How to find a USDA licensed breeding or brokering facility

There are thousands commercial breeding facilities in the U.S. The U.S. Government’s APHIS website can be used to get information, inspection reports (not CAPS’ reports) and other information about these facilities.  It’s a little complicated to navigate and understand at first, so here we provide some basic instructions:

1. Visit: https://acis.aphis.edc.usda.gov/ords/f?p=116:203:0::NO
2. Scroll down and select: Inspection Reports and License and Registration List
3. Click on “I AGREE” to get to the search page.
4. To narrow your search enter the breeder’s name in the name field if you know it.
5. Change Customer Type to Breeder (or Broker)
6. Click on the State dropdown if you know it.
7. Click Search near the bottom of the form.
8. The results are in PDF format.

Interpreting the results:

• Breeders are puppy mills, catteries, and similar.
• Dealers are brokers who may also breed, such as Kathy Bauck, Steve Kruse, etc. Brokers typically sell to pet shops.