Iowa's Companion Voters Is A Fabulous SIte To Get Information On Their Dog Breeding Problems....

State vs USDA 

In Iowa there are 2 different definitions for "licensed commercial breeders".

1. State-licensed commercial breeders are those breeders who keep more than 3 intact breeding dogs, any combination of males and females, and sell the offspring. These breeders sell their puppies directly to the public, through ads, the internet, etc.
2. USDA Class A licensed commercial breeders are those breeders who can also sell puppies wholesale through a pet store or a broker or dealer (Class B USDA-license holder). The broker/dealer then sells the puppies to another distributor such as Hunte Corporation based in Goodman, Missouri, or to a pet store such as Petland.

State Licensed Commercial Breeders The Iowa Department of Agriculture (IDALS) conducts regular inspections of these facilities. Unfortunately being state licensed doesn't guarantee that a breeder runs a humane kennel. Always insist on visiting a kennel before buying a puppy. 

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USDA Licensed Commercial Breeders 

USDA (federally) licensed commercial breeders tend to be large scale breeding operations, many having more than 200 dogs per facility. The number of licensees fluctuates, but there are approximately 400 Class A breeders and Class B dealers in Iowa. 

According to the USDA, at least 23,000 adult dogs are kept in Iowa commercial kennels. To view a list of Iowa USDA-licensed breeders, visit the USDA website, specify 'Iowa' and select 'Search'. 

Some typical facts about dogs in USDA Licensed facilities: 

Housing

• They are usually kept in wire cages to allow for ventilation and for excrement to fall away from the surfaces of the living area.
• They aren't taken out of those cages except for purposes of breeding or for other basic necessities.
• The cage's wire bottom hurts their feet.
• The cages are often stacked so that the excrement of the dogs above falls upon the dogs below.
• Dogs are often exposed to climate extremes without shelter from Iowa's frigid winters or sweltering summers.

Care

• Most dogs are not provided adequate vet care or nutrition.
• The females are bred over and over again with every heat cycle until their bodies wear out.
• Because the breeder has a finite number of breeding dogs, inbreeding is often an issue.

Puppies

• The breeders sell the puppies to anyone who is willing to pay.
• In most cases the breeder never meets the buyer because the puppy is sold through a broker or a pet store.
• The stressful conditions of living in this environment, the inadequate exercise and nutrition, and lack of preventative vet care often results in puppies that are less than ideal, health-wise.
• The puppies often have underlying temperament issues because they are not socialized with humans or with other dogs under normal circumstances.

There are an estimated 10,000 USDA-licensed commercial breeders in the US, so competition is significant. In order to be profitable, a breeder must sell a lot of puppies. Since females only come into heat approximately 2 times a year, a breeder must have many, many breeding dogs to produce the vast number of puppies needed to make a profit.