Before I had the honor of meeting my two guests, Zaron Van Meter and Stefanie Mowrey, the information I had about puppy mills was based on second hand knowledge. I also learned a lot from a book that a client/friend gave to me entitled, “The Doggie in the Window” by Rory Kress, pictured below. My very first exposure to the existence of puppy mills happened about 25 years ago. I remember exactly where I was. I had just finished playing tennis with a weekly women’s league. We were all talking in the lobby of the North Olmsted Rec Center. One of the ladies was asking for signatures on a petition that had to do with puppy mills and the welfare of the puppies born and raised in them. Someone had to explain to me what puppy mills were. I was horrified to say the least.

My Exposure to Puppy Mills

I am originally from upstate New York. I thought at the time that the existence of puppy mills was an Ohio issue. I was in disbelief anyone could treat dogs with anything but love. Jump ahead 25 years, I never dreamed I would have a venue such as this podcast to spread awareness of this sensitive subject. Additionally, to be able to host two dedicated dog advocates who are fighting for more effective and efficient enforcement of legislation protecting the welfare of dogs in high volume dog breeder facilities, known as puppy mills.

Zaron and Stefanie have taught me so much about the regulations puppy mills are supposed to adhere to and the current oversight that exists. In both episodes of our podcast, they talk about this and the effects puppies and dogs have after growing up in a puppy mill. It is not just the physical, but also the mental toll it takes on them.

Before I became a dog trainer in 2012, I volunteered at the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter for almost a year. I knew that I wanted to work with dogs and thought this would be a good way to get hands-on experience with all types of dogs. I don’t ever remember anyone telling me that certain dogs were from a puppy mill. When I look back on that experience knowing what I know now, I think about particular dogs behaving in a way that could have indicated they were distrustful of humans for one reason or another, or they were from a puppy mill. We were told to just put the bowl of food in their crate and not to take them out for a walk. They were terrified and shaking. Their pupils were dilated and they were practically glued to the back of the crate.

As I mentioned to Zaron and Stefanie, there was a computer station at Petco when I started working there in 2012 that allowed customers access to websites selling dogs. The general consensus was that this was a great idea - better than buying a dog from the newspaper, like my family and I did with our Corgi, Hank. By the time I left, the computer was gone. We weren’t told why. We all assumed that it was because it didn’t work anymore. However, Zaron and Stefanie revealed to me that puppy mill breeders can also be licensed brokers. They could be the ones selling these cute puppies online or part of a network of high volume dog breeders.

When I think about certain dogs I trained in obedience classes, they too could have come from puppy mills. No one ever told me they knew they adopted a dog from a puppy mill. I recall soon after I was hired at Petco, I asked the dog trainer I replaced if he thought dogs could have “a screw loose”. I don’t really remember his answer. At that time, I was experiencing a young dog that was so out of control and unpredictable that nothing worked. One minute he was happy go lucky and the next minute he was attacking whoever had the leash, even his owner. The owner purchased the dog to be a therapy dog. Well, the dog ended up getting rehomed and the owner’s dream dashed of making him a therapy dog. At the time, I chalked that one up to my inexperience as a dog trainer.

Current notoriety of puppy mills

When I think about the dog I tried to train at Petco with the knowledge I have now, there was something wrong with the dog. Perhaps the dog’s behavior was due to poor breeding and was possibly from a puppy mill. Today, it is more and more common to hear that people knowingly adopt a puppy or dog from a puppy mill. Individuals at shelter and rescue agencies, including Stefanie, are familiar with the urgency that arises when breeders surrender unwanted dogs or puppies to a shelter. This situation occurs after breeders receive a two day notice of an inspection. Please refer to her story in Part 1 about the Rottweiler puppy she adopted within the past two years.

It has reached a point where rescue agencies are tapped out. Volunteers and fosters are in short supply. There are just too many dogs being born that are suffering due to the lack of care inside these puppy mills. Additionally, the people who rescue or purchase them can be riddled with vet bills due to diseases, physical, or behavioral issues. There are just not enough people to care properly for them.

This issue is not improving. It is only getting worse, to the point that puppy mills are no longer a hush-hush word. Puppies and dogs need to be rescued when puppy mills are violating regulations after being inspected, and they need to get rid of dogs. Too many dogs are disposed of either by dumping them on the side of the road, or ethically or unethically euthanized. It is difficult to state accurately what they do and how widespread it is since reporters and the public have difficulty gaining access to this information.

