Minnesotans Exposing the Pet Trade

03/19/2025

This is such a win! Thank you to the tireless advocates who worked on this for so many years 👏👏👏

GREAT NEWS! It took years and lots of data and deliberation, but on March 11, 2025, the Winona County Board voted (3-2) to pass a ban on any future permits for commercial dog breeding kennels.

Winona County is known as the "Puppy Mill Capitol of Minnesota." This is due to the fact that, for years, the county has issued numerous local permits to large-scale dog breeding operations.

Animal Folks, working closely with Winona County residents, raised the question: Why? Why are permits granted so easily when there is considerable data showing psychological and physical harm to the breeding dogs and puppies?

For years, Animal Folks, residents, and other experts presented our concerns and data about the commercial dog breeding industry. This included testimony at multiple meetings and hearings, emails and calls, letters to the editor, 900+ petitions, failings of the federal and state regulatory agencies, lack of data transparency by authorities, legal and ethical justifications, scientific studies showing long-term trauma to dogs, and other findings.

Your voice makes a difference!

For animal issues, persistence is needed...dealing with staff changes, election results, and more. Huge thanks to the residents and advocates who never gave up!

Our sincere thanks to Commissioners Greg Olson, Chris Meyer, and Dwayne Voegeli for their leadership and decision on this issue.

Learn more: https://www.speakupwinonacounty.org

03/16/2025

Be sure to check out the caption of horrifying statistics highlighting what's allowed by the USDA. This is why it means little to nothing when pet stores assure the public that they "only buy from USDA-licensed breeders".

An estimated 167,388 breeding dogs are currently living in USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)-licensed commercial facilities for breeding purposes this very moment.*

A USDA license = a puppy wholesale license. Any dog breeder who wishes to sell to a pet store or to consumers over the Internet with five or more breeding females must be licensed with the USDA.

The USDA regulates these facilities according to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), the Minimal Standards of Care at breeding facilities:
• Over 2 million puppies are bred in mills each year.
• There is no limit to the number of dogs on the premises. A puppy mill could have hundreds or thousands of dogs.
• There is no requirement on the number of staff that must be available to care for the dogs.
• Dogs may be kept in stacked cages.
• Mesh or wire flooring is allowed.
• Dogs may be forced to relieve themselves in their cages.
• Dogs may be confined in spaces only six inches larger than their bodies, not including the tail.
• A dog may be caged 24 hours a day for his or her entire life, only removed from the cage to be bred.
• There is no exercise requirement if dogs are housed with other dogs and certain minimal size requirements are met for the dog’s enclosure.
• Dogs can be housed indoors or out with minimal temperature regulation.
• Human interaction is not required.
• Breeding females at the first heat cycle and every heat cycle thereafter is permissible.
• Unwanted animals may be killed in a variety of ways or auctioned off.
• Many of the AWA’s requirements are vague. The AWA leaves it up to the mill owners to determine what is “adequate”.
• The USDA currently has an estimated 110 inspectors on staff to inspect all the facilities under its supervision, not just commercial dog breeders and brokers.
• There is no transparency to consumers or the public about the results of USDA inspections.

Sources: Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), The Puppy Mill Project, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

03/06/2025

"Lack of data transparency with the Board of Animal Health has been a key problem in assessing the kennels."

THIS.

We can request data from other states about the puppies coming into Minnesota and being sold at pet stores, yet we cannot access this same information for puppies being sold from Minnesota breeders or puppy mills to puppy-selling pet stores here. This is a problem.

Thank you to this person for highlighting this issue in this excellent opinion piece. It's been great seeing folks writing in to show support for banning future permits on dog breeding kennels in Winona County, the puppy mill capitol of Minnesota.

From: Anne Joria

03/05/2025

** Important! **

Minnesotans, have you signed up for Humane Lobby Day yet? The last day to register is Tuesday, March 11th.

This is an excellent opportunity to advocate for animals! You will be placed with other folks who live in your area, we'll receive information about legislation to help animals in our state, and then we'll go and speak to our representatives about these bills. Humane World for Animals (formerly HSUS) gets the meetings all set up!

