What’s The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Have To Say About Puppy Mills

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General report detailing the mismanagement is too long to post, so here is a PDF file that you can read and see their report here.


Here are a few photos from their report that were taken from two different puppy mills in Oklahoma, sickening is in it.




Here’s an article from the Last Chance for Animals


U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Releases a Report Detailing Mismanagement and Abuse of Animals Under APHIS' Enforcement Confirming What LCA Has Been Saying for Decades Regarding the Puppy Mill Industry

LCA Demands Congressional Oversight of APHIS and Hearings into the Lax Enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act by the USDA Overseeing Dog Breeding in the U.S. LCA Also Requests an End to the Loophole That Allows Breeders Selling Dogs Over the Internet Exemption From the AWA

Last Chance for Animals (LCA) has been at the forefront of investigating puppy mills and B-Dealers around the country for years. They have documented countless violations of the Animal Welfare Act and have been appalled to find large and small scale breeders operating with seeming impunity from the USDA.

For the last 20 years the OIG has conducted an audit on animal care and concluded in 1992, '95 and 2005 that APHIS could not ensure the humane care and treatment of animals at all dealer facilities as required by AWA. They stated that "APHIS did not inspect dealer facilities with reliable frequency, and it did not enforce timely correction of violations found during inspections. Moreover, APHIS did not timely penalize facilities found to be in violation of AWA." In 2005 the OIG concluded that "APHIS offered other concessions (to breeders and research facilities) making the fines basically meaningless. Violators considered the monetary stipulation as a normal cost of business rather than a deterrent for violating the law."

In their latest report on APHIS released May 25, 2010 the OIG found:

Out of 4,250 violators of the AWA, 2, 416 repeatedly violated the same statute, including 863 reoffending in the same subsection.

That inspectors typically take no enforcement action against first-time violators, even if a direct violation is found.

Inadequate enforcement against repeat violators -- and when instructions specified a stronger action such as stipulation or litigation, inspectors were allowed to recommend a more lenient option.

Even in extreme circumstances where animals are dying or suffering APHIS added a provision requiring that the violator be given a final opportunity to take corrective action before confiscation can occur.

Last Chance for Animals President Chris DeRose is available for comment on this issue. Please contact (310) 271-6096 x22 siu67@lcanimal.org to schedule an interview.

Last Chance for Animals (LCA), a national animal rights organization based in Los Angeles, has been active for more than two decades. Founded and led by animal expert, author, and actor, Chris DeRose. LCA fights for the rights of animals by conducting investigations that expose animal cruelty. For more information, visit www.LCAnimal.org.

Here’s a follow up from the ASPCA

The ASPCA Issues Statement Regarding the Office of the Inspector General's Audit of Large-Scale Dog Breeder Industry

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was horrified and saddened to read the Office of the Inspector General's audit detailing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's lax and ineffective enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) against licensed large-scale dog breeders and brokers known as "puppy mills." The report found that despite regular inspections, breeders are allowed to operate facilities where dogs live in inhumane conditions—kennels overflowing with pools of urine and feces, food laden with dead cockroaches, dogs infested with ticks, and unattended injuries such as a mutilated leg, among other atrocities—without penalty. Unfortunately, we were not surprised. The ASPCA has been painfully aware of the cruel conditions to which dogs are regularly subjected at the hands of puppy mill operators who put profit above providing the most fundamental standards of care.

We commend the Office of the Inspector General for its important audit and urge consumers to avoid purchasing dogs from pet stores—retail or online—and instead adopt from their local shelter or a breed rescue group, or buy from a responsible breeder.

For more information about puppy mills, please visit http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation's leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.