Iowa dog breeder arrested and surrenders 131 dogs
A Riverside dog breeder was arrested after surrendering 131 dogs.
On August 24, 2023, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship regarding animal welfare concerns at a facility in Riverside. During the inspection at the commercial dog breeding facility, Sunset Valley Farm, a large number of dogs were found to be neglected.
Owner Loren Yoder, 62, surrendered all of his 131 dogs to the care of Iowa City Animal Services. Thorough physical exams conducted by assisting veterinarians determined many dogs had developed conditions caused by failure to adequately care for the animals. According to a release, the conditions caused unjustified distress, suffering and pain to the dogs. Yoder surrendered his commercial breeding license.
On March 6, 2024, Yoder was arrested and charged with the following criminal charges:
- 5 counts of Animal Neglect – 717B.3(4) (Serious Misdemeanor)
- 36 counts of Animal Neglect – 717B.3(3) (Simple Misdemeanor)
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Iowa City Animal Services, Johnson County Emergency Management and Johnson County Attorney’s Office.
