Missouri Lawmakers: End 14 Years as America's Worst Puppy Mill State
The Issue
For 14 years in a row, Missouri has ranked first on Humane World for Animals' "Horrible Hundred" list of problem puppy mills and is often referred to as the "puppy mill capital of the United States." The 2026 report identified significant concerns with 31 Missouri breeders—but the state has only 15 inspectors responsible for monitoring commercial breeding operations across Missouri.
Dogs are paying the price.
At one USDA-licensed breeding operation, a husky mix named Masterpiece became sick with diarrhea. Instead of getting him veterinary care, the breeder killed him. The breeder's federal license was suspended for only 21 days.
At Hidden Valley Farms, a licensed facility that sold dogs to Petland, inspectors found May May staggering, other dogs dangerously thin, and a French bulldog named Pebbles alive but unresponsive.
These are not isolated incidents. They are the result of a system that allows commercial breeders to keep operating when inspections are too infrequent, veterinary care is inadequate, and enforcement proceedings take so long that animals remain at risk.
Missouri lawmakers can change this.
We are calling on the Missouri General Assembly to pass Rep. Doug Clemens' bill requiring regular veterinary care and quarterly photographic documentation of animal enclosures at commercial breeding facilities.
We are also calling on Governor Mike Kehoe to provide the Missouri Department of Agriculture with enough inspectors and enforcement resources to act promptly when breeders neglect or abuse animals—and to stop dangerous operators from continuing to breed dogs while cases drag through the courts.
No dog should be denied medical care, left suffering in an unsafe enclosure, or treated as disposable inventory.
Fourteen years at the top of the Horrible Hundred list is far too many. Sign this petition and demand that Missouri lawmakers protect dogs, strengthen inspections, and shut down cruel puppy mills.
Sources:
Image: Humane Society of Missouri
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/exposed-100-horrible-puppy-mills-US
Paid partnership. Waffles Maple is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
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The Issue
For 14 years in a row, Missouri has ranked first on Humane World for Animals' "Horrible Hundred" list of problem puppy mills and is often referred to as the "puppy mill capital of the United States." The 2026 report identified significant concerns with 31 Missouri breeders—but the state has only 15 inspectors responsible for monitoring commercial breeding operations across Missouri.
Dogs are paying the price.
At one USDA-licensed breeding operation, a husky mix named Masterpiece became sick with diarrhea. Instead of getting him veterinary care, the breeder killed him. The breeder's federal license was suspended for only 21 days.
At Hidden Valley Farms, a licensed facility that sold dogs to Petland, inspectors found May May staggering, other dogs dangerously thin, and a French bulldog named Pebbles alive but unresponsive.
These are not isolated incidents. They are the result of a system that allows commercial breeders to keep operating when inspections are too infrequent, veterinary care is inadequate, and enforcement proceedings take so long that animals remain at risk.
Missouri lawmakers can change this.
We are calling on the Missouri General Assembly to pass Rep. Doug Clemens' bill requiring regular veterinary care and quarterly photographic documentation of animal enclosures at commercial breeding facilities.
We are also calling on Governor Mike Kehoe to provide the Missouri Department of Agriculture with enough inspectors and enforcement resources to act promptly when breeders neglect or abuse animals—and to stop dangerous operators from continuing to breed dogs while cases drag through the courts.
No dog should be denied medical care, left suffering in an unsafe enclosure, or treated as disposable inventory.
Fourteen years at the top of the Horrible Hundred list is far too many. Sign this petition and demand that Missouri lawmakers protect dogs, strengthen inspections, and shut down cruel puppy mills.
Sources:
Image: Humane Society of Missouri
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/exposed-100-horrible-puppy-mills-US
Paid partnership. Waffles Maple is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
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Petition created on October 4, 2026