©Bailing Out Benji 2024
All research and information was done by the research team at Bailing Out Benji and must be cited as such when shared or quoted!
To view the rest of our CVI data, 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.”
These are common phrases shared by pet store owners and their employees to potential puppy-buyers. They paint this beautiful picture of puppies running by a pond and parents frolicking in the fresh, green grass. Sadly, more often than not, those statements are false. The pet industry often lacks transparency for the consumer and when families purchase without doing their research, it is the fastest way to support the puppy mill industry.
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.
Bailing Out Benji emphasizes the importance of researching pet stores and commercial breeders to uncover the often hidden and unethical practices within the pet trade industry. By providing transparency to the public, we aim to educate consumers about the origins of animals sold in stores and online, while exposing the conditions in which some of these animals are bred and raised. This transparency empowers potential pet owners to make informed decisions, encouraging the adoption of pets from shelters and reputable breeders, ultimately leading to the improvement of animal welfare standards as we move towards a future with no more puppy mills.
The information below was obtained through FOIA requests from various State Departments of Agriculture, as well as information from the USDA and local licensing agencies.
NOTE:
-Before an animal is transported out of state, a veterinarian, accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 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.
Even though Illinois passed statewide laws pertaining to puppy stores, there are currently 5 that are still in operation, seemingly outside of the following laws:
225 ILCS 605/3.8) Sec. 3.8. Prohibition Sourcing of dogs and cats sold by pet shops; recordkeeping.
(a) A pet shop operator may offer for sale a dog or cat only if the dog or cat is obtained from an animal control facility or animal shelter, located in-state or out-of-state, that is in compliance with Section 3.9.
(815 ILCS123/15-5-16)Sec. 15-5-16. Prohibition on secured loans for canines and felines.
No person or entity shall make a secured loan for the purchase of a canine or feline. Any secured loan made for the purchase of a canine or feline is null and void. This Section shall apply prospectively and shall not apply retroactively.
(815 ILCS 405/29.5)Sec. 29.5. Prohibition on retail installment transactions for canines and felines.
No retail seller shall enter into a retail installment transaction for the purchase of a canine or feline. Any retail seller, including his or her assignee or successor in interest, who enters into a retail installment transaction for a canine or feline has no right to collect, receive, or retain any principal, interest, or charges related to the retail installment transaction and the retail installment transaction is null and void.
All of the breeders listed as associated with the pet stores sold puppies or kittens to them after the Humane Pet Store Law went into effect at the end of February 2022.
*Please note* We do not receive documents about the Illinois breeders these stores source from, since CVIs are not needed unless animals cross state lines. If you bought a puppy from an Illinois pet store and want to know more about its origins, please fill out the form below.
*It is important to note that the USDA has had numerous issues found during their two most recent audits performed by the Office of the Inspector General. Just because the note below may mention a clean report, it is still extremely important to research before you buy. Click here to view important questions to ask any puppy seller before money is exchanged.
You can view the audits in full here: oig_audit_2010 oig_audit_2021
The 2021 Audit found the following areas of concern with the USDA’s dog breeder inspection program: Needs to Ensure the Reliability and Security of its Mission‐Critical Information System; Should Improve Controls Over Its Complaint Process
The 2010 Audit found the following areas of concern within the USDA’s dog breeder inspection program: Enforcement Process Was Ineffective Against Problematic Dealers; Inspectors Did Not Cite or Document Violations Properly To Support Enforcement Actions; New Penalty Worksheet Calculated Minimal Penalties; Misused Guidelines to Lower Penalties for AWA Violators; Some Large Breeders Circumvented AWA by Selling Animals Over the Internet; Security Controls Need to Be Addressed for AC’s New Information System; Did Not Adequately Establish Payment Plans for Stipulations
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Furry Babies: 170 Yorktown Shopping Center Lombard, IL 60148
2352 Fox Valley Center Dr Aurora, IL 60504-7974
- Brenda Johnson, Brenda Lou’s Kennel. Glenwood, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 55 adult breeding dogs and 30 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released.
- Cheryl Goring, Hidden Acres Kennel. Falcon, Missouri – At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 27 adult breeding dogs and 24 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released.
- Devonna Francis, Walnut Ridge Kennels. Stoutland, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 126 adult breeding dogs and 100 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released.
- Jesse Hedgpeth and Brittani Hedgpeth, Empire Pets AKA Lonewolf Kennel/Lonewolf Puppy Den. Iberia, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 36 adult breeding dogs and 16 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. Jess Hedgpeth is licensed with the state of Missouri for Empire Pets and Lonewolf Puppy Den. Lonewolf Puppy Den holds a class B license and is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores.
