Alarming Pattern of Animal Welfare Violations at Local Breeding Operation Leads PETA to Seek Criminal Probe
For Immediate Release:
March 26, 2025
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
A just-released federal report reveals that dogs were deprived of water and held in waste-filled enclosures at a puppy mill on Kolash Road operated by dog profiteers Ervin Miller, Marcus Miller, and Anna May Miller—marking the 24th documented violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act there since June 2023. Despite this pattern of repeated violations, federal officials have yet to rescue a single animal or seek any penalties against the suspects, so PETA sent a letter today to Vernon County District Attorney Angela Palmer-Fisher, urging her to investigate and file criminal charges against those responsible for the neglect.
According to the report, on February 18, a federal veterinarian documented that dogs at the breeding operation were deprived of water and that bedding materials in some enclosures were “mixed with … accumulated feces.” Previously, on April 17, 2024, the veterinarian found that a dog was denied treatment for a “hazy” eye while other dogs were confined near “excessive rust” and exposed wire points, which could injure them. Other violations from 2023 include dogs denied veterinary care for loose and plaque-covered teeth, eyes surrounded by “crusty” material, fur matted with feces and underlying irritated skin, coats matted with burrs, and dogs confined amid “strong odors,” accumulated “wet waste material,” and “excessive flies.”
“Miserable breeding factories like this one deny dogs crucial care and treat them as nothing but commodities to be churned out as cheaply as possible,” says PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on Vernon County authorities to prosecute those responsible and urges everyone to adopt their companion animals—never buy from a breeder or pet store.”
PETA is pursuing charges under state law because the federal government doesn’t render relief or aid to animals during its inspections, and—as the Millers’ record shows—these violations carry no criminal or civil penalties.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Palmer-Fisher follows.
March 26, 2025
The Honorable Angela Palmer-Fisher
Vernon County District Attorney
Dear Ms. Palmer-Fisher:
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to request that your office (and the proper law enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and, as suitable, file criminal charges against those responsible for neglecting dogs at a breeding facility operated by Ervin, Marcus, and Anna May Miller at E17311 Kolash Rd. PETA hopes investigators will visit the facility with a veterinarian who has expertise in canine health and welfare to identify any animals in need of care and opine on the conditions of and for the 50 dogs there.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarian documented neglect at the facility in the attached reports.
- On February 18, the veterinarian found that some dogs were deprived of water, while others were confined on top of bedding mixed with their accumulated feces.
- On April 17, 2024, the federal veterinarian found that a dog had been denied treatment prescribed for her hazy right eye. The same day, the veterinarian found dogs confined near “excessive rust” and exposed wire points, which could injure them.
- On September 11, 2023, the USDA official found five dogs denied veterinary care for “active health problems,” including loose and plaque-covered teeth, eyes surrounded by “crusty” material, and fur matted with feces that had irritated the underlying skin. Five more dogs’ coats were matted with burrs. Dogs were confined amid “strong odors,” accumulated “wet waste material,” and “excessive flies.”
- On June 6, 2023, the federal veterinarian found dogs confined above an “excessive accumulation of waste” emitting strong odors.
If you’d like to learn more about the USDA’s findings, please see the contact information for its office here. The USDA renders no aid or relief whatsoever to animals on site; these reports carry no criminal or civil penalties and don’t preempt criminal liability under state law for acts of animal neglect. These findings appear to violate Wisconsin’s prohibition against mistreating animals, Wisc. Stat. § 951.02, and its prohibition against depriving animals of proper shelter, Wisc. Stat. § 951.14. Wisconsin law provides these victims with their only hope for a small measure of justice. We urge your office to seek it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel Paden
Vice President of Legal Advocacy
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
