Puppy Heaven
6433 W Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 8914
(855) 997-8779
Date and time of CAPS investigation: 6/25/25; 2:30 pm PST
Approximate number of puppies observed at time of investigation: Unable to determine
The store area consisted of a small room with two desks for two employees and two makeshift, open-top, elevated enclosures with poster-board on the inside for customers to play with puppies. The puppies themselves were in a larger, separate room accessible from the store area and viewable from the store area through a glass window. This room had crib-type enclosures with an open top in three rows of around six cribs.
Upon entering the store, I was greeted by a female employee. I informed an employee I wanted to see a black mini Dachshund I had seen on the store’s website. The employee, a middle aged-looking woman with an Israeli accent, asked to see my ID. I informed her I did not have one, and she said “we usually do hold onto ID while you see the puppy.” She made an exception to their rule. Another employee, a Caucasian man in his late 20s or early 30s with long brown hair, went into the back room to bring out the puppy and placed him in one of the makeshift enclosures with me. The female employee informed me that the puppy I was playing with was 10 weeks, 5 days old and cost $3,200.
I asked to take a photo of the puppy but the female employee said that photos were not permitted. She added that FaceTime calling someone to show the puppy was fine as long as there were no photos, no video.” I called a colleague who acted as if she were my mother. I began to have a conversation with my “mother” as if I were interested in purchasing the puppy, and we started asking about financing.
My “mother” then asked for the source of their puppies. The female employee replied that most of their breeders are from the Midwest, confirming this with the male employee, who said Missouri. The female employee then offered to look up breeder information for the Dachshund. She went onto explain that “these are all private breeders that are … by a breeding practice we require so we definitely assure healthy breeding, and we [guarantee] the health for two generations.”
I asked about any guarantees, such as a health guarantee, and the female employee went onto explain that Nevada “allows 10-day warranty against life-threatening condition or disease that require any hospitalization or medical intervention.” She continued that the store does ask customers to take puppies to a licensed veterinarian after purchase. She explained that “in the unlikely event the vet finds any issue, you can submit a claim. Once the store approves your claim, you can bring the puppy back for a full refund, exchange the puppy for one that costs the same, or you can choose to keep your puppy and be reimbursed for veterinary expenses up to the price of the puppy (these conditions are part of the Nevada pet shop lemon law). I confirmed that that guarantee is for 10-days from the time you pick up the puppy.
I then asked about any diseases that may show up over a longer term, such as hereditary diseases. The female employee explained that “diseases that are not shown in the 10 days are not likely to come from here.” She said, “You are welcome to test for any hereditary, like I said we do verify the health of the parents, but in the state of Nevada, we not allowed to offer guarantees for the longer term.” She then said, “We do recommend a very good pet insurance that varies between $18 to $28 a month that covers all major issues, you know, to come in the future.”
My “mother,” who was still on the phone, expressed concern about the source of their puppies and wanted to make sure they were not from puppy mills. The female employee, when asked if the puppies are from puppy mills, replied “definitely not.” The employee said, “Tell her you could see our set-up; we don’t even cage them; we really treat them like babies.” She then pointed to another puppy being purchased by customers. The puppy had just defecated, and the employee said, “You can see, he has a healthy, solid stool.”
After taking a break to show my “mother” the nursery in the back, I came back to talk to the female employee again. I asked her if the dog was purebred and had a pedigree. She stated that he was ACA registered. When I asked to see the ACA paperwork, the employee agreed to show me but also said, “Usually we do show all this at the time of purchase. I can show you but please no photos.” She then said the puppy comes with a pedigree and is microchipped.
With my “mother” still on the phone and at her prompting, I asked how the puppies get to the store, and the employee replied that they use a “USDA-licensed puppy transporter that brings the dog to us.” We continued to ask how they pick their breeders. The male employee began to say something, and the female employee interjected “they are USDA-licensed, so they get inspected, and we are in touch with the one of the USDA inspectors as well.”
The female employee stated, “A lot of my breeders basically used to be in California.: She claimed that she has a “close relationship” with a lot of her breeders. According to the employee, Puppy Heaven has been in business for more than 20 years, and they had to move to Nevada because of the California law banning the retail sale of puppies.
My “mother” then asked whether they personally select their breeders, to which the employee said yes. She then asked if they visit their breeders. The female employee replied that the store visits some of them but they can’t visit all. She stated that she had definitely been to the homes of breeders with whom she is close. The employee then explained that “all of my breeders are breeding from home; it’s not a facility, not puppy mills, I definitely don’t cooperate with any of those.”
