Iowa puppy mill owner convicted of animal neglect, receives 1 year probation

The owner of a commercial dog breeding business, who last year surrendered 131 dogs to Iowa City Animal Services, pleaded this week to five charges of animal neglect and was sentenced to probation.

Loren Yoder, 63, pleaded guilty Monday to all five serious misdemeanors of animal neglect with injury. According to a plea agreement, the 365-day sentence on each charge to run concurrently was suspended. A judge immediately sentenced Yoder to one year of self-supervised probation.

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The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship conducted a surprise inspection at Yoder’s operation — Sunset Valley Farm at 3027 540th St. SW near Riverside — on Aug. 24, 2023. The inspection found dogs were being kept in hot, dirty conditions and many were in a “state of distress.”

Exams conducted on the dogs after they were surrendered to the shelter found many had developed conditions caused by a lack of adequate care, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Court records stated veterinarians reported myriad issues for the seized animals. Examples included 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. Some were extremely nervous as well, including one dog that spent its examination “frozen in fear,” according to the records.

Yoder surrendered his commercial breeding license through the state ag department. He previously had been cited multiple times by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Of the 131 dogs surrendered, nine died. The rest were adopted out from the Iowa City and from other shelters across the Midwest.

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