DES MOINES, Iowa — A new report says that Iowa leads the nation in Federal violations for puppy mills.

The non-profit organization, Bailing Out Benji recently released a detailed report about violations from the United States Department of Agriculture. According to the report, 19 of Iowa’s breeders and brokers received violations from January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022.

According to the report, the violations included breeders lacking veterinary care for their animals, housing, and sanitization.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa believes the state should enforce its current Animal Welfare laws.

“The Animal Welfare Act has some powerful provisions in it, and it’s the USDA that’s responsible for enforcement of that Act,” said Animal Rescue League of Iowa Director of Animal Services Joe Stafford.

“People can voice their opinion to their elected officials at the state level, voice their opinion to elected officials in Washington, DC and let them know that this is an important issue for them.”

Other states included in the report were Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

In the meantime, the ARL said people could help put puppy mills out of business by vetting locations before buying a pet, reporting the conditions, and asking potential owners to meet the puppies’ parents.