Indiana dog breeders on the rise
In 2016, Stop Online Puppy Mills mapped out USDA dog breeders in Indiana. In those reports, we also included the number of adult breeding dogs and puppies on the breeder’s property at the time of the inspections. Our updated 2021 data show rising numbers of USDA commercial dog breeders located in Indiana Amish and Mennonite communities.
These breeders are concentrated in several key regions, including the northeastern area, Shipshewana, and the middle and southwestern corners of the state.
Additionally, mid-state regions such as Wayne County have documented dog and guinea pig operations.
One simple reason for the increase is the internet. Dog breeders are cashing in as people flock to the internet to search and buy puppies. Look at these statistics from the USDA in 2016. Before the internet sale of puppies took off, the State of Indiana had 152 licensed USDA dog breeders holding a total of 5,908 adult breeding dogs in their barns. As of September 2021, there are now 383 registered USDA dog breeders and brokers in Indiana. These kennels now hold over 10,855 adult breeding dogs.
In the past 5 years, large puppy selling “broker” websites, such as Lancaster Puppies, Greenfield Puppies, Next Day Pets, Dogsnow, PuppyFind, Preimer Puppies, Pawrade, MyGoldenretrieverpuppies.com, Crockett Doodles, Puppies, PuppyFinder, UpTown Puppies and PuppySpot, have become an alternative to purchasing a puppy in a pet store. The data shows high concentrations and increases of licensed breeders in the Amish and Mennonite communities of Indiana. Many of these breeders supply puppies to broker websites.