©Bailing Out Benji 2019

All research and information was done by the volunteer team at Bailing Out Benji and must be cited as such when shared or quoted!

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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 a bold faced lie. The pet store owners know it, the employees might know it- but the customer is completely in the dark.

This is why we are here.

Bailing Out Benji is a small nonprofit that started in Ames, Iowa and now has volunteer teams all over the country who are dedicated to raising awareness about the puppy mill industry. So what is the truth? What is the public supposed to believe when the nice store owner and employees paint such a believable and beautiful picture? Again… This is why we are here.

Volunteers from Bailing Out Benji devote their free time to researching puppy mills to create puppy mill maps for the worst states, as well as raise awareness about notorious pet stores and breeding operations with huge violations. This includes obtaining CVI data (Certificates of Veterinary Inspections) and making those reports public. We also have an interactive website that shows you some of the worst puppy mills in the country.

NOTE:

Before an animal is transported out of state, a veterinarian must examine the animal for signs of “infectious, contagious or communicable disease” and, if no disease is found, sign the certificate for approval to transport. Many breeders also sell to dealers, such as Choice Puppies (formerly known as Hunte Corporation) in Missouri, J.A.K.’s Puppies, Inc. in Iowa or Nebraskaland Pets, Inc. in Nebraska, who, in turn, re-sell the animals to pet stores throughout the United States. You will see that some of the breeders below are also dealers and buy puppies from other breeders and re-sell to pet stores.

To make this easier, we will be breaking our article down by each pet store and connecting them to the various puppy mills they use.

These records are from the years 2017, 2018 and 2019.

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Puppies Galore- 3130 Sugarloaf Pkwy #1200, Lawrenceville, GA 30044

Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies, Britt Iowa (broker) – 233 puppies . 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 and they are being investigated by the Iowa Attorney General for having fraudulent businesses.To view where JAKS is purchasing their puppies from, click here.
Homes for Canines AKA “Holmes” for Canines, Fresno Ohio- unable to access records.
Pinnacle Pet, Neosho Missouri- 353 Puppies.
Kallie and Josh Bateman, “Bateman Diversified” AKA Puppy Travelers Transport AKA Florida West Transport. Neosho, Missouri- This company transports puppies to Florida under many different names and they were recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country due to their transport practices. In February 2018, 24 puppies were seized from a Puppy Travelers transport van outside a Petland store in Fort Myers, Florida. The puppies were found with “urine, feces and no water” in their cages, according to news sources, and many of them were sick. This transporter was named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation. To view the entire report, click here.
Paul and Sheila Haag, Valley View Kennel and A Maze N Farmyard. Eden Valley-528 adult breeding dogs, 510 puppies. They have previous violations including dogs walking with a limp without being seen by a vet. To view USDA inspection photos, click here.
David Steffensmeier, Jeannie’s Gems . West Point Iowa- unable to access records, however he is related to: Mark and Gina Steffensmeier, Salem Iowa, who were in trouble for having dogs living in dark, concrete buildings with a history of violations including: spider webs all over, chewed walls/doors of dog houses, tarter buildup on teeth, red gums, dogs with cloudy eyes. He is also one of the top 100 worst puppy mills in the country. To view inspection photos, click here.
Abe N Miller. Preferred Canines AKA Lone Oak Kennel LLC AKA Comfort Canines. Fresno, Ohio- 285 adult breeding dogs. Abe runs operates one breeding company under several names. A few have been named above, others include: Quail Creek Kennel LLC and House of Pets and sells to pet stores all over the country.
John R Yoder, Golden Seal Canines AKA Twin Creek Kennels AKA Holmes for Canines AKA Homes for Canines, Fresno Ohio- unable to access records. Operates their business under several names and sells to pet stores all over the country.
Perry Kurtz. Oswego, Kansas- Unable to access records.
Herman (Tony) Schindler, QD Kennels, Frankford Missouri- 133 puppies.
Gealea Nichols and Michelle Kruse, T&M Ent, Donnellson, Iowa- 91 adult dogs and 454 puppies. To read more about the Kruse Puppy Mill Legacy in Iowa, click here.
Jake Kruse, K&E Kennels Inc, doing business as Kruse Farm Enterprises Inc. Salem, Iowa- 212 adult breeding dogs. To read more about the Kruse Puppy Mill Legacy in Iowa, click here