All during this time, the mini Dachshund was outside in the makeshift enclosure, barking non-stop, while I spoke with the female employee. The male employee sat at his desk next to hers. After my “mother” got off the phone, the male employee finally went to check on the dog. I asked if the dog was adequately socialized. The female employee replied, laughing, “I don’t know why, sorry to say it, but it is one of the number one demand breed right now.” She added that she didn’t understand why because of their length. The female employee began to focus on her phone at this point. I spoke to the male employee for a few moments, then asked about remaining vaccines for the mini Dachshund. The male employee said that the dog’s vaccines were up-to-date for his age. I then left the store.
Breeder and broker names obtained during investigation
Not providing breeder and broker information as required by state laws
Puppy Heaven did not provide the name of the breeder or broker for the Dachshund. The employee, who appears to be an owner, said that the investigator could not take a photo of the ACA document, which would have had a breeder name (and possibly the name of the broker). They had the notice sign, required under NRS 574.480, stating that the source of the puppies and other information is available to prospective purchase. NRS 574.470 also requires pet shops to provide the following information on the source of its puppies prior to sale:
The name and address of the person from whom the retailer or dealer obtained the dog and, if the person holds a license issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, the person’s federal identification number.
The name and address of the breeder of the dog and, if the breeder holds a license issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, the breeder’s federal identification number.
During CAPS investigations of Puppy Heaven’s former store in Agoura Hills, California, and its first store, Star Yorkie in Reseda (Los Angeles), California, employees refused to provide breeder names, in violation of the state lemon law. The same was true for Urban Puppies in Agoura Hills, opened by the former co-owner of Star Yorkie, who was also running a fraudulent rescue from the store.
CAPS Lawsuit Victory: Puppy Heaven
Broker names obtained from 2025 Certificates of Veterinary Inspection
Select Puppies, West Point, IA, 42-B-0314, 156 puppies at 12/18/24 USDA inspection. 195 puppies at 7/20/23 USDA inspection; 2.125(b) violation at 6/27/23 USDA inspection: A responsible adult was not available to accompany APHIS Officials during the inspection process at 11:05am on 27-June-2023. Employees at the facility stated the licensee was currently out-of-town and no one else at the facility was available to conduct an inspection. A facility of this size should have manager who is able to accompany an inspector. 265 puppies at 3/31/22 USDA inspection; 237 puppies at 3/15/ USDA inspection; 441 puppies at 1/6/21 USDA inspection
A CAPS Investigation of Select Puppies
CAPS Investigator’s Journal: The Truth Behind Select Puppies and Pet Connect Rescue
First Class Puppies. Bluejacket, OK, 73-B-1866, 5 adults, and 45 puppies at 7/23/25 USDA inspection. Violations included not providing adequate space and exercise and not having an exercise plan.
Tiffanies, LLC, Frankford, MO, 43-B-3731, no puppies at 10/30/23 USDA inspection. This broker has not had a USDA inspection in more than two years. Tiffanies was listed on deposition documents as supplying puppies to Pet Connect Rescue, the fraudulent rescue created to circumvent laws banning the retail sale of puppies and kittens.
Brian Lichirie, West Point, IA, 42-B-0317, 59 adults, 257 puppies at 2/13/25 USDA inspection; 73 adults and 435 puppies at 1/24/24 USDA inspection
Lichirie is known for receiving pregnant females and puppies from relative Steve Kruse, whose facility (42-B-0182) and home are on adjoining property located at 2345 Hwy 16 in West Point, Iowa. Lichirie’s home address is 2345 Hwy 16, and his email is briankruse@hotmail.com
Kruse’ ex-wife, Michelle, who changed her name to Gealea Nichols, operated a large puppy mill (42-B-0294) at 2329 Hwy. 16 until cancelling her license shortly after Lichirie took over the operation. Kruse owns the property on which Lichirie operates his puppy mill and may actually own Lichirie’s business.
Scott Harper, Lazy H Farms/Precious Pups MO, LLC, Caulfield, MO, 43-B-3772, 437 adults and 278 puppies at 1/17/25 USDA inspection
Puppy Lodge, Millersburg, OH, 31-B-0230, 90 adults and 84 puppies at 1/19/24 USDA inspection; 94 adults and 128 puppies at 4/12/23 pre-license inspection, which means it is possible they were operating without a federal license until that point.
