patella.
- Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy.
- Craniomandibular osteopathy.
- Suspected Cerebral Hypoplasia.
- Bilateral entropion.
- Urethral calculus.
- Urate bladder stones.
- Urethral obstruction.
Puppyland also offers predatory pet loans to customers who cannot afford the purchase cost of their puppy. In 2019, they sold puppies on lease-to-own financing agreements which prompted state legislators to put an end to pet leases. Since it’s passage, Puppyland has continued to lock families into high interest pet loans, which have reached up to 99% interest. Many families will end up paying $10,000 for their puppy after all of their payments and interest fees.
So there you have it! Because they are purchasing through a large broker, Puppyland is sourcing puppies from some of the largest commercial breeders in the midwest. By the time these puppies arrive at any of their 5 locations, they have already traveled from breeder to broker, making their total trip well over 1,000 miles. All by the time they are 8 weeks old.
To put an end to this cruel industry, we must stop putting money into the pockets of the businesses that are fueling puppy mills. We need the public to always research before they buy their next puppy, because reputable breeders do not sell to pet stores. Other ways to avoid supporting the puppy mill industry includes:
– Research and read reviews.
– Ask for a few of their most recent state and/or USDA inspection reports. Make sure they also include the dog count!
– When choosing a breeder, visit the facility and meet the parent dogs to see where and how they live.
– Ask questions! Responsible breeders will also have questions for you. They want to make sure their puppy is going to a well-matched home.
– Lastly, don’t shop at pet stores that sell puppies and or websites and newspapers without meeting the parents first.
If you bought a puppy from a breeder, pet store or website and want to know more about where it was born, please fill out the form below.
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For more ways you can help the dogs trapped in puppy mills, click here.
For more information, please visit our main page Bailing Out Benji . We also have educational materials that you can print to hang up in your own area.
©Bailing Out Benji 2022
All research and information was done by Bailing Out Benji and must be cited as such when shared or quoted.
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