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Petland Mall of Georgia- 3333 Buford Dr Suite 2068A, Buford, GA 30519

David Steffensmeier, Jeannie’s Gems . West Point Iowa- unable to access records, however he is related to: Mark and Gina Steffensmeier, Salem Iowa, who were in trouble for having dogs living in dark, concrete buildings with a history of violations including: spider webs all over, chewed walls/doors of dog houses, tarter buildup on teeth, red gums, dogs with cloudy eyes. He is also one of the top 100 worst puppy mills in the country. To view inspection photos, click here.
Abe N Miller. Preferred Canines AKA Lone Oak Kennel LLC AKA Comfort Canines. Fresno, Ohio- 285 adult breeding dogs. Abe runs operates one breeding company under several names. A few have been named above, others include: Quail Creek Kennel LLC and House of Pets
John R Yoder, Golden Seal Canines AKA Twin Creek Kennels AKA Holmes for Canines AKA Homes for Canines, Fresno Ohio- unable to access records. Operates his business under several names and sells to pet stores all over the country.

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Petland Columbus-5592 Whitesville Rd A, Columbus, GA 31904

Choice Puppies, AKA The Hunte Corporation, Goodman Missouri- Until late 2016, the Hunte Corporation was one of the largest puppy brokers in the entire country. It was said to have sold over 100,000 puppies to pet stores each year. Hunte (now Choice Puppies) is the largest supplier of Petland stores across the United States. To view an undercover video taken at Hunte, click here.

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Petland Rome- 1600 Turner McCall Blvd SW, Rome, GA 30161

Karen Buffalohead, KCZ Amazing Pets, Langley Oklahoma- 19 adult breeding dogs
Levi Graber, Blue Ribbon Puppies. Odon, Indiana– 148 puppies. This puppy mill was also named one of the worst in the nation.
Kallie and Josh Bateman, “Bateman Diversified” AKA Puppy Travelers Transport AKA Florida West Transport. Neosho, Missouri- This company transports puppies to Florida under many different names and they were recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country due to their transport practices. In February 2018, 24 puppies were seized from a Puppy Travelers transport van outside a Petland store in Fort Myers, Florida. The puppies were found with “urine, feces and no water” in their cages, according to news sources, and many of them were sick. This transporter was named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation. To view the entire report, click here.
Pinnacle Pet, Neosho Missouri- 353 Puppies.
Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies, Britt Iowa (broker) – 233 puppies . 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 and they are being investigated by the Iowa Attorney General for having fraudulent businesses.To view where JAKS is purchasing their puppies from, click here.
Herman (Tony) Schindler, QD Kennels, Frankford Missouri- 133 puppies.
Cynthia and James Hayes, Brule Creek Kennels. Akron South Dakota- 149 adult breeding dogs and 71 puppies .

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Petland Dunwoody- 4733 B Ashford Dunwoody Rd NE, Dunwoody, GA 30338

Karen Buffalohead, KCZ Amazing Pets, Langley Oklahoma- 19 adult breeding dogs
David and Becky Flanders, Coffeyville, Oklahoma- 67 adult breeding dogs
Kelly Brown, Pin Oak Kennels AKA Pin Oak Frenchies. Purdy, Missouri- 110 adult breeding dogs and 105 puppies.
Pinnacle Pet, Neosho Missouri- 353 Puppies.
Kallie and Josh Bateman, “Bateman Diversified” AKA Puppy Travelers Transport AKA Florida West Transport AKA Unified Pet Transit. Neosho, Missouri- This company transports puppies to Florida under many different names and they were recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country due to their transport practices. In February 2018, 24 puppies were seized from a Puppy Travelers transport van outside a Petland store in Fort Myers, Florida. The puppies were found with “urine, feces and no water” in their cages, according to news sources, and many of them were sick. This transporter was named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation. To view the entire report, click here.
Levi Graber, Blue Ribbon Puppies. Odon, Indiana– 148 puppies. This puppy mill was also named one of the worst in the nation.
Dawn Coffman, Misty Trail Kennels. Maynard, Arkansas- 208 adult breeding dogs

