MAIN MESSAGE: As a mass producer of puppies, Kathy Bauck's breeding kennel (Pick Of The Litter, aka Puppies On Wheels and other aliases) has housed over 1,300 dogs and puppies and she has bred over 100 different dog breeds. 

This story is about animal cruelty and breaking laws — but it's also about money. For many years, Kathy Bauck grossed over $500,000 per year from the sale of animals by cutting corners in the care of those animals. She is part of the multi-billion dollar dog and cat breeding industry that has profited from the mass production of puppies. 

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Some cages within Pick Of The Litter kennel. Photo from CAPS undercover video.

Dog breeder: Kathy Bauck

Kathy Bauck is a dog breeder/broker located in Pine Lake Township near New York Mills, Minnesota. Bauck has operated her kennel, originally known as Pick Of The Litter or Puppys On Wheels, for over 25 years. (Business names have changed; see below.)

Kathy Bauck's kennel is known as a puppy mill.

Prior to her conviction for animal torture, Bauck was considered one of Minnesota's largest dog breeders and brokers, producing and selling thousands of puppies to consumers and pet stores throughout the United States. Her husband, Allan Bauck, daughter, Corinne Peters, and sister, Janet Jesuit, also participated in the business.

Pine Lake Township is a rural area in northern Minnesota.

Multiple buildings housing dogs. Photo from CAPS undercover investigation.

Facts

• Name of dog breeder: Kathy Jo Bauck, aka Kathy Cole, aka K.J. Cole (Kathy Jo Bauck's maiden name is Cole)
• Name of breeding facility: Pick Of The Litter, Puppys On Wheels, Puppies On Wheels
• Also did business as: Pine Lake Enterprises, Pine Lake Kennels, Pine Lake Kennels and Stables, KJ's Pets, KJ's Pups, New York Kennel Club
• Location: Pine Lake Township in Otter Tail County, Minnesota
• USDA license: 41-B-0159; this license was terminated by the USDA for two years in June 2010 and was cancelled in August 2010. (Termination and cancellation are not the same as revocation — which is permanent.)
• Former websites: www.puppysonwheels.com and www.potlpuppys.info (potl stands for Pick Of The Litter); other websites unknown but possible. Online sales also through: Chicago.kiji.com, Hoobly.com, Puppyfind.com, Mypetlisting.com
• Breeds: Multiple and different purebreds and mixed. Scroll down to Breeds.
• Recent sales to pet stores: Go to Pet Store Sales
• Recent conviction: Go to Trial and Sentencing

 

Animal inventory

Inventory counts (i.e., how many adult dogs and how many puppies are within the kennel) are recorded on USDA inspection reports. This count represents what is seen on that one day by the USDA inspector. The total number of puppies can vary considerably because a puppy shipment could have been made a day or week before an inspection, so lowering the total count. The total number of adult dogs may stay more constant; these are the animals that are kept in cages their entire life and bred repeatedly. When no longer of use, the adult dogs are killed, sold at auction or sold/donated to others.

• no animal count data prior to 1995

• 688 (415 adult dogs, 273 puppies) - March 29, 1995 USDA inspection

• 727 (440 adult dogs, 287 puppies) - February 22, 1996 USDA inspection

• 964 (529 adult dogs, 435 puppies) - October 2, 1996 USDA inspection

• 770 (502 adult dogs, 268 puppies) - February 18, 1997 USDA inspection

• 739 (502 adult dogs, 237 puppies) - April 24, 1997 USDA inspection

• 912 (603 adult dogs, 309 puppies) - February 25, 1998 USDA inspection

• 891 (589 adult dogs, 302 puppies) - February 23, 1999 USDA inspection

• 1,082 (673 adult dogs, 409 puppies) - February 7, 2000 USDA inspection

• no animal count data (transport only) - March 07, 2001 USDA inspection

• 1,017 (744 adult dogs, 273 puppies) - January 16, 2002 USDA inspection

• 1,151 (830 adult dogs, 321puppies) - January 8, 2003 USDA inspection

• 1,351 (952 adult dogs, 389 puppies) - January 21, 2004 USDA inspection

• no animal count data - January 25, 2005 USDA inspection

• 1,326 (dogs/puppies not specified) - April 26, 2006 USDA inspection

• no animal count data - August 23, 2007 USDA inspection
• 1,202 (805 adult dogs, 397 puppies) - June 13, 2008 USDA inspection
• 1,203 (742 adult dogs, 460 puppies) - July 15, 2008 USDA inspection
• 1,016 (616 adult dogs, 400 puppies) - September 24, 2008 USDA inspection
• 1,323 (741 adult dogs, 582 puppies) - December 4, 2008 USDA inspection
• 1,062 (636 adult dogs, 426 puppies) - March 4, 2009 USDA inspection

Trial and sentencing held in 2009.
• 629 (483 adult dogs, 146 puppies) - May 6, 2009 USDA inspection
• 576 (376 adult dogs and 200 puppies) - August 21, 2009 USDA inspection
• 450, approx. (300 adult dogs, 150 puppies) - Dec. 2009 Probation Inspection
• 430 (258 adult dogs, 172 puppies) - March 31, 2010 USDA inspection

USDA license cancelled in August 2010; no further USDA inspections.

