Question 1

What is a puppy mill?

Accepted Answer

A puppy mill is a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation that prioritizes profit over animal welfare. Dogs are kept in overcrowded cages, given little to no veterinary care, and bred continuously. Puppy mills are licensed by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act, and their inspection records are publicly available.

Question 2

What is the difference between a puppy mill, a pet store, and a broker?

Accepted Answer

A puppy mill is a commercial breeding facility. A broker is a middleman who buys puppies from mills and resells them to pet stores or consumers. A pet store that sells puppies is typically the end point of this chain — the majority of pet store puppies in the United States come from USDA-licensed commercial breeders. All three are tracked in this database.

Question 3

How are puppy mills regulated?

Accepted Answer

Commercial breeders who sell to pet stores or brokers must be licensed by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act. USDA inspectors conduct periodic inspections and document violations. These inspection records are publicly available through the USDA APHIS Animal Care public search tool. State agriculture departments may impose additional requirements.

Question 4

How do I report a puppy mill?

Accepted Answer

You can report a known puppy mill or pet store sourcing from mills directly through TheLaineyProject's submission form. You can also file a complaint with your state agriculture department or with USDA APHIS. Reports with public source URLs — such as USDA inspection records or news coverage — are prioritized for review and publication.

Name	Operators	Location	Type	Status	Violations
Adorable Puppy Kennels	Judy Maassen & John Maassen	Rock Valley, IA	Puppy Mill	Active	—	Details
Marsha Cox Kennel	Marsha Cox	Missouri , MO	Puppy Mill	Active	—	Details
Monarchs Kennel	Charles McGinnis & Debbi McGinnis	Bolivar, MO	Puppy Mill	Active	—	Details
Ratepa Kennels	Teresa Rauch	Bolivar, MO	Puppy Mill	Active	—	Details
Rocky Top K-9s	Ellen Roberts	West Plains, MO	Puppy Mill	Active	—	Details
Stonehenge Kennel	Steve Kruse	West Point, IA	Puppy Mill	Active	—	Details
The Puppy Palace	Loui Soteriou & Sheila Soteriou	Glastonbury, CT	Pet Store	Active	—	Details

Mill & Store Database