What is the Horrible Hundred?
The Horrible Hundred report is a list of known, problematic puppy breeding and/or puppy brokering facilities. It is not a list of all puppy mills, nor is it a list of the worst puppy mills in the country, but rather a list of dog breeders to avoid.
We provide this updated report annually, not as a comprehensive inventory, but as an effort to inform the public about common, recurring problems at puppy mills. The information in this bad dog breeders list demonstrates the scope of the puppy mill problem in America today, with specific examples of the types of violations that researchers have found at such facilities, to warn consumers about the inhumane conditions that so many puppy buyers inadvertently support.
2025 facts and figures
in the report are licensed and inspected by the USDA, meaning new cuts in the federal workforce could put their dogs’ safety even further at risk
in this year's report are linked to Petland or its affiliated stores. Petland is the only national pet store chain in the U.S. that still sells puppies
are linked to the American Kennel Club (AKC), a dog registry group that frequently lobbies against stronger humane laws
Download the latest reports
Our annual report reveals the cruelty and broken enforcement system lurking behind the cute puppies that the public sees in pet stores and online. The report describes violations such as failing to provide proper care to injured and emaciated dogs, dogs living in cramped, filthy conditions, to name a few.
Updates
Some prior Horrible Hundred dealers have been taken to court or have closed down after we published our 2024 report, some dealers listed closed voluntarily and others have been charged with animal cruelty or neglect.
- In Iowa, 49 dogs were removed from a breeder who appeared in our 2024 Horrible Hundred report (Terry Yoder, BR’s Dobermans); a court case is pending. BR’s Dobermans is still in our 2025 report because his state license is still active.
- After our 2024 report was published, the USDA revoked the licenses of at least four puppy mill dealers who have been in multiple reports in the past: Elisa Brandvik in Arkansas, Joyce Cairns/Unicorn Kennel in Kansas, Cory Mincey/Puppy Love Kennel in Missouri, and Mary Moore/D&M Kennel in Kansas.
- In Oklahoma, the USDA continued legal action against Angela Weaver, who violated the Animal Welfare Act again and again. Weaver’s federal license is now cancelled, but as of early 2025, it appears she is still licensed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.
- Since we published our first Horrible Hundred report in 2013, at least 2,400 animals have been rescued from Horrible Hundred dealers who vastly downsized or shut down, and more than 250 puppy mills listed in the reports have closed
Buying a puppy online or from a pet store?
You could be supporting cruelty like this. It's time to end the cruel treatment of dogs in mass breeding operations.
More about The Horrible Hundred
Some of the findings of our latest Horrible Hundred report sound like scenes from horror films. One of the most striking findings this year is that more than 20 breeders in the report have links to the American Kennel Club.
In May, we published our 10th annual Horrible Hundred report, a list of problem puppy mills in the United States. The source of many puppies sold online or in pet stores, puppy mills arelarge commercial dog-breeding operations that put profits ahead of animal welfare.
Petland is the only national pet store chain in the United States that still sells puppies. Petland is also the largest retailer of puppy mill dogs. While the company claims their puppies come only from reputable breeders and are in good health, our latest investigation is the latest of a series that has proven otherwise.
Stop puppy mills!
You can stop this cycle of cruelty by adopting your next pet. You can also donate to help shut down puppy mills and continue our lifesaving work for all animals.
Chuck Cook/For the HSUS