USDA breeder records · Wisconsin

PuppnDogs, by the record

USDA-licensed dog breeders in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has 77 dog breeders and dealers with a federal license, 3.7% 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.
77 active USDA dog licenses in Wisconsin: 75 breeders and 2 dealers
4,747dogs counted at each licensee's latest inspection
454inspections from 2023 to 2025
63.8%found no problems, against 88.7% nationally
#7of 26 states by licensed dog breeders

Wisconsin has the 7th most USDA-licensed dog breeders

3.7% of the 2,063 active USDA dog licenses in the US are in Wisconsin.

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%

How often USDA inspections of Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin dog breeders that found at least one problem, by yearMinor issues logged as teachable moments0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%2014: 50% of 54 inspections found a problem’1450%2015: 22.5% of 49 inspections found a problem’152016: 26.2% of 84 inspections found a problem’162017: 24.7% of 100 inspections found a problem’172018: 5% of 112 inspections found a problem’182019: 5.8% of 128 inspections found a problem’192020: 9.1% of 45 inspections found a problem’202021: 29.1% of 110 inspections found a problem’212022: 25.9% of 142 inspections found a problem’222023: 45.5% of 171 inspections found a problem’232024: 34.6% of 158 inspections found a problem’242025: 26.2% of 125 inspections found a problem’252026 (to September): 35.2% of 94 inspections found a problem’2635.2%
In 2014, 50% of inspections in Wisconsin found at least one problem. In 2025 it was 26.2%. 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
20145450%
20154922.5%
20168426.2%
201710024.7%
20181125%
20191285.8%
2020459.1%
202111029.1%
202214225.9%
202317145.5%
202415834.6%
202512526.2%
20269435.2%

What USDA inspectors cite most often in Wisconsin

The rules behind Wisconsin's citations since 2014. Separately, inspectors arrived 87 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 injury104
3.13(a)(3)Veterinary care for dogs36
2.40(b)(3)Daily observation of all animals to assess health and well-being35
3.11(a)Excreta and food waste removed from enclosures daily32
2.50(a)(1)Class A breeders must identify every adult dog by official tag or tattoo30
3.11(b)(2)Sanitization of enclosures and food and water receptacles26
3.11(c)Housekeeping of the premises25
3.13(a)Veterinary care for dogs22

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 Wisconsin 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