'Horrible Hundred' Puppy Mills: PA Has 8 Breeders On List

PENNSYLVANIA — The Humane Society of the United States called out 100 problem puppy mills and puppy brokers in its annual “Horrible Hundred” list of problem breeders in Pennsylvania and elsewhere across America.

The report, released every May, details the often-filthy, unhealthy conditions dogs and their offspring are kept in at high-volume breeding operations that sell puppies to pet stores or through their own websites — which means the puppies could end up anywhere.

The demand for puppies increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic as homebound Americans sought canine companionship, yet inspection programs were put on hold, making the past year “one of the most troubling in modern history,” the Humane Society said.

Deadly weather events put more puppies at risk, the Humane Society said in its 2021 Horrible Hundred report.

In Pennsylvania, the following puppy mills were cited:

Pennsupreme Puppies, New Providence
The state issued a citation in March 2021 for filthy conditions, including “a large build-up of mice excreta throughout the entire kennel” and some dogs on metal wire flooring.

Attempts to contact Walnut Run were unsuccessful because they are not publicly listed under their business name

Stoney Brook Kennel, Coatesville
State inspectors issued a citation in fall 2020 for matted dogs, ordered a veterinary check. The kennel has been ordered at least 11 times to get veterinary checks on dogs since 2010; multiple warnings and citations stretch back to 2006.

The kennel declined to comment when contacted by Patch.

Walnut Run, Strasburg
The state issued two recent warnings, one for dogs in poor health. This facility had other warnings in prior years and has had repeated issues with air quality control, according to the report.

Attempts to contact Walnut Run were unsuccessful because they are not publicly listed under their business name

Hill Top Farm Kennel, Honey Brook
The report states this facility has had recurring issues with inadequate veterinary care and has received at least 12 state warnings or citations since 2010. Vet checks have been ordered at the facility at least 10 times over a decade. The Humane Society received a complaint about a puppy who died at the facility.

Patch reached out to the owners of the puppy mill but has not heard back. If we do, we’ll update this story.

Meadow View Kennel, Ronks
This facility was given three state-issued citations over an eight-month period for multiple issues, including licensee lying to inspectors, keeping dogs in hot building that exceeded 85 degrees, unclean and cramped conditions, and excessive flies.

Attempts to contact Walnut Run were unsuccessful because they are not publicly listed under their business name.

Nicely’s Allstar Poms, Ligonier
The report states this facility failed a June 2020 inspection for 13 "unsatisfactory" issues, including poor maintenance and housekeeping, pests and some dogs with no exercise area. The report notes the facility had similar violations in prior years.

Owner Tina Schulties told Patch she plans to take the Humane Society to court for libel and said many of the issues brought up by inspectors were addressed after she was notified.

Sandy Hill Kennels, Parkesburg

A veterinarian and a dog warden who inspected the kennel made a cruelty referral in January 2021 due to matted and sickly dogs. The report states some dogs were kept in 36-degree temperatures without adequate protection from the cold. The state issued citations in 2021 for many issues, including disrepair, excessive feces, unsafe conditions and more.

Patch reached out but has not heard back. If we do, we’ll update this story.

Little Mountain Doodles, Myerstown
This facility was cited for sale of underage puppy in 2020. It also got three warnings or citations from the state since 2018 related to dealing dogs without appropriate records.

Patch reached out to the owners of the but has not heard back. If we do, we’ll update this story.

Missouri once again led the Horrible Hundred list with nearly two dozen problem dealers, the Humane Society noted:

• Missouri: 21 dealers
• Ohio: 16 dealers
• Iowa: 11 dealers
• Nebraska: 8 dealers
• Pennsylvania: 8 dealers
• Kansas: 7 dealers
• New York: 7 dealers
• Indiana: 6 dealers
• Georgia: 5 dealers
• Illinois: 4 dealers
• Arkansas: 2 dealers
• Kentucky: 1 dealer
• Minnesota: 1 dealer
• Tennessee: 1 dealer
• Texas: 1 dealer
• Wisconsin: 1 dealer

The Humane Society said that inclusion in the Horrible Hundred report is not an indication that any local, state or federal laws have been broken, but that the conditions described do illustrate the need for tougher laws to protect the dogs.

Not all states require inspections of puppy breeding facilities. In some cases, regulators cut down on inspections, but the Humane Society said regulatory authorities ceased or curtailed inspections during the pandemic. Yet pet stores were considered essential businesses as interest in companion animals soared.

“Now more than ever, dogs need our protection, and kennel laws should be strictly enforced to make sure animals are protected in the next disaster,” the Humane Society said.

Some problem puppy mills cited in the 2020 Horrible Hundred report have closed, the Humane Society noted.

The report doesn’t include every problem puppy mill in the country, the Humane Society said, noting that “states with no dealers in this report are not necessarily doing better at preventing puppy mills.”

Many states do not have kennel inspection laws, do not share inspection records with the public or have not enforced the laws that are on the books. Some other trends:

About 40 percent of the dealers cited in the report are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “but it appears that many more of the breeders listed in this report are operating in a manner that would require a USDA license, yet they have not obtained one, partly due to the steep plunge in USDA enforcement since 2017,” the Humane Society said.

About 40 percent of the 100 dealers on the list are repeat offenders who have appeared on at least one of the Humane Society’s previous reports.

At least eight of the dealers in the report are linked to Petland, the largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores in the country, although the HSUS said it’s very likely that number is much higher; because Petland purchases mostly from brokers (re-sellers), many of its breeders cannot easily be linked to the stores, and the HSUS does not have access to all sourcing records.

Many of the sellers in this report were offering American Kennel Club-registerable puppies or promoting themselves as AKC breeders, which is an issue because the AKC regularly opposes laws that would help crack down on puppy mill cruelty.

The best way to help animals is to refuse to buy a puppy from an internet site, a pet store, or any breeder buyers haven’t carefully screened and met in person, the Humane Society said.