A Farmington dog breeder has been named to a national list of problem puppy mills for the third time, according to a report published Monday by Humane World for Animals and covered by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Wuanita Swedlund of Farmington is among five Iowa breeders included in the organization’s annual “Horrible Hundred” report, which highlights regulatory violations cited at 100 dog breeders across the country. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch’s reporting on the release, Swedlund has repeatedly failed to provide inspectors with access to her facility, with inspectors from the state or the USDA unable to gain entry during six separate inspection attempts between June 2025 and January 2026.
Just prior to those access denials, state inspectors visiting in May 2025 found multiple repeat violations at the business, including unsanitary enclosures and a buildup of feces, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. In February 2026, the USDA issued an official warning to Swedlund for the repeat refusals to allow access. At the time of that warning, federal inspectors had not been able to gain entry to the facility since December 2024, when they found a heavily matted dog, several dogs with no water, and an enclosure described as heavily contaminated with fecal material — findings that also landed Swedlund on the 2025 Horrible Hundred list.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that in 2024, Swedlund’s violations were referenced in a lawsuit brought against the USDA by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, alleging a lack of federal enforcement action. That lawsuit remains pending. The filing noted that six puppies had died in the cold at Swedlund’s business without any fine or penalty being issued against her. Past violations have also been tied to findings of injured and limping dogs, and a dog that partially consumed a puppy it was able to access through a neighboring enclosure. In December 2023, a state inspector noted Swedlund might be engaged in what the report describes as “puppy laundering” — selling dogs raised by another Iowa breeder with his own history of violations.
Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, compiles its annual report using data from state agency inspection reports and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The organization said the report is intended to show the public the conditions dogs face at puppy mills, including those that are licensed and inspected. “Puppy mills put profit over the welfare of the animals and will continue to operate until people stop buying puppies from them,” said John Goodwin, senior managing director for puppy mills and equine protection at Humane World for Animals, as quoted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Swedlund’s listing is part of a broader Iowa presence on this year’s report. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that the other four Iowa breeders named include Ricky and Mary Brodersen of Mystical Cockers in Kiron, appearing on the list for the third consecutive year; William Davenport of Afton, whose USDA license was recently canceled; Ruth Ewoldt of Furkids in Toronto, appearing for the second time; and Kimberly Olson of Kimi’s Precious Treasures in Joice, cited for selling puppies without proper federal licensing.
