Local Dog Breeding Operation’s Alarming Pattern of Animal Welfare Violations Prompts PETA to Seek Criminal Probe
For Immediate Release:
February 2, 2026
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
Just-released federal reports reveal that dogs were mutilated, deprived of veterinary care, and confined in filthy enclosures piled with feces at a puppy mill in Apple Creek operated by Norman Yoder. Despite the facility racking up 30 alleged violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act in less than five months, federal officials have yet to rescue a single animal or seek any penalties against the suspects, so PETA sent a letter today to Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Angela Wypasek urging her to investigate and file criminal charges against those responsible for the persistent neglect. PETA also asks that an independent veterinarian assess the animals at the facility and ensure that they receive any necessary care.
On December 16, Yoder or his representative told a federal inspector that he had “removed” dewclaws on puppies less than five days old. Dewclaws—which are akin to human thumbs—have bones in them, and puppies are typically denied anesthetics for this excruciatingly painful mutilation. The inspector found dogs confined amid “numerous piles of feces.” Other dogs were housed over “a thick buildup of feces, dark brown organic residue, hair, dead insects, rodent droppings, and a deceased rodent” and amid “an ongoing cockroach infestation.” On July 31, an inspector found that a dog named Banjo had been deprived of veterinary care for an “open wound” on his leg which “was oozing … blood.” Other dogs had extremely matted fur or were in poor dental health, seven dogs had inadequate protection from the elements and three dogs had little to no shade, and others were confined amid filth, “dead flies and cockroaches,” and “an excessive amount of excreta.” According to the reports, as of December, the operation confined 133 dogs and puppies.
“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 Wayne 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—as Yoder’s record demonstrates—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 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 Wypasek follows.
February 2, 2026
The Honorable Angela Wypasek
Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to request that your office (and a law-enforcement agency, as necessary) investigate and file criminal charges, as appropriate, against those responsible for mistreating dogs at a breeding facility operated by Norman Yoder, located at 11024 Dover Rd. in Salt Creek Township. PETA hopes investigators will visit the business with a veterinarian who has expertise in canine health to identify any animals in need of care and opine on the conditions of and for the approximately 133 adult dogs and puppies there.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarian and inspector documented neglect at the company in the attached reports. On December 16, 2025, Yoder or his representative told federal personnel that he had “removed the dewclaws” from puppies born five days earlier. Dewclaws have bones in them and are akin to human thumbs, and puppies are often denied anesthetics for this excruciatingly painful mutilation. Also on December 16, 2025, USDA staff found dogs confined amid “numerous piles of feces,” some of which had been left for such a “prolonged” time that they had frozen. Other dogs were housed over “a thick buildup of feces, dark brown organic residue, hair, dead insects, rodent droppings, and a deceased rodent” and amid “an ongoing cockroach infestation.”
On July 31, 2025, an inspector found that one dog, named Banjo, had been deprived of veterinary care for an “open wound” on his left leg, which “was oozing … blood.” Yoder told the inspector that he “had not noticed this lesion” previously. Another dog’s matted fur nearly obscured his or her eyes. A third dog had “large areas of matted fur in the rump area and on both hindlimbs.” A fourth dog had “a significant buildup of hard, brown organic debris on the teeth of the upper jaw.” The same day, seven dogs were found without adequate protection from the elements. Again, on July 31, 2025, dogs were found confined above or with “excessive … excreta”—some of it piled or even white, indicating that it had been left “for an extended period.”
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 cruelty to animals. These findings appear to violate Ohio Revised Code § 959.131. Ohio 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
cc: Sheriff Thomas Ballinger, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