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Petland Dalton- 1349 W Walnut Ave, Dalton, GA 30720

Karen Buffalohead, KCZ Amazing Pets, Langley Oklahoma- 19 adult breeding dogs
Elam Fisher, Morgan Creek Kennel. Williamsburg, Indiana- 126 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including: dogs with lacerations and swellings. Fisher was also listed as one of the worst puppy mills in the entire country.
Levi Graber, Blue Ribbon Puppies. Odon, Indiana– 148 puppies. This puppy mill was also named one of the worst in the nation.
Kallie and Josh Bateman, “Bateman Diversified” AKA Puppy Travelers Transport AKA Florida West Transport. Neosho, Missouri- This company transports puppies to Florida under many different names and they were recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country due to their transport practices. In February 2018, 24 puppies were seized from a Puppy Travelers transport van outside a Petland store in Fort Myers, Florida. The puppies were found with “urine, feces and no water” in their cages, according to news sources, and many of them were sick. This transporter was named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation. To view the entire report, click here.
Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies, Britt Iowa (broker) – 233 puppies . 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 and they are being investigated by the Iowa Attorney General for having fraudulent businesses.To view where JAKS is purchasing their puppies from, click here.
Angela Smith, Family Lane Pets. Elkland, Missouri- 57 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including: kennels with sharp edges, dogs with loose stool and no veterinary care, dogs with open wounds and no veterinary care, dogs with long toenails. To view USDA inspection photos, click here. This breeder was also named one of the worst puppy mills in the entire country.
Herman (Tony) Schindler, QD Kennels, Frankford Missouri- 133 puppies.
Pinnacle Pet, Neosho Missouri- 353 Puppies.
Polly and Samuel Borntrager, Borntrager Kennels. Clark, Missouri- 74 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including injured dogs that hadn’t been seen by a vet, with no plans to be seen.
Curt and Lori Conrad, Conrad’s Cuddly Canines, LLC. Frankford Missouri- 94 puppies. Conrad’s is a large-scale commercial puppy broker in Missouri that ships puppies all over the United States. Conrad’s Cuddly Canines sells over 5,000 puppies a year and reportedly grosses over $1,000,000 in sales.
Robert Johnson, Johnson’s Precious Cargo. Neosho, Missouri- unable to access records.
Cynthia and James Hayes, Brule Creek Kennels. Akron South Dakota- 149 adult breeding dogs and 71 puppies .
Melvin Nisley, Seymour Iowa- 40 adult breeding dogs. To view USDA inspection photos, click here.
Stephen Schrock, Shady Lawn Kennels. Bloomfield, Iowa- 25 adult breeding dogs. Has cancelled license in the past to escape violations, this changes USDA number often.
Tiffany Kurz, Tiffanie’s LLC, Frankford MO – Broker with over 229 puppies on their property. Violations include keeping puppies in kennels that are too small. This breeder was also named one of the worst puppy mills in the country.
Jake Kruse, K&E Kennels Inc, doing business as Kruse Farm Enterprises Inc. Salem, Iowa- 212 adult breeding dogs. To read more about the Kruse Puppy Mill Legacy in Iowa, click here.

