©Bailing Out Benji 2022
All research and information was done by the volunteer team at Bailing Out Benji and therefore 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 inherently false. 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. We are all committed to raising awareness about the puppy mill issue, particularly the connection to pet stores.
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.
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. Bailing Out Benji obtains these records by requesting them from the Department of Agriculture, paying for them and then making them public.
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. For any questions regarding the information presented below, please visit us on facebook.
PLEASE NOTE: Many of the stores in Utah are sourcing from notorious dog broker JAKS Puppies and not directly from breeders themselves.
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Help us continue researching and fighting the puppy mill industry.
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Animal Park Market Place-
744 W. Riverdale Rd. Riverdale, UT 84405
3221 S. Highway 89. Bountiful, UT 84010
- Caroline Schulte, Tornado Alley. Freeburg, Missouri- 143 adult breeding dogs and 99 puppies.
- Gordon Everett. Moline, Kansas- 45 adult breeding dogs and 40 puppies.
- James Troyer. Coalgate, Oklahoma- 70 adult breeding dogs and 32 puppies.
- Oak Leaf Kennel. Verona, Missouri- 164 adult breeding dogs and 73 puppies.
- Vicki Lasiter. Neosho, Missouri- Not USDA licensed.
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Cedar Pet Supply- 1233 Sage Dr, Ste F Cedar City, UT 84720
- Chester Williams and Debbie Williams. Greentop, Missouri- 217 adult breeding dogs and 84 puppies.
- David Glick. Grovespring, Missouri- is not licensed by the USDA.
- John Bontrager and Lizzie Bontrager. Clark, Missouri- 12 adult breeding dogs.
- Jonathan Wagler, Waglers Kennel. West Union, Ohio- 86 adult breeding dogs and 49 puppies.
- Judy Perez. Wheaton, Missouri- is not licensed by the USDA.
- Kelly Hulahan, Puppy Smart. Mays Landing, New Jersey- puppy broker that moved from Missouri.
- Kenneth Ray Stoll. Montgomery, Indiana- 24 adult breeding dogs and 23 puppies.
- Landon Headings, Headings Farms. Buffalo, Missouri- 119 adult breeding dogs and 62 puppies.
- Lawade Headings. Buffalo, Missouri- 14 adult breeding dogs. Headings was recently cited by the USDA for moving all of his animals to a new, uninspected site.
- Mary Friend. Neosho, Missouri- is not USDA licensed. Illegally sells puppies to pet stores across the country.
- Menno Miller (Address matches Lester W Troyer’s license). Clark, Missouri- 48 adult breeding dogs and 21 puppies. Their 2021 inspection had two notes including dogs not having proper ID and the floor in elevated kennels sagging.
- Ura Borntrager and Esther Borntrager. Macon, Missouri- is not licensed by the USDA.
- Wilbert Packnett. Otterville, Missouri- is not licensed by the USDA.
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Pet Planet- 11968 S. Redwood Rd. Riverton, Utah
- Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies, Britt Iowa – 254 puppies . JAKS is a dog broker that buys puppies from puppy mills and then resells them to pet stores. 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 recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country and is being sued by the Iowa Attorney General for Charity Fraud. To see where JAKS Puppies buys their dogs from click here.
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Puppy House- 875 W Red Cliffs Dr #7, Washington, UT 84780
42 S River Road Unit 12, St. George, Utah
- Curt and Lori Conrad, Conrad’s Cuddly Canine’s. Frankford, Missouri- Large puppy broker.
- Phil Hoover, Show Me Puppies . Memphis, Missouri- 370 adult breeding dogs and 131 puppies.
- Pinnacle Pet . Neosho, Missouri- 256 puppies (notorious puppy broker)
- Tom Steffensmeier and Carla Steffensmeier, T & C Steffensmeier Kennels. West Point, Iowa- 176 adult breeding dogs and 143 puppies.
