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During a visit to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the USDA is actively shutting down puppy mills and increasing enforcement efforts, targeting high-violation states like Iowa and Missouri.
The agency plans to increase its enforcement agents by 20 percent and focus on repeat violators and unlicensed operations.
Key details of the crackdown and regulatory changes include:
- Strengthened Oversight and Standards: Proposed new regulations will strengthen Animal Welfare Act licensing requirements and restrict medical procedures—including surgeries, dental work, and euthanasia—strictly to licensed veterinarians.
- 2026 Enforcement Actions: In 2026 alone, the USDA conducted over 2,000 inspections of dog breeders and brokers nationwide, resulting in the denial or termination of eight licenses, six suspensions, and five revocations.
- Legislative Support: Rep. Zach Nunn backed a farm bill amendment reinforcing USDA enforcement authority and co-sponsored Goldie’s Act (HR 349), which mandates follow-up inspections and sharing detailed violation records with local officials.
- Ongoing Litigation: Despite the announced reforms, the ASPCA is currently suing the USDA over its licensing of three Iowa dog breeders linked to an alleged puppy-laundering scheme, accusing the agency of a continuing policy of non-enforcement.
“Those days are over,” Rollins stated regarding previous passive inspection protocols. “We are now in the active process of shutting down these puppy mills.”
Originally reported by Clark Kauffman for the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