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Petland Kennesaw- 840 Ernest W Barrett Pkwy NW #494, Kennesaw, GA 30144

John R Yoder, Golden Seal Canines AKA Twin Creek Kennels AKA Holmes for Canines AKA Homes for Canines, Fresno Ohio- unable to access records. Operates his business under several names and sells to pet stores all over the country.
Abe N Miller. Preferred Canines AKA Lone Oak Kennel LLC AKA Comfort Canines. Fresno, Ohio- 285 adult breeding dogs. Abe runs operates one breeding company under several names. A few have been named above, others include: Quail Creek Kennel LLC and House of Pets
Puppy Avenue Inc AKA Affordable Pups AKA Premier Pups. Johnstown, Ohio- 128 puppies, also owns a pet store.
Levi Graber, Blue Ribbon Puppies. Odon, Indiana– 148 puppies. This puppy mill was also named one of the worst in the nation.
Kallie and Josh Bateman, “Bateman Diversified” AKA Puppy Travelers Transport AKA Florida West Transport. Neosho, Missouri- This company transports puppies to Florida under many different names and they were recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country due to their transport practices. In February 2018, 24 puppies were seized from a Puppy Travelers transport van outside a Petland store in Fort Myers, Florida. The puppies were found with “urine, feces and no water” in their cages, according to news sources, and many of them were sick. This transporter was named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation. To view the entire report, click here.
Choice Puppies, AKA The Hunte Corporation, Goodman Missouri- Until late 2016, the Hunte Corporation was one of the largest puppy brokers in the entire country. It was said to have sold over 100,000 puppies to pet stores each year. Hunte (now Choice Puppies) is the largest supplier of Petland stores across the United States. To view an undercover video taken at Hunte, click here.
Amos Yoder, Skyline View LLC, St Charles, Minnesota- 111 adult breeding dogs, 89 puppies. Has a habit of skipping inspections
Henry Yoder, Utica, Minnesota- 49 adult breeding dogs
David Steffensmeier, Jeannie’s Gems . West Point Iowa- unable to access records, however he is related to: Mark and Gina Steffensmeier, Salem Iowa, who were in trouble for having dogs living in dark, concrete buildings with a history of violations including: spider webs all over, chewed walls/doors of dog houses, tarter buildup on teeth, red gums, dogs with cloudy eyes. He is also one of the worst puppy mills in the country. To view inspection photos, click here.
Jeremy Rodgers, Daynes Ridge Kennel, Moravia Iowa – 23 adult breeding dogs.
Midwest Newfoundland Kennel, Cincinnati Iowa – 28 adults, but violations with filthy kennels including rat feces in the kennels.
Edwin Stutzman, Walnut Ridge Kennels, Corydon Iowa- 65 adult breeding dogs
Marvin and Rosemary Mullet, Clover Ridge Kennel LLC, Corydon, Iowa- 96 adult breeding dogs. Violations including: kennels not impervious to moisture. This breeder also cancelled their former license (Rosen Mary Kennels) and started this new one in order to hide their long list of violations including: dogs with cloudy eyes, rusted kennels, expired medications used on dogs, medications not meant for dogs being used on them. To view USDA photos, click here.
Vernon and Joseph Troyer, Shadow Valley Kennel. Bloomfield, Iowa – Was previously “Echo Valley Kennels” but has cancelled license and changed name several times. 85 adult breeding dogs. To view USDA inspection photos and a list of violations, click here.
Stephen Schrock, Shady Lawn Kennels. Bloomfield, Iowa- 25 adult breeding dogs. Has cancelled license in the past to escape violations, this changes USDA number often.
Jonathan Yutzy, Bloomfield Iowa- 73 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including: Performs tail docking and dew claw removal on his own- no vet; dogs with severely overgrown toenails; deceased dog lying in a kennel with open and untreated wounds (he did not know this dog was deceased) , and misses inspections.
Melvin Nisley, Seymour Iowa- 40 adult breeding dogs. To view USDA inspection photos, click here.
Levi and Esther D Schlabach, That’ll Do Kennel- Seymour, IA – 16 adult breeding dogs
Ivan Troyer, Stoney Creek Kennel, Bloomfield Iowa- 41 adult breeding dogs.
Daniel Kauffman, Bloomfield Iowa- unable to access records.
