The Animal Rescue League of Iowa has recovered 49 living and 17 dead dogs from a Riverside breeding facility in Washington County.
The dogs were removed from a “licensed breeder” on March 7 after the Animal Rescue League received an “urgent call” from the PAWS & More Animal Shelter and Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Many of the 17 dogs found dead at BR’s Doberman’s at 1355 Tulip Ave. were puppies, according to the ARL. They were found in “various places across the property.” A state-certified veterinarian on the scene determined that the surviving dogs should also be removed from the property “for their own well-being,” the ARL said in a release.
PAWS & More and the Animal Rescue League took custody of the dogs and they are now “safe and being cared for.”
According to the company’s website, BR’s Dobermans “breed large litters of black and brown Dobermans and sell our Doberman puppies on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Washington County executes search warrant at rural breeding facility
Washington County law enforcement officials announced on Monday, March 8 that they had executed a search warrant at BR’s Dobermans, owned and operated by Terry Yoder. A Kalona News article from 2024 notes that Yoder has operated the facility for more than 15 years.
An Animal Rescue League of Iowa spokesperson confirmed that their release and the Washington County announcement were part of “the same situation.”
A search warrant application filed earlier this week shows that police had reasonable suspicions that Iowa law was being broken on the BR’s Doberman property. Authorities suspected that “animal torture, abuse and neglect (would) be found to have been and/or (are) being committed.”
The alleged mistreatment was brought to light when a prospective dog owner responded to Yoder’s advertisement in a local publication. The person said they visited the property earlier in March and noticed about 50 dogs that allegedly didn’t have access to food and their water was frozen.
The concerned customer told authorities that they allegedly noticed “a large amount of feces and urine about” in the kennels. Some animals were allegedly “covered in feces.”
Several dogs were allegedly observed with mites and “what appeared to be open sores.” The dogs’ bone structures were able to be “predominantly observed,” according to police.
The “return of service” for the search warrant shows 59 dogs were recovered from the property, including 10 that were “dead on arrival.”
BR’s Dobermans on humane society’s ‘Horrible Hundred’ breeders list
The search warrant also notes the Humane Society’s “Horrible Hundred” breeders in 2024, a list that aggregates 100 “problem puppy breeders and dealers in the United States.” BR’s Dobermans and Yoder are listed as one of 15 Iowa breeders on the nationwide list.
The report lists several “troubling violations” on Yoder’s farm. Referencing a January 2024 state inspection, they noted indoor facilities that were “coated in dirt, hair, feces and grime” and “mouse feces” on surfaces throughout the facility.
Inspectors returned one month later in 2024, but Yoder allegedly denied the follow-up examination, saying “he had not cleaned in at least 36 hours.” Two additional visits that year allegedly revealed that “numerous violations” had not yet been addressed.
Washington County law enforcement cited portions of the report in its search warrant application as further evidence of legal wrongdoing.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. No charges have been filed against Yoder or BR’s Dobermans.
The Washington County Attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
Different Riverside breeder pled guilty to animal neglect
Another Riverside breeder, Loren Yoder, pleaded guilty to five counts of animal neglect with injury last summer after 131 dogs were recovered from his property. A state inspection found that dogs at Sunset Valley Farm, the breeding facility owned by Yoder, were discovered in “prolonged pain and suffering” during an August 2023 inspection.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
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