QD Kennels, Frankfort, MO, 43-B-3773, 38 puppies at 6/28/24 USDA inspection
Primo Puppies, Neosho, MO, 43-B-0314, 33 dogs and 9 puppies at 3-27-25 USDA inspection
Lovable Gold Star Puppies (Nathan Yoder), Montgomery, IN, 32-B-0242, 47 puppies at 3/20/25 USDA inspection
Up and Away Pups, Sugarcreek, OH, 69-B-0233, 1 puppy at 2/4/23 pre-license inspection
Up and Away Pups, an internet seller based in Ohio, is the “sister company” of Happytail Puppies, an internet puppy seller in North Carolina, which has been in business since 2005. Up and Away Pups, which also sells puppies online, only obtained a USDA license in 2023. The address on the USDA license is for a residence in Summerfield, North Carolina. Happytail Puppies is located ten minutes away in Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Photos for the Oak Ridge property show homes, a number of outbuildings and multiple vehicles. We question why USDA didn’t require that the Oak Ridge property be listed on the inspection report, and why they didn’t seem to do an inspection at the Oak Ridge location. Sonia Mackovic is the owner of both businesses. Up and Away Pups has an Ohio pet shop license with Sonia Mackovic listed as the contact.
Malinda Hilty, Fort Wayne, IN, 32-B-0276, 105 puppies at 7/7/25 USDA inspection. Violations for transporting underage puppies to breeders and having puppy enclosures that were too small. She sells puppies online through PupWorld
Pinnacle Pet, Neosho, MO, 43-B-3871, 138 dogs and 29 ferrets at 8/18/25 USDA inspection. While Pinnacle Pet was not in the three months of CVIs for 2025, Puppy Heaven was using them frequently. Pinnacle’s owner claims he runs the largest brokerage facility in the country.
A CAPS Investigation of Pinnacle Pet
Note: Some USDA licensed dog brokers also breed, which is why adult dogs are listed on USDA inspection reports. Not all of these broker/breeder facilities broker puppies for other breeders.
Breeder names obtained from 2025 Certificates of Veterinary Inspection
Phil Hoover, Memphis, MO, 43-A-5673, 334 adults and 191 puppies at 4/17/24 USDA inspection. Despite having more than 500 dogs and puppies, USDA has not inspected Hoover for 18 months. Hoover sells through PBT Marketplace, an online broker.
Elaine Wilson, Everton, MO, 258 adults and 140 puppies at 3/6/25 USDA inspection
TD Kennels, Foss, OK, 73-A-2877, 243 adult dogs and 66 puppies, 74 cats and 5 kittens at 7/29/25 USDA inspection.
Landon Headings, Buffalo, MO, 188 adults and 145 puppies at 12/4/24 USDA inspection
Milton Lewis, Newport, NE, 47-A-0615, 233 adults and 94 puppies at 10/17/24 USDA inspection
Kenny Knepp, Montgomery, IN, 32-A-0478, 116 adults and 146 puppies at 5/7/25 USDA inspection
Shonda Madison, Pierce City, MO, 43-A-6855. 114 adults and 77 puppies at 8/5/25 USDA inspection. Madison sells through PTB Marketplace, an online broker.
Sam Yoder, Hutchinson, KS, 48-A-2207, 74 adults and 31 puppies at 9/3/24 USDA inspection
Note: There were seven more breeders for the three months of CVIs we obtained for breeders and brokers selling to Puppy Heaven. It appears that Puppy Heaven is using traditional brokers, such as Select Puppies, online puppy sellers who sell to the public, and PBT Marketplace, a website in which breeders and pet shops connect. CVIs are issued by the veterinarians for the individual breeders who use PBT.
Evidence contradicting statements made by the employee
Private breeder and healthy breeding
The female employee, who appears to be a co-owner, claimed that “these are all private breeders that are abiding by a breeding practice that we require, so we definitely assure healthy breeding, and we [guarantee] the health for two generations.” USDA-licensed breeders and brokers are commercial operations, not private breeders. She referred to a breeding practice required by the store. Puppy Heaven does not mandate breeding practices for the breeders that assures healthy breeding. CAPS has an online complaint form for pet shop customers who have purchased sick puppies from Puppy Heaven and breeders used by Puppy Heaven. They also source puppies from USDA licensed brokers and would have no control over the breeders who sell to these brokers.
