Man arrested and charged for animal neglect in Riverside puppy mill

Loren Yoder of Riverside, Iowa, was charged with over 40 misdemeanor charges on Wednesday.

March 6, 2024

A dog surrendered from a breeding kennel in rural Riverside is seen at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Over 130 dogs were surrendered to animal shelters in the Iowa City area after unsafe conditions. Officials said the location that the dogs lived in constitutes animal neglect.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged a man on Wednesday who reportedly ran a puppy mill located in rural Riverside, Iowa, which was investigated in August for animal neglect.

According to a release from the county sheriff’s office, law enforcement responded to an animal welfare concern brought to them by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship on Aug. 24, 2023. The department had conducted an inspection of Sunset Valley Farm — located at 3027 540th St. S.W. in Riverside — and found signs of animal neglect.

Loren Yoder, the man who was charged, surrendered 131 dogs to the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center. He also surrendered his commercial breeding license, the release states.

Some dogs found at the farm suffered from heat stroke and other heat-related injuries because of the poor conditions.

“These conditions then caused unjustified distress, suffering, and pain to the affected animals,” the release states.

Yoder is facing five counts of serious misdemeanor animal neglect charges and 36 counts of simple misdemeanor animal neglect charges. According to state law, a serious misdemeanor means the person caused injury to animals, but not serious injury or death. A simple misdemeanor means the person committed animal neglect, but did not injure or kill the animal.

In Iowa, a serious misdemeanor charge carries a fine between $430 and $2,560, and the person charged may face up to one year of imprisonment. A simple misdemeanor charge can have a fine between $105 and $855, and the person may face up to 30 days in jail instead of a fine.

About the Contributors

Isabelle Foland, News Editor

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Isabelle Foland is a second-year student at the University of Iowa majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and minoring in Spanish. She is a second-year news reporter at The Daily Iowan, reporting mainly on Iowa City City Council. She is from Missouri Valley, Iowa and has reported for her hometown paper prior to her time at The DI.

Emily Nyberg, Visual Editor

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Emily Nyberg is a second-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic arts. Prior to her role as a Visual Editor, Emily was a Photojournalist, and a News Reporter covering higher education.