Iowa breeders on list of problem puppy mills
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Dogs from puppy mills featured in the "Horrible Hundred" list. Photos via USDA
A dozen Iowa dog breeders are in the most recent Humane Society "Horrible Hundred" report on problem puppy mills.
The big picture: Although Iowa has recently led the nation in puppy mill violations, lawmakers have improved state regulations over the last several years, says Mindi Callison, founder of Bailing Out Benji, a local nonprofit that works to end puppy mills.
- A big problem, however, is a federal loophole that allows dog breeders to skirt state requirements, Callison says.
Context: Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities known for trying to quickly churn out dogs, sometimes in poor conditions. Businesses included on the Horrible Hundred list were accused of such violations as cramped conditions and injured and sickly dogs that did not receive vet care.
State of play: The 2025 Horrible Hundred report lists 12 Iowa breeders. For comparison, Kansas had four and Minnesota had one.
Yes, but: In Iowa, requirements for licensing breeders are stricter than in some other states, potentially making violations seem more severe, Callison says.
- Iowa requires breeders to obtain a state license if they have four or more breeding females.
- Indiana requires a license only if a breeder has 20 females, Callison says. Texas, which had only seven breeders in the 2025 report, previously required breeders to have a license if they had 11 females, but that changed to five in 2024.
- The state could see more violations because more Iowa breeders need licenses.
State of play: Iowa has a USDA loophole that is causing problems, Callison says.
- In 2020, Iowa set new rules outlining minimum standards of care for state-licensed breeders. But USDA-licensed breeders are exempt, per Iowa Capital Dispatch (ICD).
- Federally licensed breeders typically sell animals over state lines or work with third-party companies to sell their dogs, such as a pet store.
- There are "stark" differences between Iowa and USDA rules, per ICD. For example, Iowa requires breeders to remove dogs from their cages at least twice in a 24-hour period for exercise. The USDA does not.
Zoom in: Steve Kruse, a USDA-licensed dog breeder in West Point, this year made the Horrible Hundred list for the eighth time, according to the 2025 report.
- Federal inspectors have cited Kruse for numerous violations, and the USDA suspended his license for 21 days in 2015 after the agency said he threw a bag containing two dead puppies at an inspector, according to ICD.
- An animal rights group filed a lawsuit against the USDA last year alleging the agency violated the Animal Welfare Act by automatically renewing Kruse's license, despite repeated offenses, per ICD. The USDA filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in February.
What's next: State bills that would have closed the USDA loophole died in the last legislative session.
- But Callison says they will continue working with legislators to get the law changed.