Shar Pei x Mastiff

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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.

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.)
• Current website: www.pinelakekennels.com
• Former websites: and (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) -

• 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

• 1, 203 (742 adult dogs, 460 puppies) -
• 1, 016 (616 adult dogs, 400 puppies) -
• 1, 323 (741 adult dogs, 582 puppies) -
• 1, 062 (636 adult dogs, 426 puppies) -

Trial and sentencing held in 2009.
• 629 (483 adult dogs, 146 puppies) -
• 576 (376 adult dogs and 200 puppies) -
• 450, approx. (300 adult dogs, 150 puppies) - Dec. 2009 Probation Inspection
• 430 (258 adult dogs, 172 puppies) -

• 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;