- Kimberly Ireland, Rockin’ Ridge Bullies. Pleasant Hope, Missouri- This facility doesn’t appear to hold a USDA licensed that is linked to the address, business name or name that was documented on the health records we obtained. However, Missouri state records show that Ireland is a co-owner of Indian Ridge Kennel which had 164 adult breeding dogs at the time of their last inspection. They also had a direct violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, which affected two dogs.
- Rhonda Pope, Pope Kennel. Freeburg, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 133 adult breeding dogs and 54 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. Upon reviewing 25 health records from 2023 that accompanied the puppy shipments from breeder to store, only 3 of them did not have medical notes. 22 of the CVIs had medical notes pertaining to puppies having the following issues: grade 1-2 heart murmurs, grade 1-2 luxating patellas, hernia repairs (inguinal and umbilical), open fontanelles, underbites and some puppies were spayed/neutered prior to arrival at the store.
- Tony Schindler, QD Kennels. Frankford, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 38 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores.
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King Neptune’s Pet World: 707 W Jefferson Street Shorewood, IL 60404
- Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies. Britt, Iowa- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 83 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores. To view which breeders this facility has bought from in the past, click here. JAKS was investigated and sued by the Iowa Attorney General for charity fraud and was ordered to stop their sham rescue in 2020.
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Petland Batavia: 401 N Randall Rd, Batavia, IL 60510
- Chris Fleming, Pinnacle Pet AKA Sobrad LLC. Neosho, Missouri – At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 0 adult breeding dogs and 153 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores.
- Steven Rook and Levi Graber, Blue Ribbon Puppies. Odon, Indiana. At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 0 adult breeding dogs and 110 puppies. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores. There have been no documented USDA violations within the last years at the time of this report being released. 6 of the CVIs that reviewed, which accompany the puppy shipments from broker to store, had medical notes documented. Those medical notes included: inguinal hernias, umbilical hernia, pinched nares, cherry eye, cryptorchid neuter, and inguinal neuter.
- Tony Schindler, QD Kennels. Frankford, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 38 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores.
- Will Yoder, K9 Partner LLC. Bloomfield, Iowa – At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 23 adult breeding dogs and 8 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years of this report being released.
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The Perfect Pup: 2400 E Main St, St. Charles, IL 60174
- Alejandra Perdomo, Daaley Kennels. Sheldon, Missouri- At the time of their last known USDA inspection, this facility had 41 adult breeding dogs and 32 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years of this report being released. At the time of the publishing of this article, this facility hasn’t been inspected by the USDA since September 2022.
- Brian Mohrfeld, Select Puppies AKA Lucky Puppies Co. West Point, Iowa- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 114 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released, beyond one missed inspection. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores. We have record of this broker buying from Brian Lichirie.
- Dan Mohrfeld, Big Star Kennel. West Point, Iowa- At the time of their last known USDA inspection, this facility had 291 adult breeding dogs and 148 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years of this report being released.
- Elaine Wilson. Everton, Missouri- At the time of their last known USDA inspection, this facility had 269 adult breeding dogs and 172 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years of this report being released.
- Derek Rottinghaus and Sandra Rottinghaus, R Family Kennel. Seneca, Kansas- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 79 adult breeding dogs and 34 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. On July 5, 2024 this facility received two non-critical violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, veterinary care for dogs.
- Kellen Bollinger and Terryn Bollinger, Blackberry Trails. Goodman, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 12 adult breeding dogs with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released.
- Philip (Phil) Hoover (M), Show Me Puppies. Memphis, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 334 adult breeding dogs and 191 puppies with no USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released.
- Tara Dillow and Joshua Dillow. Erie, Kansas- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 67 adult breeding dogs and 41 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released.
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*Please note* We do not receive documents about the Illinois breeders these stores source from, since CVIs are not needed unless animals cross state lines. If you bought a puppy from an Illinois pet store and want to know more about its origins, 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 2024
All research and information was done by the research team at Bailing Out Benji and must be cited as such when shared or quoted.
** If you bought a puppy from any of the pet stores in Illinois and are wondering where they were born, please send us an email! Even if the store is not listed above, we have data on IL stores that have since closed or gone humane.**
This research can be extremely costly, please consider making a donation to help us continue exposing the puppy mill industry. Every dollar helps us!
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