skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Alabama faces battle at the ballot box; groups look to federal laws for protection; Israeli Cabinet votes to shut down Al Jazeera in the country; Florida among top states for children losing health coverage post-COVID; despite the increase, SD teacher salary one of the lowest in the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Civil rights groups criticize police actions against student protesters, Republicans accuse Democrats of "buying votes" through student debt relief, and anti-abortion groups plan legal challenges to a Florida ballot referendum.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Bidding begins soon for Wyoming's elk antlers, Southeastern states gained population in the past year, small rural energy projects are losing out to bigger proposals, and a rural arts cooperative is filling the gap for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Hoosier Puppy Mills Named Among "Horrible Hundred"

play audio
Play

Tuesday, May 29, 2018   

INDIANAPOLIS – Four Indiana dog breeders are named in a new "Horrible Hundred," report examining so-called puppy mills and dog sellers around the nation.

The sixth annual report from The Humane Society of the United States highlights allegations of cruel conditions at the facilities, which Kathleen Summers, the organization’s director of outreach, maintains are large commercial breeding operations that emphasize quantity over quality. And she says some horrific conditions were found at the Indiana facilities on the list.

"A breeder who had a dead puppy floating in a water bowl,” she relates. “Another breeder in Montgomery, Ind. was found with underweight dogs that had their ribs and hip bones showing and crusty eyes. "

And at an Odon breeding operation, the report says puppies and dogs were found in sweltering kennel buildings with heat indexes over 100 degrees, many showing signs of heat stress.

Summers notes the report does not list every puppy mill or even the worst of the worst, but is instead a snapshot of the scope of the problem.

It's the U.S. Department of Agriculture's responsibility to inspect puppy-breeding facilities, and Summers contends the agency has slipped on enforcement. And she notes redactions on USDA reports are now hiding the names of the breeding facilities.

"Even though our tax dollars as citizens are being used to inspect the facilities, USDA is hiding the names of these violators,” she states. “So your average person who does want to buy a puppy and wants to do their homework first can't even ensure that they're not buying from people on our list."

Summers argues both state and federal enforcement should be strengthened, but notes that puppy mills wouldn't exist if they didn't have customers.

"It is very important that people who want to buy a puppy visit their breeder in person, make sure you see how many breeding dogs they have and where those breeding dogs are living,” she stresses. “If the breeder won't show you her facility or her conditions that's a huge red flag."

According to the report, Missouri has the largest number of puppy mills with 23, followed by Ohio, Iowa and Pennsylvania.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument's new Molok Loyuk region provides habitat for tule elk, mountain lions, bears, bald eagles and golden eagles. (Hispanic Access Foundation)

Environment

play sound

Conservation groups, tribes and community organizers are praising President Joe Biden's decision Thursday to expand two national monuments in …


Social Issues

play sound

Pennsylvania is among the states where massive protests and tent encampments opposing the war in Gaza are growing. Elez Beresin-Scher, a sociology …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Studies show suicide is a serious public health problem, claiming more than 48,000 lives each year in the nation. A new initiative from the Zero …


An installation view of the exhibition Art Against the Odds, is shown at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Kate Mothes)

Social Issues

play sound

By Kate Mothes for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collab…

Environment

play sound

A new film documents the 2018 battle between Colorado environmentalists and the oil and gas industry over proposed fracking regulations. The film …

Among adults in Arkansas, 32.6% report symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, almost identical to the national average. (Halfpoint/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

As Children's Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off in Arkansas, an expert said parents can help their children have a healthy brain to thrive…

Environment

play sound

As part of an effort to restore the Mississippi River delta, an organization is collaborating with nature to address environmental challenges…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Toughing it out during spring allergy season is not in your best interest if you want to avoid asthma later in life. New Mexico has plenty of grass …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021