Johnson County puppy farm owner arrested on animal neglect charges

IOWA CITY — The owner of a Johnson County puppy farm, which surrendered 131 dogs to Iowa City Animal Services last year, has been arrested and charged with 41 counts of animal neglect, according to a news release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Loren Yoder, 62, is facing five serious misdemeanor animal neglect charges, and 36 simple misdemeanor animal neglect charges.

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The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship conducted a surprise inspection at Yoder’s farm — Sunset Valley Farm at 3027 540th Street SW, near Riverside — on Aug. 24, 2023.

The inspection found the dogs were being kept in hot, dirty conditions and many of them were in a state of distress.

According to the news release, physical exams conducted after the dogs were surrendered to the shelter found many of them had developed conditions caused by a lack of adequate care.

“These conditions then caused unjustified distress, suffering, and pain to the affected animals,” stated the news release.

Court records from Yoder’s case said veterinarians reported myriad issues for the seized animals. Examples include hair that was “severely matted,” as well as cases of fleas, “discharge” from animals’ eyes, dental diseases, and an animal with a yeast infection in its ear. The reports said some of the animals were extremely nervous as well, including one dog that spent its examination “frozen in fear.”

Yoder has surrendered his commercial breeding license through the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. He had previously been cited multiple times by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nine of the 131 dogs that were taken from Yoder’s farm died. The rest were adopted out from Iowa City and from other dog shelters across the Midwest.

Iowa has frequently led the nation in federal law violations at puppy mills in recent years. According to USDA data released by nonprofit Bailing Out Benji, Iowa dog and cat breeders committed 107 of the 303 federal violations cited in the first quarter of 2023. By the last quarter of Fiscal ‘23, that number had dropped to 34, a sum still greater than any other state’s.

The Southeast Iowa Union’s Kalen McCain also contributed to this report.

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