We highly encourage folks to attend, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable because it's new, our elected representatives NEED to hear from us and it's important to use our voices for the animals.



https://secure.humaneworld.org/page/166149/event/1?fbclid=IwY2xjawI0cc9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfJWG8J4QB3X_kMBYm_BsxBNGteH22rNY2j5eD3P0h-SdA3juK2jT3eHlw_aem_u3WyiOLclk-66A0g-jOAEw

Join us in St. Paul along with fellow advocates from all over the North Star State to speak with your legislators. It's your chance to show lawmakers that animal protection legislation is a priority to Minnesotans.

02/13/2025

What do USDA regulations really mean? Oftentimes pet stores proclaim that "they only buy puppies from USDA licensed breeders".

As the ASPCA states in this article, "the USDA documented over 800 instances where licensed dog dealers failed to meet the minimum standards of care required by the law in 2024. The overwhelming response of USDA inspectors was to do nothing."

Over 800! Who knows how many instances were never even documented. This is not okay and stricter regulations are a must.



https://www.aspca.org/news/puppies-left-perish-usdas-failure-protect-vulnerable-dogs-puppy-Say NO to Puppy Mills

The ASPCA reviewed thousands of USDA inspection and enforcement records from 2024 and discovered over 800 instances where licensed dog dealers failed to meet the minimum standards of care required by law. See what the USDA is doing — and not doing — to address issues that harm dogs in puppy mill...

02/09/2025

We are not just saying,
•Don’t buy a puppy•
but, •Don’t buy ANYTHING in a pet store that sells puppies📌

01/29/2025

Great news in Detroit after their City Council unanimously passed a Humane Pet Store Ordinance, banning the sale of dogs and cats and instead encouraging partnerships with local rescues and shelters!

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2025/01/28/detroit-council-approves-ban-on-selling-dogs-cats-at-pet-shops-in-city/77999354007/

The retail ban doesn't impact breeders, who would still be allowed to sell puppies and cats directly to the public. Supporters called it a first step.

01/25/2025

Fostering saves lives!!!

01/23/2025

This is an important read. Too often videos surface online of people taking out their anger and frustration on their companion animals because they have an accident or did something they don't approve of. Non-human animals do not speak our language - it takes patience and effort to learn how to efficiently communicate with them. Training your dog helps to ensure their safety and well-being and should not be overlooked. If you bring an animal into your home, it's up to you to look out for their best interests.



https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/01/13/noise-punishment/?fbclid=IwY2xjawH_g8JleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbP_Rr-yNCYmikJMnZAkpGkDdlXMOdpp9fOmkYrl9-ZpEg83VA8K65JhRQ_aem_QgN3oZaSLOZVS-HkjXBEJA

Noise aversives such as yelling or using startling sounds, like an air horn or penny can to "correct" unwanted behaviors are dangerous.

01/22/2025

This is horrifying and at the same time, not that surprising. Pet stores will repeatedly claim that they don't purchase from puppy mills but then act shocked when the places these puppies are coming from are exposed. How much do pet store owners actually know about the breeders they're purchasing from? Shouldn't they do their research and have full transparency with their customers?

Thank you to the undercover investigator who put in the work to expose these Nevada puppy-selling pet stores. We hope to see them pass a statewide bill prohibiting these shady pet stores from doing bad business and hurting others.

Cindy Lou’s death, and the store’s failure in its duty to provide care for her, highlights the dysfunctional and systemic cruelty of a low-grade industry that profits from selling puppies in retail pet stores and relies on its poorly trained staff to give ad-hoc care to fragile, ailing puppies.

01/18/2025

Wow! This highlights the importance of people coming forward when there is an issue! Every bit of evidence makes a stronger case as to why these kinds of pet stores need to be stopped.

Unfortunately over the years there have been many people we've spoken to who have purchased sick puppies from Four Paws and a Tail pet store, (some of the puppies actually died) yet they'll get busy with life or decide not to pursue to the issue. This only serves to allow the store to continue business as usual and perpetuates the cycle of harm to dogs and to consumers.

Breaking news!!

The owners of the Puppyland chain of stores were ordered to pay $3.75 million to the state of Washington and end its "illegal advertising and sales practices".

This comes after the Washington State Attorney General's office was prompted to investigate the store following numerous complaints from customers. Our nonprofit was instrumental in helping customers come forward in this case and we are extremely grateful for this outcome!

