Local Breeding Operation’s Alarming Pattern of Animal Welfare Violations Prompts PETA to Seek Criminal Probe
For Immediate Release:
May 27, 2025
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
A just-released federal report reveals that a dog was left to suffer from a visibly inflamed anus matted with a clump of feces and hair the size of a baseball at Monarch Kennel, a puppy mill near Bolivar operated by Charles and Debbi McGinnis. Despite the facility racking up 18 alleged violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act since 2015, federal officials have yet to rescue a single animal or seek any penalties against the suspects, so PETA sent a letter today to Polk County Prosecuting Attorney Keaton S. Ashlock, urging him to investigate and file criminal charges against those responsible for the persistent neglect.
On April 17, inspectors noticed the dog whimpering and trying to bite his hindquarters before spotting the mass on his rear—as well as a “golf ball”-sized accumulation of feces in his coat. Just days earlier, on April 8, an inspector and federal veterinarian found five dogs deprived of water and noted that when Mr. McGinnis went to provide them water, the dogs swarmed around the hose and then drank continuously “for at least 1 minute.” Other findings from recent years include confining puppies in enclosures with “excessive amounts” of fecal material, dirt, and grime, and denying veterinary care to a lethargic, “extremely thin” dog who had been attacked by another dog a month prior and was covered in yellow, crusty lesions and oozing sores.
“Miserable breeding factories like this one treat dogs as nothing but commodities to be churned out as cheaply as possible, denying them even the most basic care and housing them in deplorable conditions,” says PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on Polk County authorities to prosecute those responsible for this neglect and reminds everyone never to buy any animal from a breeder or a 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 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 thatEvery 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 Ashlock follows.
May 27, 2025
The Honorable Keaton S. Ashlock
Polk County Prosecuting Attorney
Dear Mr. Ashlock:
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 Monarch Kennel, a breeding facility operated by Charles and Debbi McGinnis at 1030 E. 444th Rd., near Bolivar. 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 approximately 38 dogs there.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff documented neglect at the facility in the attached reports. On April 17, inspectors found that a 10-year-old dog was “whimpering” and trying to bite his hindquarters. On examination, the inspectors found a baseball-sized collection of feces and hair hanging from the dog’s inflamed anus, as well as a golf ball-sized accumulation of feces in the dog’s coat. Such conditions can “lead to pain, discomfort and have a negative impact” on a dog’s well-being, according to the report.
Nine days earlier, on April 8, a USDA veterinarian and inspector found five dogs deprived of water at the property. When Mr. McGinnis apparently provided them water, these dogs “gather[ed] near the house … and then drank … continuously for at least 1 minute.” If you’d like to learn more about the USDA’s findings, please see the contact information for its office here.
These findings appear to violate Missouri’s prohibition against animal neglect, RSMo § 578.009, which requires individuals to provide animals in their custody with “adequate care.” RSMo § 578.005 defines the latter term to include “health care as necessary to maintain good health.” 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. Missouri 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
