Beneath the surface of the puppy industry lies a network of USDA-licensed breeders and brokers responsible for producing and distributing thousands of puppies each year.
While federally regulated, this system prioritizes volume and commerce, often at the expense of animal welfare.
Learning how to research licensed and registered breeders, kennels, rescues, and sellers can help consumers better understand how an operation is regulated and what public records or inspection information may be available.
Start here ⬇️
If the puppy comes from a USDA licensed or registered person, the puppy’s paperwork will include a USDA license or registration number, which consists of a combination of letters and numbers in this format: XX-X-XXXX.
(The middle (x) will contain a letter to indicate the license or registration class.)
| Feature | USDA Licensed Individual | USDA Registered Individual |
|---|---|---|
| Activities | Engages in regulated activities for compensation or profit, such as buying, selling, or brokering animals for research, exhibition, or as pets. | Owns or operates a research facility, is a carrier, or is an intermediate handler of animals. |
| Fee | Pays the USDA a fee | Does not pay the USDA a fee |
| Purpose | To regulate for-profit animal businesses to ensure humane treatment. | To regulate non-profit facilities and handlers to ensure humane treatment. |
| Example | A dog breeder selling puppies to a pet store or a pet broker selling dogs to a research institution. | A university that uses animals for research, a company that transports animals, or a facility that handles animals for research. |
Needs to be Licensed
Class A: Breeder
The entire business consists only of animals that are bred and raised on the premises in a closed or stable colony. Those animals are acquired for the sole purpose of maintaining or enhancing the breeding colony.
Class B: Dealer/Broker
Dealer and broker are interchangeable terms in the puppy buying industry. They are the middlemen who purchase puppies from breeders and resell them to others. They rarely house animals themselves but coordinate transport.
Needs to be Registered
Class D: Intermediate Handler
Any person or government agency that is engaged in any business in which the person receives custody of animals in connection with the animal’s transportation in commerce.
Class E: Carrier
The operator of any airline, railroad, motor carrier, shipping line, or other enterprise that is engaged in the business of transporting any animals for hire.
How to Find & Read the Spreadsheet of Licensed and Registered Persons
Start here ⬇️
Click on ‘List of Persons Licensed or Registered Under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)’ to find the excel spreadsheet.
Search by the license number (XX-X-XXXX), name or city/state. This is just a list of individuals licensed or registered. The important part is checking their inspection reports to see if they have violations.
Unsure of how to read this spreadsheet? Follow these directions. ➡️
How to Read the Spreadsheet
Registration Type: This column is the class type that a person is licensed or registered under. See ‘Class Type Definitions’ from Step 1.
APHIS Registration Number: This is the XX-X-XXXX format. See photo below.
Account Name: The legal name of the person or entity who holds the USDA license.
- Used in official contracts and enforcement actions
- Appears on legal documents
- Stays consistent even if the business name changes
DBA (Doing Business As): The public-facing name a person or business uses. This is what customers might see on websites, shipping paperwork, kennel signs, or pet store tags.
- Can differ from the legal name
- May be used to mask identity (e.g., “Happy Tails Puppies” instead of “Smith Breeding LLC”)
- One entity can have multiple DBAs tied to a single USDA license
City/State
Expiration Date: Some of the expiration dates are the year 3000. That is only for Excel formatting purposes. They are still required to file paperwork.
💡To narrow your search, click on the arrow at the top of the column and type your search term.
How to Read the Inspection Reports
Read the Inspection reports
a. Type the license number into the Public Search Tool. If the USDA license number is unavailable, request the name and address instead.
b. Verify that the status of the certificate (aka license) is active. If it’s canceled and they’re still selling puppies, that’s a red flag.
c. Click “Query Inspection Reports”.
d. Look through all of the reports for any violations.
Visit the breeder and ask questions BEFORE you purchase
It’s ok to walk away. Unethical sellers count on your emotions to drive the sale and often hide behind legal loopholes. They may be following the law, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing the right thing. They want you to feel sorry enough to buy the puppy, convincing yourself you’re “saving” it.
Buying that dog only fuels the cycle. It puts money in the seller’s pocket and ensures more animals will suffer.
If something feels off, speak up
If the conditions don’t meet your expectations, trust your instincts. Not everyone in the puppy industry is intentionally irresponsible; some simply lack the proper education or oversight. That’s why regulations exist. If you have concerns, report them through the appropriate channels.
Click below to file a complaint with APHIS and check your state laws.
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.