Nearly 200 Iowa Dogs Suspiciously Euthanized in One Day, New Records Reveal

An animal rights organization said the need to euthanize nearly 200 puppies and dogs at one Iowa dog breeding site was “highly suspect,” particularly as there was no reported disease outbreak or any information about how the dogs were killed.

A total of 199 dogs were euthanized by veterinarian Bill Jordan at the request of Stonehenge Kennels owner Steve Kruse on Aug. 2, 2021, according to documents the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recently obtained from the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA).

Four days before the mass euthanization, Kruse had “repossessed” the dogs from Daniel Gingerich, the infamous breeder who, after federal intervention, had to surrender more than 500 dogs, pay fines, and was banned from breeding dogs again for more than 100 alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

That transfer of dogs was done with the consent of USDA inspectors.

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The dogs, Jordan said in a note, “were deemed incurable by myself or Ms. Kelly Maxwell,” an inspector who oversees dog breeding operations with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the USDA.

“There were a few violations noted, but there were no widespread disease concerns among the population that that were documented in the inspection reports,” said Robert Hensley, legal advocacy senior counsel for the ASPCA.

“So the vet’s claim in that statement that 199 of them were ‘incurable’ seems highly suspect,” Hensley added. “It also seems highly suspect that one veterinarian could actually humanely euthanize 199 dogs a day. That’s quite an operation. And we don’t have any information about how that was conducted.”

Letter from veterinarian Bill Jordan about the euthanization of 199 dogs and puppies on Aug. 2, 2021.

Gingerich, who was the owner of Seymour’s Maple Hill Puppies and other locations, leased the land and some of his dogs from another Iowa puppy mill owner, as detailed in Maxwell’s declaration in federal court in the 2021 Gingerich case.

That owner? Kruse.

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Gingerich penalized, Kruse not

Unlike Gingerich, Kruse still has his license. And the USDA approved the transfer of dogs in July from Gingerich back to Kruse, as documented by Maxwell in her declaration.

However, Hensley of the ASPCA said Kruse has a long list of violations, including failure to provide care for dogs, not properly housing them, leaving them with untreated injuries and even assault on inspectors.

“Back in 2004, USDA inspectors cited Kruse for interference with APHIS officials, noting that during an inspection, Kruse was immediately argumentative and verbally abusive to inspectors so much that they had to stop the inspection,” Hensley said.

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A similar incident happened in 2015, when Kruse threw a bag containing dead puppies at one of the inspectors, Hensley said. And yet, that inspector was one who signed off on the transfer of the dogs from Gingerich to Kruse.

“APHIS officials, a supervisor and the inspector who years before had had the bag of dead puppies thrown at her, said that they had ‘no concerns about letting Kruse take the dogs back,’ despite his history of violations,” Hensley said.

A few days later, those 199 dogs were euthanized.

Email where inspectors said they had no concerns about Kruse.

Hensley said they’ve sent requests to the USDA to terminate Kruse’s license. To date, the USDA hasn’t taken any action against Kruse, Hensley said.

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Goldie’s Act could be solution

The problem is that lack of action, Hensley said.

“USDA recorded over 800 violations for licensed dog dealers, but no animals were confiscated,” he said. “No dog dealer licenses were suspended and no penalties were imposed.”

The ASPCA has for years called on the USDA to do more to enforce the Animal Welfare Act across the country.

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A recent report from Reuters documents USDA failure in the 2022 Envigo research facility, where the US Dept. of Justice seized more than 4,000 beagles after finding violations. The report notes internal disagreements at APHIS, failure to act on inspection reports and ignoring violations.

“USDA really has primary responsibility here,” Hensley said. “The point of having a regulatory and licensing system like this is that you should have oversight so that conditions never get this bad, (and) certainly never get to the point where there’s animal cruelty.”

The solution, according to Hensley? Goldie’s Act, introduced by former US Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) and named after a starving golden retriever who was found at Gingerich’s property and had to be euthanized.

Photo of Goldie, released by Axne’s office

Goldie’s Act would require the USDA to conduct more frequent inspections. It would also make those inspections meaningful by requiring inspectors to document and report all violations, confiscate suffering animals, impose penalties for violations, and share information with law enforcement in a timely manner.

“The agency already has the authority to do all these things,” Hensley said. “The agency already has the obligation to do all these things. What the agency doesn’t have is the willingness to do any of these things.”

Nikoel Hytrek
3/21/23

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