- Tony Schindler, QD Kennels. Frankford, Missouri- 68 adult breeding dogs.
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Sue’s Pet Castle- 695 N Bluff St C, St. George, UT 84770
- Brittani and Jesse Hedgpeth, Empire Pets. Iberia, Missouri- 31 adult breeding dogs. The Hedgbeths also own a transport company, Transport Central, with Josh and Kallie Bateman. The Batemans have been named one of the worst puppy mill transport companies in the country twice due to violations. Hedgpeth is also related to Allison Hedgbeth who operates the sham rescue “Mother Dog Rescue” in Iberia, Missouri.
- Candy Fields, Fields Farm. Green City, Missouri- 53 adult breeding dogs and 22 puppies.
- Darlene Whitman, O’ My Heart Kennels. Mountain Grove, Missouri- 100 adult breeding dogs and 46 puppies.
- Deborah Warren, Misty Dew Kennels. Pierce City, Missouri- 106 adult breeding dogs and 69 puppies. Warren has a history of violations that resulted in her receiving an official warning from the USDA. This breeder was also named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation.
- Delmar Mc Crorey, Crane Creek Kennel. Crane, Missouri- 130 adult breeding dogs and 50 puppies.
- Dennis Walles and Judy Walles, Ox Arks Kennels. Galena, Missouri- 144 adult breeding dogs and 92 puppies.
- Dorothy Audsley and Leonard Audsley, Len Dee Kennels. Carrollton, Missouri- 58 adult breeding dogs and 30 puppies.
- Doug McFadin. Lebanon, Missouri- 10 adult breeding dogs.
- James Bixenman and Marilyn Bixenman, Circle B Farms. New Cambria, Missouri- 106 adult breeding dogs and 60 puppies.
- Lynn Sartin, Sartin Kennel. Granby, Missouri- 65 adult breeding dogs and 29 puppies. This facility was named one of the worst puppy mills in the country.
- Mark Terrill and Susan Terrill, Timberline Kennel. Seymour, Missouri- 62 adult breeding dogs and 26 puppies.
- Mary Smith, Smiths Kennels. Salem, Missouri- 121 adult breeding dogs and 15 puppies.
- Raymond Lawson, The Silver Spur. Clifton Hill, Missouri- 72 adult breeding dogs and 12 puppies. This breeder was named one of the worst puppy mills in the nation in 2020.
- Ruth Ann and Gary Goostree, Rafter G Kennel. Rocky Comfort, Missouri- 35 adult breeding dogs with a history of violations that caused them to be named one of the worst puppy mills in the country.
- Shelley Cox and Lonnie Cox, Big Creek Kennel. Pocahontas, Arkansas- 148 adult breeding dogs and 57 puppies.
- Shonda Madison and Heath Madison, Cassville Missouri- 135 adult breeding dogs and 126 puppies.
- Teresa Good and Calvin Good, CT Kennels. Memphis, Missouri-126 adult breeding dogs and 71 puppies.
- Valente Rios, Rios Kennel. Galt, Missouri- 281 adult breeding dogs and 143 puppies, with a history of violations including: excessively thin dogs (could see hips and ribs, dogs so matted they are unable to poop, dogs with feces stuck in fur, dogs with injuries, sharp points on dog food bowls, kennels unsafe and many, many more. Rios was also listed as one of the worst puppy mills in the entire country twice.
- Rachel Davis, Vicki Davis and Virgil Davis , Davis Kennel. Seymour, Missouri- 90 adult breeding dogs and 20 puppies. This facility was also named one of the worst puppy mills in the country.
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All of the stores below are owned by the same owner, David Salinas. Who also operates pet stores in California that are currently being investigated for using sham rescue organizations.
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The Puppy Store- 1055 W Red Cliffs Dr. Washington, Utah
7211 Plaza Center Dr #160 . West Jordan, UT
576 N Mill Rd. Vineyard, UT
1302 Redwood Road, Saratoga Springs, Utah
- Adam Wormington. Monett, Missouri- appears to be an unlicensed breeder.
