Search USDA-Licensed Dog Breeders and Dealers

Verify any USDA Class A breeder or Class B dealer against our mirror of the USDA APHIS public database. Search 2,783 active licensees by name, DBA, certificate number, or city. Every result links to a full profile with USDA inspection history since 2014.

What This Tool Does

This lookup mirrors the USDA APHIS Animal Care Public Search Tool (opens in new tab) , refreshed monthly. Use it to confirm a dog breeder holds an active federal license under the Animal Welfare Act before buying a puppy, selling to a dealer, or inspecting the facility's compliance record.

Two USDA license classes appear in results:

  • Class A (Breeder): Breeds and raises dogs on their own premises for sale. Required for breeders with more than 4 breeding females who sell dogs sight-unseen (online, by phone, or by mail).
  • Class B (Dealer): Buys and resells dogs, typically brokers who purchase from breeders and sell to pet stores, research facilities, or directly to consumers.

Certificate format: USDA certificate numbers follow the pattern XX-Y-NNNN: two-digit state code, license class letter (A, B, C, or R), and a sequence number (e.g., 43-A-6252).

Not finding the breeder? They may be exempt from federal licensing (four or fewer breeding females, or face-to-face sales only), licensed only at the state level, or operating without a required license. Check the state-level breeder licensing rules that also apply.

About these licenses: USDA Class A (breeder) and Class B (dealer) licenses are issued under the federal Animal Welfare Act and cover many kinds of animals, not just dogs (for example cats, rabbits, and other regulated species). A licensee shown here holds a USDA license but may breed or deal in animals other than dogs, so inclusion in this database does not necessarily mean the licensee breeds dogs. Always verify a breeder's species, status, and details directly with the licensee and with USDA APHIS (opens in new tab) .

2,163 Class A Breeders
620 Class B Dealers
2026-10-21 Data as of

6,428 results found (Class A)

Including 4,274 inactive results (expired or formerly licensed). Active only

USDA licensee search results
Certificate # Type Name DBA City State Expires Inspections
71-A-1353 Class A Gail Bear DBA: — Harrison, AR Exp: 3/1/2028 Active
58-A-0301 Class A GAIL HARRIS DBA: — GENEVA, FL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-1377 Class A Gail Hart DBA: — VIOLA, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-1443 Class A Gail McGonigal DBA: — Alicia, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
48-A-1431 Class A Gale Whitaker Christina Hillyard Brandon Hillyard DBA: Whispering Oaks Kennel Coffeyville, KS Exp: 2/20/2027 Active
47-A-0622 Class A GARRETT SCHANEMAN ASHLEN SCHANEMAN DBA: — SCOTTSBLUFF, NE Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0624 Class A Gary Bontrager DBA: — SHIPSHEWANA, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
71-A-1232 Class A Gary Brown Carolyn Brown DBA: — VAN BUREN, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
33-A-0554 Class A Gary Chupp DBA: — ARTHUR, IL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
33-A-0618 Class A Gary E Mast DBA: — Campbell Hill, IL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
33-A-0640 Class A Gary E Mast DBA: — Campbell Hill, IL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
42-A-0757 Class A Gary Felts DBA: — KINGSLEY, IA Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-5677 Class A GARY GOOSTREE RUTH ANN GOOSTREE DBA: — ROCKY COMFORT, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
33-A-0543 Class A Gary Herschberger DBA: Riverview Canines Arthur, IL Exp: 4/1/2028 Active
71-A-1126 Class A GARY HEWITT DBA: — EDGEMONT, AR Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-1172 Class A Gary Kemp DBA: — Loogootee, IN Exp: 5/12/2029 Active
32-A-0680 Class A Gary Kemp DBA: — MONTGOMERY, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6328 Class A GARY KUSTER DBA: — MOUNTAIN GROVE, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-6016 Class A GARY KUSTER DBA: — MOUNTAIN GROVE, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
43-A-5855 Class A GARY KUSTER DBA: — MOUNTAIN GROVE, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed
33-A-0616 Class A Gary L Gingerich DBA: — TUSCOLA, IL Exp: — Formerly Licensed
32-A-0800 Class A GARY LAMBRIGHT DBA: — TOPEKA, IN Exp: — Formerly Licensed
48-A-2247 Class A Gary Lehman DBA: — Hutchinson, KS Exp: — Formerly Licensed
73-A-1747 Class A Gary Phillips DBA: G & M Kennels Adair, OK Exp: 10/16/2027 Active
43-A-4527 Class A GARY SCHEULEN DBA: — FREEBURG, MO Exp: — Formerly Licensed

Data sources: Licensee data comes from the USDA APHIS Animal Care Public Search Tool (opens in new tab) . Inspection reports are sourced from the Data Liberation Project (opens in new tab) (CC BY-SA 4.0), which compiles USDA APHIS inspection data from 2014 to present. Both are updated monthly. For the most current information, verify directly with USDA APHIS. This is not an official USDA tool.