How Ohio rates in regulating puppy mills

Ohio is second in the nation for having the most egregious violations found by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)inspectors. This is backed up annually by “The Horrible Hundred” published by The Humane World for Animals.

Some issues that are commonly found by inspectors in “The Horrible Hundred” list itemized by state are:

* too many dogs per crate

* unsanitary conditions

* sick or injured dogs

* inadequate and substandard veterinary care for surgical procedures

* problematic veterinary check ups of female dogs suitable for breeding

According to inspection reports that are available to the public, docking of tails have been performed using carpet knives. I remember a client of mine with a Corgi whose tail was cut off right at the base of the tail. It made an impression on me because my Corgi’s butt did not look like that. I also have seen Corgi tails cut off about 4 inches from the base of the tail, like a boxer’s tail. I have seen a Boxer’s stub infected when the puppy was picked up. At the time, I knew what I saw wasn’t quite right, but I didn’t know what I was really looking at.

Cropping ears used to be legal only if done by a licensed vet. However, in 2022, the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) ruled in favor of the breeders. Now, ears can be cropped by the breeder. We can only hope that both the docking of tails and cropping of ears are done under anesthesia by a licensed vet in the puppy mills. PPOV is trying to reverse this procedure back to where only a licensed vet can perform the cropping of ears.

Stefanie tells us the Humane Society she volunteers for accepted 1,000 puppies and dogs in 2023. Almost half of them came from puppy mills. According to the intake person at the rescue agency, the biggest problem she sees is how many emergency medical issues exist with the puppy mill dogs such as C-section complications on female breeder dogs, dental issues, and the effects of the amount of stress endured at the facility. Whether the breeding process is done naturally or by artificial insemination, it has to be very stressful on both the male and female dogs. When ethical breeders get the male and female together to mate naturally, that process is stressful for both. I can only imagine how puppy mill breeders conduct the mating process.

Oversight for high volume dog breeders

High volume dog breeders in Ohio are regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. These breeders must obtain proper insurance or surety bonds, breeders licenses, and adhere to existing laws ensuring the welfare of the puppies and dogs housed on their premises. Ohio regulations classify high volume dog breeders as an establishment that keeps, houses, and maintains 6 or more breeding dogs and does at least one of the following:

* sells 5 or more adult dogs or puppies to brokers or pet stores in one year for a fee or consideration

* sells 40 or more puppies or dogs to the public in a year for a fee or other consideration

* houses and maintains more than 40 puppies under 4 months old, bred on premises and have been primarily kept, housed, and maintained from birth on the premises of the establishment.

Currently, there are over 900 licensed breeders in Ohio. According to Ohio Department of Agriculture, there are 468 licensed high volume dog breeders. There are 453 licensed brokers. It is possible for a breeder to also be a broker. This means that a breeder can sell their dogs on the side of the road to paying customers like us. However, due to their high volume of dogs, they will also use brokers to pick up puppies and dogs to be sold to pet stores and online sites. Brokers pay the breeders for the cost of the dogs. They in turn will charge the pet store or online brokers a fee to recover their costs.

Legislation intended to protect the welfare of puppy mill

The last time legislation was passed concerning high volume dog breeders was in 2012. Senate Bill 130 (or SB130), section 956.04 took 7 years to pass. This bill established criteria for high volume dog breeders to follow. These are outlined in Part 1 of this podcast. Two of the stipulations have to be reintroduced due to lack of adherence by the breeders and lack of enforcing. One provision is the “no-knock” inspection. Inspections are to be unannounced so that inspectors see the real conditions of the facility. The other provision that needs to be reintroduced is the proper, ethical docking of the tails and trimming of the ears by licensed veterinarians.

Senate Bill 232

Zaron and Stefanie founded Passion & Purpose for Ohio’s Voiceless (PPOV) two years ago. Their mission is to educate the public and advocate for the welfare of dogs in puppy mills. Although the state has some of the strongest laws in the country, loopholes allow ongoing violations that jeopardize animal welfare. PPOV is collaborating directly with Senator Casey Weinstein, who has re-introduced and sponsored Senate Bill 232. There are four parts to this bill:

* increase the number of establishments that are considered high volume dog breeders to be subject to regulation under the law governing breeders

* require that all euthanasia and surgical procedures be performed by a licensed veterinarian

* add tail docking, dew claw removal, and ear cropping as surgical procedures to be performed by a licensed veterinarian

* require the Director of Agriculture, or an authorized representative to conduct inspections of high volume dog breeders during regular business hours without prior notice

How everyone can help

Senator Weinstein has asked PPOV to rally support for this bill. Legislative action depends on clear evidence that the community stands behind this cause. Your voice is critical in demonstrating to the legislature the urgent need for reform of the management of puppy mills. If you are willing to help, please strongly consider providing written testimony when the General Assembly reconvenes in February. A few days before the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee meets to hear testimony from us citizens, PPOV will be provided with a link to submit your written testimony.

