Breeder: Lacey and Daniel Kauffman
Kennel name: Lindley Creek Kennel
Address: 20092 300 Rd
City, State, Zip: Portis, KS 67474
USDA License: 48-A-2189
Date and time of CAPS Investigation: 8/13/25, 1853
Weather at time of investigation: 88°F and sunny
Number of dogs observed: 40 dogs
The kennel was formerly owned by Cindy Clausen, who died on 10/3/16. She had USDA license 48-A-0896 and sold to Petland Fort Myers as of 2016. The kennel property is now owned by Lacey Nicole Kauffman and Daniel N Kauffman, who still use the name Lindley Creek Kennel, which Cindy used.
Typical puppy mill – dogs in small wire cages
The facility had three buildings with dogs inside raised wire cages. The cages, all with indoor/outdoor portions, appeared to be on both the east and west sides of the buildings, but the eastern cages were the most visible to me. One building had about five cages on its eastern side, another about six, and another about 10. The outdoor portions of cages appeared to be about 2.5 to three feet long and two feet wide, and 1.5 to two feet tall. I saw one to three small-breed dogs per cage in most of the cages.
The kennel buildings were arranged in a row, north to south, and south of them was another building in which I did not see outside cages on, but which was close enough to be useful as holding puppies for shipment or at least associated with the kennel.
I did not see any exercise area at the kennel or any area for dogs to move more than a few feet in one direction before having to turn around again.
Misleading website
The kennel has a website: laceykauffman.com. On it, Lacey says, “I’m the breeder behind Lacey Kauffman, located in Portis, KS 67474. I strive to produce quality-bred family puppies that are structurally sound, healthy, intuitive, and have wonderful temperaments. My commitment is to provide you with a professional and friendly puppy-buying experience; and that includes always having responsible practices when it comes to breeding, training, and rehoming my puppies.”
Nowhere does the website explain that dogs are kept in cages. It shows a picture of a Miniature Pinscher standing in grassy yard, and has a picture of Lacey Kauffman “Achievement of Excellence Star Breeder Award 2024-25” from the American Canine Association. The award states, “For completing all of the requirements outlined in the American Canine Association, Inc. Star Breeder program, Lacey Kauffman has achieved a Five Star rating for 2024-25 and is considered one of the finest breeders in America.” Apparently, to achieve such status, a breeder can keep dogs in rows of wire cages and provide no transparency to the public about actual breeding conditions.
Clean inspection reports
As of 2025, the kennel has received no USDA violations since it was licensed in 2016., This, however, helps prove that commercial kennels that are USDA-licensed and in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act are still puppy mills. Dogs kept for years in small wire cages suffer psychological distress, but such a thing does not count against breeders in federal inspections.
Breeder is connected to the following stores:
All Pets Club, 1167 N Colony Rd, Wallingford, CT 06492 (information obtained from store visit 4/23/19)
All Pets Club, 351 Boston Post Rd, North Windham, CT 06256 (information obtained from store visit 4/23/19)
Petland Ft Myers, 7091-13 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33907 (information obtained from CVI 2016, when he kennel was owned by Cindy Clausen, now deceased)
Evidence contradicting stores’ claims:
When I visited All Pets Club Wallingford, I was told that most of their breeders keep their breeding dogs in their houses. The store relies on commercial breeders, and so such a claim is a total lie. The manner in which Kauffman keeps her dogs points to that.
I visited Petland Ft. Myers on 8/21/21, and spoke to a manager about the conditions of breeding dogs for the store’s breeders. She told me, “With them, they have farmland. And so, at night they go back in their kennel.” She explained dogs are typically kept in kennels about six feet long and four feet wide, in addition to an outside dog run. She then said, “But they go get let out two to three times a day to go in the pasture.” Clearly, the entire design of Lindley Creek Kennel is the opposite of what the Petland manager claims.
