Minnesota Puppy Store Sourcing

©Bailing Out Benji 2024
All research and information was done by the volunteer 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.

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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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Faribault Animal Center: 

  1. Alicia Krogman, Logical Sovereignty LLC AKA Irish Lane Kennel, Aully’s Kennel and My Dainty Puppy. Mount Vernon, Iowa-  At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 56 adult breeding dogs and 27 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2022 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, records, and veterinary care for dogs. In 2021 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to records, housing facilities (x2), primary enclosures, and veterinary care for dogs.
  2. Gina Den Boer and Nolan Den Boer, DB Puppy Palace AKA Den Boer Kennels. Rock Valley, Iowa- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 34 adult breeding dogs and 19 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 

Four Paws and a Tail

  1. Allen Bontrager (F). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 38 adult breeding dogs and 23 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2023 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to primary enclosures and veterinary care for dogs.
  2. Allen Miller (A). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 17 adult breeding dogs and 10 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2023 this facility received a USDA violation pertaining to primary enclosures.
  3. Andrew Miller (E). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 49 adult breeding dogs and 45 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 
  4. Benjamin Lambright Allen Bontrager (M). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 44 adult breeding dogs and 23 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2024 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care. In 2022 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to  time and method of identification and cleaning/ sanitization/ housekeeping/ pest control. In 2021 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to: time and method of identification, records, housing facilities, and cleaning/ sanitization/ housekeeping/ pest control.
  5. 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. This facility is a dog brokering facility which buys puppies from others and resells them to stores. 
  6. David Bontrager, Maple Hill Kennel. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 18 adult breeding dogs and 3 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2024 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to exercise for dogs and veterinary care for dogs. In 2022 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to  primary enclosures and veterinary care for dogs. This facility also received This a ‘teachable moment’ by the USDA in 2022 for record keeping. This teachable moment likely should have been a violation. 
  7. David Nisley (J), Four Paws. Westby, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 90 adult breeding dogs and 54 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 
  8. David Miller (A). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 32 adult breeding dogs and 11 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2024 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to attending veterinarian, records, primary enclosures (critical), exercise for dogs. 
  9. Denton Headings. Buffalo, Missouri- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 50 adult breeding dogs and 34 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 
  10. Elmer Miller (Junior). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 22 adult breeding dogs and 8 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2023 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care.
  11. Floyd Miller. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 32 adult breeding dogs and 15 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. This facility has since canceled their license.
  12. Jacob Bontrager (S). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 50 adult breeding dogs and 27 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 
  13. Jacob Miller (L). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 29 adult breeding dogs and 5 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 
  14. James Miller (R). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 33 adult breeding dogs and 15 puppies with no documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. 
  15. Joas Bontrager. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known state inspection, this facility had 16 adult breeding dogs and 6 puppies with no documented state violations in the last 5 years. 
  16. Jonathan Chupp (D) and Jolene Chupp, Chupps Playful Pets. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 17 adult breeding dogs and 9 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2024 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to primary enclosures and veterinary care for dogs. In 2023 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and sheltered housing.
  17.  Kameron Cooper and Makenzie Cooper, KMC Kennels LLC. Salem, Iowa- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 12 adult breeding dogs and 14 puppies with no documented USDA violations in the last 5 years. 
  18. Mary Ann Bontrager and Ervin Bontrager (W). Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 62 adult breeding dogs and 49 puppies with no documented USDA violations in the last 5 years. 
  19. Nathan Otto. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 15 adult breeding dogs and 7 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2023 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care, and veterinary care for dogs.
  20. Orva Miller. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 31 adult breeding dogs and 18 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2023 this facility received a USDA violation pertaining to attending veterinarian and adequate veterinary care.
  21. Philip Bontrager, North Star Kennel. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 36 adult breeding dogs and 15 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2024 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to the use of tags, veterinary care for dogs. In 2022 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to veterinary care for dogs. In 2022 this facility received Wisconsin state violations pertaining to general dog care (x2).
  22. Titus Yoder. Hillsboro, Wisconsin- At the time of their last known inspection, this facility had 60 adult breeding dogs and 44 puppies with documented USDA violations within the last 5 years at the time of this report being released. In 2022 this facility received USDA violations pertaining to time and method of identification, records, and primary enclosures. In 2021 this facility received Wisconsin state violations pertaining to general dog sales, general dog care, dogs kept indoors, and rabies control program. This facility has since canceled their license.

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For more ways you can help the dogs trapped in puppy mills, click here.

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 volunteer 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. 

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.