We have good news to share regarding the ongoing fight to protect animals in commercial breeding operations, which are commonly known as puppy mills because they prioritize profit over animal welfare. Originally introduced (but not passed) last legislative session, Goldie’s Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. As we did last session, Michigan Humane is continuing to work with the ASPCA in support of Goldie’s Act.
Commercial dog breeders with more than four breeding females that sell puppies sight unseen through retail stores and online are required to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and are subject to the minimal animal care standards set by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and related regulations. Although the AWA gives the USDA enforcement authority, sadly, the USDA has failed to protect the animals in USDA-licensed breeding facilities. As a result, animals are suffering and dying, and these operations are producing puppies to be sold as pets that have serious physical, behavioral, and genetic issues.
If passed, Goldie’s Act will require the USDA to conduct annual inspections and any necessary follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the AWA, to fully document violations and share that information with state and local law enforcement, to confiscate or euthanize any animals found to be suffering, and to issue penalties for AWA violations.
The reintroduction of Goldie’s Act comes at a time when the ASPCA’s 2024 USDA Enforcement Report and an audit released by the USDA’s own Office of Inspector General (OIG) show that the USDA’s lax enforcement of the AWA continues to result in severe animal welfare problems in commercial breeding operations.
2024 USDA Enforcement Report – The ASPCA issues an annual report detailing its analysis of USDA data on licensed dog dealers (breeders and brokers), including data on inspections, documented violations, and enforcement actions. According to the report, almost half of all licensed dog dealers were not inspected in 2024. Inspectors recorded 800 violations at the facilities that were inspected, including dogs without clean food and water, shelter, and veterinary care. Only two dealers lost their licenses, only two dealers paid fines, and no dogs were removed from any facility, despite the USDA’s authority to do so.
USDA OIG Audit – The USDA OIG is an independent and objective unit responsible for oversight of the USDA’s operations and programs. A past article discussed the USDA OIG’s last audit on the USDA’s oversight of dog breeders, which was published in 2021. In February 2025, the USDA OIG published the results of its most recent audit, which focused on observing inspections of licensed dog breeders and assessing the USDA’s enforcement actions on dog breeders with AWA violations. The audit revealed that the agency is not addressing complaints about breeders in a timely manner and that inspections were often late and inconsistent. Lax inspections were determined to lead to ongoing AWA violations, as 80% of audited breeders had not corrected previously documented AWA violations. The USDA OIG made five recommendations related to properly calculating inspection dates, providing additional inspector training, creating a process for inspection consistency, developing a formal process for tracking complaints, and performing a risk assessment of the complaint process. The USDA accepted all of the recommendations and has a plan for rectifying the deficiencies by November 30, 2025.
As this report and audit show, it is time to require the USDA to effectively enforce the AWA in order to protect the thousands of animals living in commercial breeding operations. To that end, Michigan Humane will continue to support Goldie’s Act. We will also continue to fight puppy mills on the state and local level.
We are going to keep working to improve animal welfare and create a more humane community while serving as a voice for the animals through advocacy. Together, we can continue to make a difference in animals’ lives. If you know someone who you think would be interested in this information, please forward this to them and encourage them to sign up for our Legislative Action Network.