I will be sending out a separate post including a template with suggestions to follow for the testimony. Even if you have never had a personal experience with a suspected or known puppy mill dog, you can still voice your displeasure with how puppy mills are run. You can prepare your testimony now so that it is ready in a moments notice. I will be sending out a text only podcast notification of the date to submit your written testimony, as soon as I hear from Zaron and Stefanie. There is power in numbers - if we all work together, we can achieve our goal of adding legislation to help give a voice to the voiceless. We appreciate your support!

Who to contact if you experienced fraud

What you can do to speak up for the voiceless is to report any discrepancies in the required criteria for ethical breeding when purchasing a puppy or dog. If you feel that you have experienced fraud in any way, please contact the Attorney General of the State of Ohio, David Yost at tel. 614-466-4320.

Stefanie recounts a story that a Facebook subscriber on the Passion & Purpose for Ohio’s Voiceless page, shared about how she received a dog that was different than the puppy she thought she purchased. She thought she was getting a puppy, but a vet determined it was at least two and a half years old! The “puppy” was sold online by an entity based out of Pennsylvania, the “puppy” was actually located in Ohio, and then was transported to Michigan and delivered to the customer’s doorstep. No paperwork was accompanied with the “puppy”. The woman did not want to try to return the dog for fear of what would happen back in the hands of this unethical breeder. The picture of the puppy was still listed as available on the website months later. This would be a classic case of fraud to be reported to the State Attorney General.

Spread awareness of puppy mills by word of mouth

Another way for people to help is to spread awareness of the signs that puppies or dogs may be part of the puppy mill network. When you hear about a friend or family member thinking about getting a dog, tell them to do their homework. You can even refer them to part 1 and part 2 of this podcast.

We can fight for more and new legislation for our beloved canines, but it is up to the general public to report any offenses of existing laws to the proper authorities. By increasing awareness to your friends and family about puppy mills, we can all push back against the agencies regulating them. For example, if you know of anyone who volunteers as a transporter from the mills to the rescue agency, encourage them to learn about what is within the law or when the law is being broken. Violations must be reported.

Who to contact if questioning the legitimacy of your breeder

Please refer to the signs that your puppy may have come from a high-volume dog breeder in Part 1 of this podcast. One of these signs include paperwork that must accompany every dog which includes the breed, age, and name and address of the breeder. If you do not go home with the proper paperwork, or you have repeatedly asked for it with no success, find out the name and address of the breeder and report it to The Department of Agriculture. For enforcement issues, contact Jason Davis at tel. 614-549-0158. For all other issues, contact Donna Potter at tel. 614-728-6350.

Also, please call the contacts above if you discover that the breeder you are dealing with does not have a breeder’s license. Refrain from buying the dog or puppy. Instead, do more research to find ethical breeders. A place to start is online for breeder specific clubs. These clubs are made up of people who care deeply about the dogs they find homes for. They can tell you where breeders of your desired breed are located near you. I suggest attending dog shows where ethical breeders have booths set up to answer any questions you may have about their specific breed. Dr. Jennifer Smith talks about this in our podcast entitled “Best in Show”.

In my opinion, the existing problems with puppy mills can only be remedied through stricter regulations that are enforced. Not to diminish any onus on The Department of Agriculture, but I respectfully ask how 5 inspectors in the entire state of Ohio can properly manage over 450 high volume dog breeders. How many breeders exist under the radar, referring to unlicensed breeders? There are over 300 licensed breeders who don’t get inspected because they don’t meet the criteria for being a high volume dog breeder. I believe all breeders should be licensed and inspected. This will never happen with only 5 inspectors. Everyone involved is overworked and frustrated at the constant barrage of puppies and dogs that need homes right away.

This podcast isn’t just for people who may have purchased or rescued a puppy mill dog. It is for anyone considering purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder or rescuing a dog from a shelter or rescue agency. I hope to have provided some insight into this eye-opening issue of where puppies and dogs were bred and the conditions under which this occurred.

^1 “Ohio department of Agriculture”, https://www.agri.ohio.gov, last updated 1/18/26.

^2 “Ohio department of Agriculture”, https://www.agri.ohio.gov, last updated 1/18/26.

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