Ohio once again ranks at No. 2 in 'Horrible Hundred' report for puppy mill violations

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio has once again appeared near the top of an annual report that compiles known puppy mills across the country, with the state seeing breeders repeatedly cited but not shut down. 

The nonprofit Humane World for Animals, previously known as the Humane Society of the United States, released its annual report called “The Horrible Hundred” this month. The report, first published in 2013, details a sample of 100 known puppy mills across the country. 

The organization defines a puppy mill as a breeding operation where the physical, psychological and behavioral needs of some or all dogs are not consistently met. 

“A puppy mill is a dog breeder that sacrifices the health and well-being of their animals in order to squeeze out every bit of profit from their operation,” said Mark Finneran, Ohio director of Humane World for Animals. “You or look at a dog and we see a beloved companion – to a puppy mill, they are inventory.”

Ohio was the state with the second-highest number of puppy mills in the 2025 report, with 16 problematic breeders included. Ohio was only preceded by Missouri, which saw 26 puppy mills.  The Buckeye State appeared at No. 2 for the second year in a row.

Ohio’s 16 puppy mills included in the report were located in Tuscarawas, Coshocton, Richland, Holmes, Wayne and Muskingum counties. Finneran said Ohio has consistently ranked near the top of the report, showing the state has a long-term problem with inhumane breeders.

“One of the concerning pieces of this report is that there's a lot of repeat offenders here, folks that are showing up year after year,” Finneran said. “We're not seeing a change in their behavior and what that indicates is that the enforcement of our puppy mill laws at the state and federal level is not being done in a way that's incentivizing them to change.”

Both the United States Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Department of Agriculture inspect high-volume dog breeders in the state to ensure compliance with federal and state laws. 

State inspectors are required to visit high-volume breeders, or those with six or more breeding dogs, at least once a year. The USDA’s website claims it conducts “routine, unannounced” inspections for federally licensed breeders. A breeder who has more than four breeding females and sells dogs wholesale, or to pet stores, must be federally licensed. 

The federal and state government agencies cited Ohio breeders included in the report for issues such as failing to vaccinate dogs for rabies and other deadly diseases, feces accumulation in cages, badly matted fur, giving dogs moldy food, untreated medical issues and more. One Ohio breeder included in the report was cited for “repeated failure to use a proper instrument to dock puppies’ tails.” 

Another likely reason Ohio is repeatedly high on the list is because it has a state-level breeder inspection program that gives insight into what happens at breeding facilities, Finneran said. Some states’ high-volume breeders are not as closely monitored.

Finneran said the best thing Ohio residents can do to combat the state’s puppy mill problem is to use their power as consumers to not support problematic breeders. This means avoiding stores such as Petland, Finneran said, since multiple Ohio breeders in the report have sold to the Chillicothe-based chain. A spokesperson for Petland denied that the store buys from puppy mills, stating it sources its puppies from “responsible” and “professional” USDA-licensed breeders. 

“Despite antiquated falsehoods spread by irreputable, radical animal rights groups like Humane World (formerly HSUS), Petland does not buy from puppy mills,” Petland communications director Maria Smith said in a statement. “Petland values transparency and we believe it's important for prospective pet owners to know where their puppy came from. We provide every new puppy owner with the breeder’s name and address, as well as the names of the sire and dam – canine parents.”

However, Finneran said consumers often mistakenly believe all USDA-licensed breeders are humane. He pointed out that problematic breeders who have repeatedly been cited by state or federal agencies continued to keep their USDA license. 

If a resident suspects a neighbor or someone they know is breeding inhumanely, they can report the operation to the ODA and their local animal enforcement agency, Finneran said. 

The Horrible Hundred report noted it does not include all puppy mills in the country. Different laws and enforcement regulations in different states result in many puppy mills operating unseen. The full Horrible Hundred report can be found here.