WASHINGTON—Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, has released its annual Horrible Hundred puppy mill report, which alerts the public to the harsh reality dogs experience in a sampling of 100 problem puppy mills across the country. Puppy mills included in this year’s report were found to have dogs kept in dangerous, dirty or cramped conditions; dogs dying from untreated wounds and hypothermia; and a breeder cited for a botched DIY-tail docking.
Humane World for Animals researchers compile this report by combing through inspection reports from state agencies and the United States Department of Agriculture and other records to reveal horrendous practices in puppy mills that sell dogs to pet stores, online and through social media. Shocking conditions documented by state and federal inspectors at commercial dog breeders in this year’s report included:
- At First Light Farms LLC in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, a dog was killed after the licensee noticed the dog had weakness and diarrhea. USDA inspectors noted that the licensee had not consulted her veterinarian about treatment for the dog’s illness, nor about the specific method used to kill the dog. State inspectors later reported that according to the licensee, the dog was “getting ready to die,” so she “called her boyfriend to take the dog and was unaware [of] how the dog died.”
- USDA inspectors found a puppy who had suffered a gruesome, botched DIY tail-docking at a breeding facility operated in Hardinsburg, Indiana. One of the licensees stated they had put a rubber band around the puppy’s tail in order to dock it. When the band was pulled off, the puppy’s skin came off with it, leaving the bone exposed, requiring surgery.
- State inspectors found a dog dead in an outdoor kennel at Sandhills Dachshunds in Brewster, Nebraska, as a result of apparent hypothermia. Temperatures were below freezing, and the deceased dog and others lacked bedding or adequate shelter.
- USDA inspectors found a sick Pomeranian puppy who appeared weak and lethargic and had discharge from her nostrils at Bluebird Hill Farm in Pomona, Missouri. The puppy could be heard coughing and wheezing. Despite the puppy’s apparent illness, the licensee had not consulted a veterinarian and instead gave the puppy an injection of penicillin that was formulated for farm animals and spoon-fed her a mixture of water, corn syrup and electrolytes.
- Sick puppies, dogs with fur matted with feces, filthy conditions and cockroaches were found at Sportsman’s Kennels in Manorville, New York, in a hidden-camera investigation conducted by Humane World for Animals. The facility failed two state inspections in 2025 for issues including inadequate enclosure space.
“The Horrible Hundred report shows the public the abhorrent reality for dogs at puppy mills—including those that are licensed and inspected,” said John Goodwin, senior managing director for puppy mills and equine protection at the Humane World for Animals. “Puppy mills put profit over the welfare of the animals and will continue to operate until people stop buying puppies from them and stores like Petland that shield the suffering of these puppies and their parents from view. By refusing to buy a puppy from these sources, you can be certain you aren't giving them a dime.”
States with the highest numbers of breeders included in this year’s report include Missouri, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Ohio. Higher representation in this report may indicate a state has a glut of commercial breeders but can also indicate a higher availability of records. States with a stronger enforcement program often produce more documentation than those with no state oversight and thus the breeders in those states can fly under the radar.
More than 20 of the dealers in the report have sold puppies to Petland, the largest chain of puppy stores still operating in the United States. Many others sell on social media, and on websites such as Puppies.com, GreenfieldPuppies.com and LancasterPuppies.com.
Nine states and over 520 localities have already passed laws to end the sale of puppies in pet stores, cutting off the puppy mill pipeline. Animal advocates can do their part by voicing their support for the Puppy Protection Act and the Better CARE for Animals Act—two pieces of federal legislation that would improve conditions for puppies and dogs at mass breeding facilities.
Humane World for Animals encourages anyone who wants a puppy to consider shelter adoption first, or to visit a home breeder in person and see where the puppy was born and raised. Anyone who has purchased a sick puppy from a pet store or a suspected puppy mill can report their experience to their local authorities and/or to Humane World for Animals.
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