(Iowa Capital Dispatch) An animal-welfare organization has released its annual, national report on problem puppy mills, with five of the “Horrible Hundred” businesses located in Iowa.
The report, published Monday by Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, highlights regulatory violations cited at 100 dog breeders across the country. The states with the highest numbers of breeders in this year’s report include Missouri, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Ohio.
More than 20 of the 100 breeders and dealers listed in the report have sold puppies to Petland, the largest chain of pet stores still operating in the United States, according to Humane World for Animals. Many others sell on social media, and on websites such as Puppies.com.
Humane World for Animals compiles its annual report from data included in the inspection reports of various state agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Iowa breeders listed in this year’s report include:
Ricky and Mary Brodersen of Mystical Cockers in Kiron — 2026 marks the third year this business has been listed among the Horrible Hundred. In August 2025, state inspectors cited the business for recurring issues the breeder was warned about in the past, such as a buildup of hair, debris and feces below the kennels, and dogs without solid surfaces on which they could rest. In addition, there was only one caretaker to clean about 60 enclosures daily, with the inspector observing that the “condition of the enclosures indicates this is not adequate” staffing. When inspectors returned in September 2025, they noted that the business was “working on decreasing” the number of dogs.
Mary Brodersen was criminally charged with animal neglect in 2012. Court records show Brodersen was charged with 88 counts of animal neglect, resulting in 44 convictions and 44 dismissals. She was later sentenced to 44 days in jail, or one day in jail for each of the 44 convictions. Five separate counts of animal neglect resulting in death or injury were dismissed by the court.
Humane World for Animals reported the arrest occurred after a raid on her previous puppy mill resulted in the confiscation of 88 animals, and five dogs were found dead. The AKC later suspended her for a period of 15 years. Humane World for Animals, however, reports that Ricky Brodersen is still showing cocker spaniels at AKC-linked dog events and has been for years.
William Davenport of Afton — During a July 2025 visit, a USDA inspector raised concerns about the medical care provided for three dogs. The inspector noted that records indicated that Snickers, a 3-year-old female bulldog, had a prolapse on July 15-16, 2025, but there are no other medical records regarding the event or any medications that were prescribed.
The records also indicated that Muffin, a 2-year-old female bulldog, had a C-section and was given medication, but there were no records documenting the treatment or the medications that were prescribed. A similar situation involved Princess, a 3-year-old female bulldog who was taken to the veterinarian for a lump on her neck. The USDA also cited the business for a repeat violation related to eight puppies that were missing from the facility with no written record of what had happened to them. When the USDA returned in November 2025 to check on the dogs, they were not given access to the facility.
In total, Davenport was found to be in violation during six consecutive inspections between July 2024 and November 2025. According to Humane World for Animals, William Davenport’s USDA license was recently canceled, but another license has appeared in the USDA’s database under the name BillieJo Davenport at a nearby address.
Ruth Ewoldt of Furkids in Toronto — 2026 marks the second time this business has been listed among the Horrible Hundred. Ewoldt was cited for issues during three state inspections between October and November 2025. Issues with fleas were noted at all three inspections.
Other issues included structural repair problems and puppies that had to be treated for giardia, an intestinal infection that can spread to humans. Inspectors also found multiple dogs that were observed to have “dirty ears with discharge,” and the inspector noted that puppies with upper respiratory conditions and ear mites were being sold to customers.
Furkids was listed in the 2021 Horrible Hundred report for issues that included recurring problems with unsanitary conditions and failing to follow disease prevention protocols. During one visit in 2021, inspectors warned Ewoldt that the “odor and stench” at the business could not “be masked with air fresheners and sprays.” The inspector watched as one dog sat down to scratch itself and then landed “in a pile of feces.”
Kimberly Olson of Kimi’s Precious Treasures in Joice — During an October 2025 visit, a state inspector indicated Olson was “selling puppies to a broker without a USDA license,” and also appeared to be offering puppies online without the appropriate license. Also, the bottoms of two kennels appeared to be rotting away due to rust.
The inspector reported explaining to Olson that “a USDA license is necessary to sell through, or to, a broker.” In their report, the state inspector noted that Olson would be applying for a federal license with the USDA, but as of April 24, 2026, the USDA had yet to report the issuance of any licensee in the name of Kimberly Olson or Kimi’s Precious Treasures. Olson held a USDA broker’s license from 2014 to 2022.
Wuanita Swedlund of Farmington — 2026 marks the third time this business has been listed among the Horrible Hundred. According to Humane World for Animals, Swedlund has repeatedly failed to provide inspectors with access to the facility, “raising grave concerns about the welfare of all her dogs.” Inspectors from the state or the USDA who tried to check on Swedlund’s dogs were unable to do so during six separate inspection attempts between June 2025 and January 2026. Just prior to those incidents, in May 2025, state inspectors had found multiple repeat violations at the business, including unsanitary enclosures and a buildup of feces.
In February 2026, the USDA issued an official warning to Swedlund for the repeat “no access” violations. At the time of that warning, federal inspectors with the USDA had not been able to gain entry to the business since December 2024, when they found a number of concerns that resulted in Swedlund’s appearance on the 2025 Horrible Hundred list, including one heavily matted dog, several dogs with no water, and an enclosure that was “heavily contaminated with fecal material.”
In 2024, Swedlund’s violations were referenced in a lawsuit brought against the USDA by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, alleging a lack of enforcement action by the federal agency. That lawsuit, which is still pending, noted that six puppies had died in the cold at Swedlund’s business but she was not fined or penalized.
Past violations by Swedlund were tied to findings related to injured, limping dogs, and a dog that partially ate a puppy it was able to access in a neighboring enclosure. In December 2023, a state inspector noted Swedlund might be engaged in “puppy laundering” by selling dogs raised by Steve Kruse, another Iowa breeder with a history of violations.
Hypothermia death at Nebraska kennel
Breeders in other states who made this year’s Horrible Hundred list include At First Light Farms in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where a dog was allegedly killed after the licensee noticed it had diarrhea and was showing signs of weakness.
USDA inspectors noted that the licensee had not consulted her veterinarian about treating the dog’s illness, nor about the specific methods used to kill the dog. State inspectors said the woman who ran the business concluded the dog was “getting ready to die,” and so she “called her boyfriend” to take care of the matter, although she claimed to have no knowledge as to how the dog was then killed.
At Sandhills Dachshunds in Brewster, Nebraska, inspectors found a dead dog in an outdoor kennel. The dog appeared to have died from hypothermia, as temperatures had been below freezing, and the dead dog — as well as other dogs at Sandhills Dachshunds — lacked bedding or adequate shelter.
“The Horrible Hundred report shows the public the abhorrent reality for dogs at puppy mills — including those that are licensed and inspected,” said John Goodwin, senior managing director for puppy mills and equine protection at the Humane World for Animals. “Puppy mills put profit over the welfare of the animals and will continue to operate until people stop buying puppies from them and stores like Petland that shield the suffering of these puppies and their parents from view. By refusing to buy a puppy from these sources, you can be certain you aren’t giving them a dime.”
