http://www.caps-web.org/investigations.php

You can also report them etc. Very informative site.

Rhonda, I've stickied this one. Let's hope folks read it BEFORE they buy the next puppy. Thanks for sharing.

Great post, thank you! I think it's important for people to know that the USDA only requires the very basics be provided for the breeding stock(how they would put it) in these kennels and often let "minor" violations slide. Remember all the awful places they showed on Oprah were not breaking any laws. The USDA is there to protect the farmers(that's what these people are considered) and not necessarily the public. In the case of puppy mills, there is no major health risk to the human population if the rules are broken, so inspections aren't taken that seriously.

More than that, USDA looks at dogs as livestock - so their standards don't really extend past that. That does someone looking for a pet no good as a puppy should be started off as a pet - not as livestock.

I have a friend who lives in a state that requires USDA licensing to be a "breeder". She has to work really hard to skirt some of their rules (puppies can only be in the breeder's home until they are of weaning age and then must be in a "kennel" facility - you can only have either 4 or 6 dogs older than weaning age in your actual home). I don't think USDA licensing is a good thing on any level quite frankly. AKC does a more thorough and humane job of inspecting a kennel - which is why most puppymills are using other registries now and NOT AKC.