USDA breeder records · Michigan

USDA-licensed dog breeders in Michigan

Michigan has 20 dog breeders and dealers with a federal license, 1% of the national total. This is what USDA inspectors found when they visited, from every inspection report published since 2014.

Source: USDA APHIS license list of Sep 15, 2026 and inspection reports to Sep 18, 2026.
20 active USDA dog licenses in Michigan: 16 breeders and 4 dealers
904dogs counted at each licensee's latest inspection
122inspections from 2023 to 2025
89.5%found no problems, against 88.7% nationally
#15of 26 states by licensed dog breeders

Michigan has the 15th most USDA-licensed dog breeders

1% of the 2,063 active USDA dog licenses in the US are in Michigan.

Active USDA dog licenses by state, top 10
#StateShareLicensesDogs countedClean, 2023 to 2025
1Missouri68046,63596.3%
2Indiana37917,17293.8%
3Ohio24721,35775.2%
4Iowa15211,05586.5%
5Oklahoma824,26591%
6Kansas775,92189%
7Wisconsin774,74763.8%
8Arkansas673,92992.9%
9Pennsylvania524,48282.8%
10Illinois371,23691.2%
15Michigan2090489.5%

How often USDA inspections of Michigan breeders find a problem

Share of inspections with at least one citation. Visits where nobody was home are left out.

Share of USDA inspections of Michigan dog breeders that found at least one problem, by yearMinor issues logged as teachable moments0%5%10%15%20%25%2014: 0% of 17 inspections found a problem’140%2015: 3.7% of 28 inspections found a problem’152016: 9.1% of 24 inspections found a problem’162017: 20% of 26 inspections found a problem’172018: 5% of 22 inspections found a problem’182019: 4.5% of 25 inspections found a problem’192020: 0% of 15 inspections found a problem’202021: 25% of 28 inspections found a problem’2125%2022: 17.9% of 40 inspections found a problem’222023: 12.8% of 51 inspections found a problem’232024: 10.5% of 46 inspections found a problem’242025: 5% of 25 inspections found a problem’252026 (to September): 19% of 22 inspections found a problem’2619%
In 2014, 0% of inspections in Michigan found at least one problem. In 2025 it was 5%. From 2016 to 2022 inspectors could log a minor issue as a “teachable moment”, which isn't a citation, so part of the drop is a change in how problems were recorded. A falling rate can mean better kennels or lighter inspections. The records alone can't tell which.
Show as table
YearInspectionsFound a problem
2014170%
2015283.7%
2016249.1%
20172620%
2018225%
2019254.5%
2020150%
20212825%
20224017.9%
20235112.8%
20244610.5%
2025255%
20262219%

What USDA inspectors cite most often in Michigan

The rules behind Michigan's citations since 2014. Separately, inspectors arrived 30 times and found nobody available to let them in.

RuleWhat it requiresCited
2.40(b)(2)Methods to prevent, control, diagnose and treat disease and injury11
3.1(e)Food and bedding storage7
2.75(a)(1)Records of every dog acquired, held or disposed of6
3.1(a)Housing must be structurally sound and kept in good repair5
2.50(a)(1)Class A breeders must identify every adult dog by official tag or tattoo5
3.11(a)Excreta and food waste removed from enclosures daily5
3.13Veterinary care for dogs4
3.10Watering (dogs and cats)4

Check a breeder's USDA license number

Licensed breeders print their number on their website or sales contract. Enter it to see whether the license is active and when USDA last inspected.

Format: state code, class letter, number. 43 is Missouri, A is breeder.

Why a Michigan breeder can be missing from these records

Breeders who sell face to face don't need a USDA license

USDA only licenses breeders with more than four breeding females who sell to pet stores, to brokers, or to buyers they never meet, which includes most online sales. A breeder who sells only to people who visit in person is exempt. So a breeder missing from these records may be unlicensed or simply exempt, and a clean USDA record covers only what an inspector saw on the day.

Sources for these figures