South Dakota Pet Store/Puppy Mill Connection

©Bailing Out Benji 2021
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.”

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 untrue. 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.

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. To learn more about the puppy mills in your location, you can also go to our interactive website and search engine

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.

To make this easier, we will be breaking our research down alphabetically by each pet store and connecting them to the various facilities they use. All of this information has come from the Department of Agriculture and the USDA. All of the breeders listed as associated with the pet stores sold puppies or kittens to them in the years 2021, 2020, and 2019.

For any questions regarding the information presented below, please visit us on Facebook

*Please note* We do not receive documents about the South Dakota breeders these stores source from, since CVIs are not needed unless animals cross state lines. If you bought a puppy from a pet store and want to know more about its origins, please fill out the form below. 

We are a small nonprofit organization that makes big changes with very few resources. Our research is used by the leading animal welfare organizations across the country, because what we do is so unique and important. 

 To make a one time donation or to sign up to be a sustaining supporter to allow us to continue our various programs that expose the puppy mill industry, click the donate button below

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Ed’s Pet World- 206 N Main St, Mitchell, SD 57301

  1. Brian Warren, Crittersville Enterprises LLC.  Culbertson, Nebraska- Large scale dog broker out of Nebraska. Brokers buy dogs and resell them to stores. To view the breeders Crittersville sources from, click here
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Mini Critters- 3509 W 49th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57106

2621 S Minnesota Ave Sioux Falls, SD

 

  1. AG Beukelman, J Michaels Kennels. Orange City, Iowa- 81 adult breeding dogs and 52 puppies, with a history of violations. Although Beukelman is a veterinarian himself, he is known as one of the worst puppy mills in the country. 
  2. Bonnie Versteeg. Platte, South Dakota-  101 adult breeding dogs and 44 puppies
  3. Dan Maassen and Sadie Maassen. Doon, Iowa- Cancelled USDA license and doesn’t hold a state license but they had 34 adult breeding dogs and 28 puppies. 
  4. Deb O’Neal, Country Kennels. Ord, Nebraska- 18 adult breeding dogs and 6 puppies. 
  5. Heath and Serenity Francke, Sand Creek Kennels and Sporting Dogs. Newport, Nebraska- 66 adult breeding dogs and 41 puppies. This facility was named one of the worst puppy mills in the country in 2016 after receiving an official warning from the state of Nebraska due to animal care. 
  6. Helen and Scott Ketelsen. Hull, Iowa- 57 adult breeding dogs and 9 puppies. 
  7. Jason Englemen. Rock Rapids, Iowa- is an unlicensed breeder. 
  8. Jody and Tom Vande Weerd, Riverside Kennels. Rock Valley, Iowa- 57 adult breeding dogs and 10 puppies. 
  9. Linda Mulder and Marv Mulder, Limi Je M Kennel. Boyden, Iowa- 30 adult breeding dogs and 11 puppies.
  10. Linda Schacht, Puppy Kisses Nursery. Doon, Iowa- 33 adult breeding dogs and 31 puppies. 
  11. Margaret Van Donkelaar. Maurice, Iowa- is an unlicensed breeder. 
  12. Mary Ruud. Colman, South Dakota- is not USDA licensed
  13. Sara Hulshoff, Dogwood Kennels. Ireton, Iowa- 94 adult breeding dogs and 47 puppies. Hulshoff also has 3 adult breeding cats and 9 kittens. 

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*Please note* We do not receive documents about the South Dakota breeders these stores source from, since CVIs are not needed unless animals cross state lines. If you bought a puppy from a 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.

We also have educational materials that you can print to hang up in your own area.

©Bailing Out Benji 2021

All research and information was done by Bailing Out Benji

and must be cited as such when shared or quoted

 

If you are wondering where your puppy was born, please contact us through the form below. All requests for information will remain confidential.