• 6 (Consent Decision revokes AWA license; Bauck is allowed to keep 6 dogs total, of which 3 can be breeding females) - September, 2011

 

Animal Sales and Gross Revenues

The following information is "according to Kathy Bauck's own applications for Animal Welfare Act license renewals", as reported on the First Amended Complaint. On these renewal forms, Bauck stated she sold the following number of animals and grossed the following amount of money from the sale of those animals. As this is Kathy Bauck's own records, it is impossible to confirm if information below is accurate or if number of animals sold and money earned was higher during this period.

NOTE: "Respondents" are Kathy Jo Bauck and Allan Bauck.

• "Between March 23, 2005 and March 23, 2006, respondents purchased 800 animals, sold 3000 animals and grossed at least $500,000.00 from the sale of those animals;

• Between March 23, 2006 and March 23, 2007, respondents purchased 1000 animals, sold 3000 animals and grossed at least $650,000.00 from the sale of those animals;

• Between March 23, 2007 and March 23, 2008, respondents purchased 1000 animals, sold 3800 animal and grossed at least $650,000.00 from the sale of those animals;

• Between March 23, 2008 and March 23, 2009, respondents sold 1100 animals and grossed at least $100,050.00 from the sale of those animals; and

• Between March 23, 2009, and March 23, 2010, respondents purchased 25 animals, sold 1000 animals and grossed at least $250,000.00 from the sale of those animals."

Breeds Produced and Sold

The following is a list of some breeds (over 100) produced by this dog breeder. These breeds were listed on Certificates of Veterinary Inspection, which records breed types shipped to pet stores. For a pdf of the list below, click here: Breeds

Black Labrador
Yellow Labrador
Labrador x Poodle (Labradoodle)
English Bulldog
Victorian Bulldog
French Bulldog
American Bulldog
Oldie x American Bulldog
Oldie x English Bulldog
Shiba x American Bulldog
Mastiff x American Bulldog
English Bulldog x Beagle (Bullgle)
French Bulldog x Boston Terrier
Beagle
Beagle x Shar pei
Beagle x Sheltie
Bichon Frise
Bichon x Cocker
Bichon x Havenese
Bichon x Poodle
Bichon x Westie
Bichon x Sheba
Bichon x Lhasa
Bichon x Cairn
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Golden x German Shepherd
Golden x Poodle (Goldendoodle)
Cocker Spaniel
Shih tzu
Shih tzu x Maltese
Shih tzu x Pom
Shih tzu x Havanese
Shih tzu x Bichon
Shih tzu x Yorkie
Shih tzu x Poodle
Shih tzu x Pekingese
Lhasa Apso
Lhasa x Havanese
Poodle
Pom x Poodle (Pomapoo)
Yorkie x Poodle (Yorkapoo)
Cocker x Poodle (Cockapoo)
Westie x Poodle
Lhasa x Poodle
Cockapoo x Poodle
Boxer
S.C. Wheaten Terrier
Keeshond
St. Bernard
Sheltie
Brussels Griffon

Basset
Pug
Pug x Brussels
Pug x Beagle (Puggle)
Pug x Jack Russell
Jack Russell
Jack Russell x Westie
Papillon
Pomeranian
King Charles x Havanese
King Charles x Poodle
King Charles x Yorkie
King Charles x Cocker
King Charles x Bichon
Doxie x Tib Terrier
Neopolitan Mastiff
English Mastiff
Dane x Mastiff
Ch. Shar pei
Dachshund
Doxie x Yorkie
Maltese
Maltese x Cocker
Maltese x Havanese
Maltese x Yorkie
Maltese x Pekingese
Maltese x Pom
Maltese x King Charles
Maltese x Doxie
Maltese x Lhasa
Morkie
Silky Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Shiba x Cairn Terrier
Yorkie x Cairn Terrier
Poodle x Cairn Terrier
Yorkie x Silky Terrier
Sheltie
Shiba Inu
Siberian Husky
Samoyan Husky
Husky x American Eskimo
American Eskimo x Shiba
Pekingese
Chin x Pekingese
Chihuahua
Chihuahua x Minpin
Chihuahua x Shiba
Chihauhua x Pomeranian
Mini Schnauzer
Mini Schnauzer x Bichon
Mini Schnauzer x Cocker

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