Mo. tries to shed reputation as 'puppy mill' capital of U.S.

SENECA, Mo. -- When authorities raided J.B.'s Precious Puppies, they discovered more than 200 dogs standing in their own excrement, crammed three and four to a cage. Some were so sickly they were missing clumps of hair. The skeletal remains of puppies and adult dogs were found inside pet-food bags.

The scene deep in the Ozarks has become far too common in Missouri.

Missouri is the "puppy mill" capital of America, home to more than 4,000 shoddy and inhumane dog-breeding businesses, by one estimate. But now the state is trying to shed its reputation, with the chief of the Agriculture Department pledging to do more to crack down on bad breeders.

"Missouri led the nation in licensing breeders. Let's lead the nation in putting unlicensed breeders out of business," agriculture director Jon Hagler said.

'It's embarrassing'

Dogs are seen Tuesday in cages on property belonging to puppy breeder Marilyn Shepherd in Ava, Mo. Shepherd, who sells puppies via the Internet, has been the subject of three federal licensing complaints, but still maintains a state license. (JEFF ROBERSON ~ Associated Press)

Missouri has been No. 1 in puppy mills for decades, with fly-by-night breeders -- both licensed and unlicensed -- selling pups churned out by dogs that spend their entire lives in cages.

Missouri's reputable breeders complain the shady ones are making them all look bad.

Animal advocates say puppy mills flourish here for a number of reasons, among them: uneven enforcement of the rules, and remote, rural landscapes that allow poor or illegal practices to escape detection. The hills and hollows of the Ozarks have the state's highest concentration of puppy breeders.

"It's embarrassing," said Julie Leicht, executive director of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation. "We're the meth capital. And we're the leader in puppy mills. Welcome to Missouri."

In February, a raid in Missouri's Pleasant Hope, Mo., netted 93 Yorkshire terriers, their hair severely matted and covered in feces. Last September, 171 anemic, flea-infested cocker spaniels, some of them blind, were taken from a breeder. Fifteen days later, 67 emaciated, mangy dogs and puppies were rescued.

"Most people think puppies were born in a box next to a fireplace in somebody's living room," said Kim Townsend, an activist who monitors the industry. "If they walked into these places, they'd be appalled."

Improving enforcement

Since taking office in January, Hagler has been working to better enforce a 1992 program for protecting animals cared for by breeders.

He has named a new program coordinator, asked for a re-examination of old cases, ordered a review of internal procedures, and stepped up inspections and the issuing of citations to violators. His new Operation Bark Alert allows people to report unlicensed breeders directly to him by e-mail.

But Hagler said his agency simply does not have the means to conduct inspections every year as required by law.

"We cannot regulate 3,200 licensed breeders plus every animal rescue, shelter and dog pound, and go after unlicensed breeders with 11 total inspectors," he said.

The Humane Society of the United States' "Stop Puppy Mills" campaign says Missouri should stop licensing breeders until it has enough inspectors.

State audits in 2001, 2004 and 2008 criticized Missouri's regulation of puppy breeders as ineffective and lax, citing management conflicts of interest, spotty inspections, few sanctions and failure to track repeat offenders.

Charges not pursued

State authorities can shut down breeders, revoke their licenses, fine them and ask local prosecutors to bring criminal charges of abuse or neglect. But Tim Rickey of the Humane Society of Missouri said the Agriculture Department rarely pursues charges.

Inspection reports show that the state instead encourages violators to reduce the number of dogs to a more manageable level or below the threshold of regulation.

Townsend, who maintains a website with inspection reports on Missouri puppy breeders, said many puppy mills are repeat offenders: "You take away their license, and they go out and get more animals."

Rickey said he is encouraged by what the new agriculture director is doing.

"Their focus seems to have changed," Rickey said. "They are working harder to shut unlicensed facilities down. They are seeking prosecutions. This is all new and unproven."

On the Net

* Operation Bark Alert: barkalertmda.mo.gov

* PetShopPuppies: www.petshoppuppies.org