Marvin Mast, Bloomfield, Iowa- unable to access records.
Joe and James H Mast, Bloomfield Iowa- unable to access records.
Samuel R and Clara Mast, Howling Hill Kennels. Bloomfield, Iowa- 19 adult breeding dogs.
Ervin Lee Mast, Bloomfield Iowa- unable to access records.
Harley Graber, Bloomfield Iowa- unable to access records.
Adin Lambright, Bloomfield Iowa- 23 adult breeding CATS with a history of violations including: cats with eye discharge and swelling of eyes.
Owen Nisley, Chariton Iowa- unable to access records.
James E and Sarah Yoder, Taylor Ridge Kennels. Bloomfield, Iowa- 63 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including: using expired medications and having a severe fly problem in their kennels. They operate under two separate licenses.
Leon Troyer. Bloomfield, Iowa- unable to access records.
Ivan H Yoder. Bloomfield, Iowa- unable to access records.
Marvin E Yoder, Moulton Iowa- 9 adult breeding dogs.
David Beechy. Bloomfield, Iowa- unable to access records.
Chris Kauffman, Moulton Iowa- 25 adult breeding dogs, down from 44 adults after they moved.
David Troyer, Breezy Crest Kennels, Bloomfield Iowa- 51 adult breeding dogs.
William Borntrager. Bloomfield, Iowa- unable to access records.
Raymond D Yoder. Bloomfield, Iowa- unable to access records.
Eli and Laura Schrock, Hillview Kennels. Drakesvile Iowa- 24 adult breeding dogs.
David and Anna Nisley, Cedar Grove Kennels. Drakesville, Iowa- 21 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including: emaciated dogs who are nursing litters without medical attention, use of expired medications. They also change their license number to avoid violations.
Ron and Patty Self- Unionville, Iowa- unable to access records.
Marvin Nisley, Seymour Iowa- 56 adult breeding dogs.
Edwin Stutzman, Walnut Ridge Kennels, Corydon Iowa- 65 adult breeding dogs
Levi Yoder, Oak Ridge Kennels, Seymour Iowa- 54 adult breeding dogs
Josh Sommers, Cincinnatti, Iowa- No breeding license, but appears to be the son of Rosie and Henry Sommers of Happy Puppys, Cincinnati Iowa. They have 46 adult breeding dogs with a lot of violations including: Chewed feeders, severe hair and dirt build up in kennels, No vet care plan, limping dogs (breeder unsure why), cages too small for the dogs housed, and no ID for several dogs. This breeder has been named one of the worst in the country repeatedly.
Robert Sommers, Cincinnatti Iowa- no license, appears to be related to family above.
William and Sylvia Kurtz, Augusta Wisconsin- 72 adult breeding dogs and one of the worst puppy mills in the entire country. Kurtz appeared on the 2016 horrible hundred puppy mill list and has a long history of violations including: filthy conditions, severely matted dogs, and excessive feces; fined $3,089 by Wisconsin Department of Agriculture due to noncompliance. To view a few USDA inspection photos, click here.
Ora and Sara Bontrager. Clayton, Wisconsin- 44 adult breeding dogs, with a history of violations including: dogs with cloudy eyes that have not been treated by a veterinarian, dogs were observed limping but had not been taken to the vet.
Mattie O and Perry J Bontrager, Cedar Hill Kennel. Dalton, Wisconsin- 131 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including: Puppies sold underage to pet stores; Eyes are not clear; mislabeled medications – meant for other animals.
John Bontrager Jr, Dalton Wisconsin- 60 dogs with a history of violations including: dogs in need of veterinary care, dogs who are severely matted, and excessive feces in the kennels. Not only did this breeder receive a warning from the Wisconsin Department of Ag, but they were named one of the worst puppy mills in the country.
Melvin Yoder, Pondview Kennel. Greentop, Missouri- 26 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations including dogs being covered in fleas.
Pete Miller. Greentop, Missouri- unable to access records.

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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 .

** To those consumers that have bought a family member from any of the area puppy stores, and are wondering about their actual background -please feel free to fill out the form below with any questions or paperwork that you have and we will confidentially research the breeder your pup came from.

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