The Animal Welfare Act and the Commercial Dog Industry
What This Section Covers
This is a simplified overview of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including the history of the law and the key terms and definitions needed to better understand USDA records and inspection reports. Learn how the puppy pipeline operates, the different roles people play within the commercial dog industry, and why understanding licensing and oversight matters.
This section also explains the minimum standards of care required under the AWA, what it means when a USDA license is active, suspended, or canceled, and what can happen when violations are found during inspections.
History of the Animal Welfare Act
Blue Book
This section condenses the key information from the 352-page book into an easier-to-understand format.
Grey Book
This section condenses the key information from the 20-page book into an easier-to-understand format.
Click the buttons below to learn more
USDA Minimum Standards of Care Explained
USDA Licensing & Registration Explained
Who is Exempt From USDA Licensing?
USDA Violations Explained
USDA Certificate Status Explained
Latest USDA Office of Inspector General Report
OIG assessed whether dog breeders corrected previous noncompliances and whether APHIS carried out enforcement actions for substantiated AWA violations. The information below is from the most current report dated February 3, 2025.
Objective:
- Determine whether selected dog breeders corrected AWA noncompliances previously identified by the agency.
- Determine whether the agency carried out enforcement actions on dog breeders with substantiated AWA violations during the scope period.
Process:
- Reviewed activities for dog breeders over the course of [redacted].
- Reviewed applicable laws and regulations.
- Reviewed APHIS AC policies, procedures and inspection reports.
- Accompanied APHIS inspectors to dog breeder facilities and reviewed APHIS’ enforcement actions on substantiated AWA violations
Recommendations:
- APHIS needs to strengthen its inspection process to ensure inspection due dates are properly calculated.
- APHIS needs to provide additional training on dog breeder inspections and ensure consistency.
- APHIS needs to establish a process to ensure complaints are closed timely.
- APHIS needs to perform a risk assessment of the complaint process.
Statistics from this report:
- 80% of dog breeders visited had not fully corrected AWA noncompliances.
- APHIS did not address complaints in a timely manner.
- APHIS’ inconsistent and untimely inspections may have also contributed to the dog breeders’ continued violation of AWA requirements
- Determined that continued noncompliance with AWA requirements poses a threat to the safety and well-being of the animals.
- OIG determined that APHIS followed its process for carrying out enforcement actions for breeders with substantiated AWA violations.
In a Nutshell
The government’s system for inspecting commercial dog breeders is not working well enough to protect dogs. Inspectors often missed inspections, handled complaints slowly, and many breeders continued violating the Animal Welfare Act without fixing problems.
→ You can find the full report here.
Research Corner
Need help researching?
The goal of this site is to put all of the information in one place and make it free to the public but we know researching a puppy seller, breeder, rescue, or shelter takes time and sorting through public records, inspection reports, and licensing information can be overwhelming. Fetch the Facts offers consumer research services to help make the process easier. Whether you’re looking to support a responsible breeder or want to learn more about a rescue or shelter before adopting, we’re here to help.
Fetch the Facts does not promote or discourage a consumer’s choice to select a specific dog breed, but encourages informed and responsible decisions regardless of where a dog comes from. We believe that supporting responsible breeding practices, ethical rescues, and informed pet ownership can help improve animal welfare and reduce the number of dogs entering shelters over time.
If you are interested in this service please choose from one of the options below:
Puppy Trace Report
This report traces the puppy’s path from its current seller back to the breeder using publicly available records available under federal and applicable state laws. Depending on what information is publicly available, the report may include:
- The seller’s license number
- Seller inspection reports
- The breeder’s and/or broker’s license number
- Breeder and/or broker inspection reports
- Previous business names or aliases associated with the breeder, broker, or seller
- Copies of inspections or enforcement reports
- The transporter’s USDA registration number and any publicly available transporter violations or enforcement records.
This report is based solely on publicly available information and record availability may vary by state, agency and seller.
Not sure how many reports you need?
Review the examples below before submitting your request. Puppies from the same litter and seller can often be researched together, while puppies from different litters or sellers require separate research reports.