The court order also requires Puppyland Washington to make numerous reforms to its sales and advertising practices. Among them:

- Puppyland can no longer require non-disparagement provisions in its sales contracts;

- Puppyland cannot refuse to negotiate with consumers on pet costs;

- Puppyland is prohibited from advising consumers on loans;

- Puppyland employees cannot falsely advertise breeding standards; and

- Puppyland must clearly advertise the price range of its puppies.

This ruling only affects their Washington location. This chain currently has locations in Texas, Arizona, and Idaho.

To view the full press release from the AG's office, click here:
https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/puppyland-pay-375-million-result-consumer-protection-lawsuit #:~:text=The%20Attorney%20General's%20Office%20filed,agreements%20that%20illegally%20restricted%20truthful

To donate to our nonprofit and help us continue being a voice for the puppy mill dogs and the people who love them, click here:
https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

01/16/2025

This bill from Animal Folks needs your attention! You can sign in support here:
https://www.mnoap.org/take-action.html

A family is looking for answers after their dogs were found shot dead after a hike near Williams, Minnesota.

01/16/2025

Wonderful news right here in Minnesota!

A shelter in the Twin Cities is doing something unique to make help more accessible and comfortable for survivors of domestic violence.

01/15/2025

Do you use essential oils around your home? If yes, beware – many essential oils are toxic to pets and the strong scents can also be dangerous when diffused. Learn more about the potential dangers here: https://aercmn.com/are-essential-oils-safe-for-pets

01/14/2025

So few people consider what life is like for the parents of the puppies sold in pet stores. It's generally not pretty.

"Breeder Darrell Graber also told me that to get rid of spent breeding dogs, it’s difficult to give them away, since they’ve lived in a kennel their whole lives. He said the dogs must be put down, and for a vet to do so, it requires two shots. Graber then said that it’s much easier to use a .22 caliber gun and shoot a dog in the head, instead."

We're sharing this article as Four Paws and a Tail pet store gets hundreds of dogs from Amish breeders, largely in Hillsboro, WI.

https://caps-web.org/caps-investigators-journal-the-truth-behind-amish-puppy-mills/

If you’re like me, knee-deep in the fight against puppy mills, you’re not surprised to hear that the Amish are prevalent dog breeders who supply pet shops. However, you may not understand why. Maybe when you hear “Amish” you think of Dwight Schrute’s cousin, Mose, from The Office. Or maybe...

01/07/2025

❄𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 & 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 – 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡!❄
We’re collecting blankets and towels to help keep our patients cozy and warm! Your donations make a big difference in their comfort, and we’re grateful for your support.

𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒑-𝑶𝒇𝒇 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:
🗓️ Dates: January 6th – 20th
📍 Location: Place donations inside the deck box outside the lobby doors at our Oakdale ER & Specialty Center (1160 Helmo Ave. N., Oakdale, MN 55128).

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭.

💗We appreciate your kindness and generosity! 💗

01/05/2025

Unfortunately due to the cold weather we made the decision to cancel our protest yesterday, but here is a shot of last weekend's protest where we were joined by Cece, who was rescued from a puppy mill ❤️

It's heartbreaking to hear the stories of how many of the dogs coming from mills basically need to learn HOW to be a dog. Oftentimes they haven't had the opportunity to experience kindness from humans and have more or less been confined to a cage for most of their lives.

We're so grateful to the folks out there running rescues and giving dogs a second chance at life, as well as the many people fostering and adopting! Team work makes the dream work and we can all play a role in improving the lives of other animals!

01/03/2025

What an unfortunate story. Predatory loans, a history of failing to honor health guarantees, thousands of dollars, a dead puppy, and heartache. It's a story we hear time and time again.

It's great to see more cities passing Humane Pet Store ordinances to prohibit the sale of animals from bad breeders, but there is still so much work to be done.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/she-sued-puppyland-her-6k-130000967.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACUSzQNY2w0nQ60AnkCJNsUjQxdAIYKpaRlaKNsggl8d_PvskvNfq9GN5QS7sK6PQw-dHsTftKJlpLQnNGlnzoHann42EPHiOcPnQtNyibJi2BQ4jbfxuM37R_RKGyeUElqNK7lh-Wj006q_wPOzMWfIxV5uTw8dMzGykFCQCHAJ