- Bill Lackey. Elk City, Oklahoma- appears to be an unlicensed breeder.
- Brian Mohrfield, Select Puppies AKA Lucky Puppies Co. West Point, Iowa- 441 puppies. Mohrfield also owns Choice Puppies (another broker) out of Goodman, Missouri.
- Chester Williams and Debbie Williams. Greentop, Missouri- 217 adult breeding dogs and 84 puppies.
- Daniel Borntreger, Monroe County Puppies AKA Mon Co Puppies. Madison, Missouri- 50 adult breeding dogs and 15 puppies with violations in 2021 that include dogs with hairless and excessive flies.
- Daniel D Troyer. Clark, Missouri- 83 adult breeding dogs and 49 puppies.
- Daniel Ferrari. Foss, Oklahoma- is an unlicensed breeder that sells to pet stores across the country.
- Daniel Miller. Walker, Missouri- appears to be an unlicensed breeder.
- David Glick. Grovespring, Missouri- appears to be an unlicensed breeder.
- David Wittmer, Pine Tree Kennel. Odon, Indiana- 22 adult breeding dogs.
- Donna Frakes, Donna’s Kennel. Roseville, Illinois- 117 adult breeding dogs and 49 puppies.
- Eli Miller, Hilltop Kennel. Macon, Missouri- 81 adult breeding dogs and 24 puppies. This facility has had so many violations they have been named one of the worst puppy mills in the country in 2020, 2017 and 2015.
- Isaac Stoltzfus. Hartville, Missouri- 14 adult breeding dogs. This facility was named one of the worst puppy mills in the country in 2020.
- Jolyn Noethe, JAKS Puppies, Britt Iowa – 254 puppies . JAKS is a dog broker that buys puppies from puppy mills and then resells them to pet stores. 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 recently named one of the worst puppy mills in the country and is being sued by the Iowa Attorney General for Charity Fraud. To see where JAKS Puppies buys their dogs from click here.
- John Bontrager and Lizzie Bontrager. Clark, Missouri- 12 adult breeding dogs.
- John Miller, TLC Kennels. Sturgeon, Missouri- 45 adult breeding dogs and 30 puppies. This facility was named one of the worst puppy mills in the country in 2020.
- Kim Caudill. Foss, Oklahoma- appears to be an unlicensed breeder.
- Kelly Hulahan, Puppy Smart. Mays Landing, New Jersey- puppy broker that moved from Missouri.
- Landon Headings, Headings Farms. Buffalo, Missouri- 119 adult breeding dogs and 62 puppies.
- Levi Borntreger and Fannie Borntreger. Monticello, Missouri- 44 adult breeding dogs and 11 puppies.
- Linda Leach, Twinkle Toes Kennel. Anderson, Missouri- 59 adult breeding dogs and 23 puppies.
- Louis Graber. Montgomery, Indiana- 59 adult breeding dogs and 30 puppies.
- Mary Friend. Neosho, Missouri- is not USDA licensed. Illegally sells puppies to pet stores across the country.
- Menno Miller (Address matches Lester W Troyer’s license). Clark, Missouri- 48 adult breeding dogs and 21 puppies. Their 2021 inspection had two notes including dogs not having proper ID and the floor in elevated kennels sagging.
- Nelson Diener, Fair Banks Kennel. Arthur, Illinois- 33 adult breeding dogs and 37 puppies.
- Pinnacle Pet . Neosho, Missouri- 256 puppies (notorious puppy broker)
- Shawnie Evans. Keota, Oklahoma- 41 adult breeding dogs and 20 puppies.
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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 .
©Bailing Out Benji 2022
To those consumers that have bought a family member are wondering about their actual background -please feel free to fill out the form below with any questions that you have and we will confidentially research the breeder your pup came from.
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