Shelter/Rescue Transparency Report
This report reviews a rescue or shelter using publicly available records and information available under federal, state, and local laws (when applicable). Depending on what information is publicly available, the report may include:
- The organization’s registered business or nonprofit name
- State charity or nonprofit registration information
- USDA and/or state license information (if applicable)
- Inspection reports and publicly available violations
- Previous business names, aliases, or affiliated organizations
- Consumer complaints
- Enforcement actions, or legal cases that are publicly documented
This report is based solely on publicly available information and record availability may vary by state, agency, and organization type.
Frequently Asked Questions
➡️ Where can I find a list of licensed and registered individuals?
Click on the USDA Public Search Tool. Follow Step 4 from above.
1.) Search List of persons licensed or registered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to verify they have a license.
2.) Click on Inspection reports to see if the person has any violations.
3.) Click on Animal Welfare Warnings and Enforcement Actions to verify they do not have past or present enforcement actions.
➡️ What is the difference between someone who is licensed and someone who is registered?
Under the AWA, “licensed” and “registered” are not interchangeable. They refer to different types of regulation and oversight.
Licensed
- Breeders who sell wholesale (to pet stores, brokers, or online sight-unseen buyers) and have 4+ breeding females.
- Animal dealers (brokers who buy and resell animals).
- Exhibitors (circuses, zoos, petting farms, etc.)
What this means:
- Must apply for and maintain a USDA license.
- Must pass a pre-license inspection and ongoing inspections.
- Pay annual licensing fees based on revenue/animal count.
Key Point: A license means you’re in the business of selling, breeding, or exhibiting animals in a way regulated by the AWA
Registered
- Research facilities (universities, private labs, hospitals using animals in research, teaching, or testing).
- Carriers and intermediate handlers (airlines, transport companies, shipping agents moving regulated animals)
What this means:
- File a registration with the USDA rather than getting a license.
- Still subject to inspections, but the requirements differ from licensed breeders/dealers.
- No pre-license inspection for some registrants. They register, then USDA oversight begins.
Key Point: Registration is for entities that handle or use animals in regulated ways but aren’t selling/breeding them commercially.
➡️ Why would it be important to know who transported my puppy?
The USDA requires anyone commercially transporting puppies, particularly across state lines, to be registered, not licensed. While USDA registration does involve inspections, they are typically less frequent than those for licensed breeders.
To maximize profit, transporters often carry high volumes of puppies from multiple kennels in a single vehicle. If not done properly or by an individual not educated in transporting puppies, the risk of disease transmission increases, especially in crowded conditions where puppies from different environments are mixed together.
If a puppy is transported by someone not properly registered with the USDA, it becomes extremely difficult to trace the dog back to its breeder of origin. Without this traceability, diagnosing the source of an illness can be nearly impossible, leading to higher veterinary bills and greater financial risk for you, the consumer
➡️ How can I verify if the breeder is licensed or a “hobby breeder”?
The term “hobby breeder” isn’t a legal definition. If you are unable to find whether the person is licensed using the USDA Public Search Tool, you’ll have to do a little independent detective work.
Ask direct questions. A real hobby breeder should answer clearly and without hesitation.
- How many breeding dogs do you own?
- How many litters do you have per year?
- Do you sell to pet stores, brokers, or online without meeting buyers first?
- Do you have a USDA license? (If yes, they are not a hobby breeder under USDA rules.)
➡️ Can I look up the inspection report while at the pet store or seller’s business before I purchase my puppy?
Absolutely!! Bailing Out Benji’s Licensed Breeder/Broker Search Engine is free and accessible to everyone! They have made it easy to search and find the inspection report immediately. Click below and type in the USDA license number or the breeder/broker’s name.
➡️ Where can I find information on my state laws?
Here are two sites that can help you look up your state laws. Humane World for Animals has an organized spreadsheet of just about every law related to animals throughout the country. The National Agriculture Law Center lists the statutes in each state for animal cruelty.
➡️ Is the “Puppy Lemon Law” covered in all states?
No. As of 2023, only 22 states have pet purchaser protection acts.