Erroneous information about Nevada law She also said, “You are welcome to test for any hereditary, like I said we do verify the health of the parents, but in the state of Nevada, we not allowed to offer guarantees for the longer term.” Nothing in NRS 574.450 – 410 prohibits pet shops from offering guarantees longer that those required by the state law. Puppies are “definitely not” from mills
The female employee stated that the stores’ puppies are “definitely not” from mills is an outright lie. Brokers such as Select Puppies, Tiffanies, First Class Puppies, QD Kennels obtain puppies from mills. The brokers who also breed and the breeders all operate puppy mills with multiple hundreds of dogs and puppies: Scott Harper 715 dogs/puppies; Phill Hoover 525 dogs/puppies; Brian Lichirie 508 dogs/puppies; Elaine Wilson 398 dogs/puppies; TD Kennels 309 dogs/puppies and 79 cats/kittens; Milton Lewis 322 dogs/puppies; Landon Headings 333 dogs/puppies’ Kenny Knepp 262 dogs/puppies; Shonda Madison 191 dogs/puppies; Puppy Lodge 178 dogs/puppies; and Sam Yoder 105 dogs/puppies.
Treating puppies like babies in the store means that they don’t come from puppy mills
Her statement that “we don’t even cage them; we really treat them like babies” and pointing out that a puppy had a solid stool has nothing to do with how breeding dogs and puppies are treated at puppy mills and brokerage faculties. CAPS has an in-depth comprehensive understanding of the pet shop and puppy mill industry, having investigated more than 1,000 puppy mills, most of them USDA-licensed. Our lead investigator also worked undercover at The Hunte Corp., which was the largest brokerage facility in the country. The CAPS undercover employment investigation of USDA-licensed broker Kathy Buack, whose facility held more than 900 adults dogs and 400 puppies, resulted in Bauck’s conviction for animal cruelty and the subsequent termination of her federal license by USDA.
Transporters and USDA
The female employee said that they use a USDA-licensed puppy transporter that brings the puppies to the store. Because the store sources from myriad brokers, online sellers, and PBT Marketplace, more than one transporter is delivering puppies to the store. She stated that the breeders “are USDA-licensed, so they get inspected, and we are in touch with the one of the USDA inspectors as well.” While USDA licensed and inspects breeders to ensure compliance with the minimal Animal Welfare Act regulations, USDA urges its inspectors to not cite many violations in order to help the pet shop industry. In recent years, they enabled breeders and brokers even more by having a teachable moments program for what they considered minor violations. Teachable moments did not show up on inspection reports. They also had a trial announced inspection program, allowing puppy mills to correct their violations ahead of an inspection. These programs were challenged and are no longer being used.
It is highly unlikely that Puppy Heaven is in touch with a USDA inspector because this would be a conflict of interest. The stores’ puppies come from multiple states, which means there are many USDA inspectors inspecting the brokers and breeders providing puppies to the store.
Close relationship with breeders, visiting and selecting breeders The female employee stated, “A lot of my breeders basically used to be in California.: She said she has a “close relationship” with a lot of her breeders.: She added that Puppy Heaven has been in business for more than 20 years and had to move to Nevada because of the California law banning the retail sale of dogs. Star Yorkie and Urban Puppies, the pet shop opened by the former co-partner of Star Yorkie, did use some breeders in Southern California, some of whom we figured out, but these small breeders would not be able to provide the volume and variety of puppies sold at Star Yorkie or Puppy Heaven.
My “mother” then asked whether they personally select their breeders, to which the employee said yes. She then asked if they visit their breeders. The female employee replied that the store visits some of them but they can’t visit all. She stated that she had definitely been to the homes of breeders with whom she is close. The employee then explained that “all of my breeders are breeding from home; it’s not a facility, not puppy mills, I definitely don’t cooperate with any of those.”
While the stores may have had a close relationship with some of their smaller California breeders, it is unlikely that they have a close relationship with breeders and brokers who run huge commercial operations. While Puppy Heaven selects the breeders who are on PBT Marketplace, it is unlikely they visit and inspect them. They have no control over which breeders sell puppies to the brokers or online sellers which work with Puppy Heaven. Large brokerage facilities work with hundreds of breeders, which means that pet shops aren’t always getting puppies from the same breeders. As stated above, Puppy Heaven sources their puppies from puppy mills. While the breeders usually have their homes on the premises of their breeding facilties, they are breeding hundreds of dogs in puppy mills, not a small handful of dogs inside a home.
