Indiana
Controversial ‘puppy mill’ bill passes Indiana House
The Indiana House on Monday passed a bill to prevent cities from banning the sale of dogs at pet stores, nullifying ordinances in 21 municipalities that sought to put a dent in unethical puppy mills and increase shelter adoptions.
House Bill 1412 was approved by a 59-36 vote and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
While nixing dog sale bans, the bill would also require pet stores to keep detailed records of the dogs they buy and sell and meet new maintenance standards. The stores, along with animal care and rescue operations, would register with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, which could make random inspections and fine retailers if they violate the law’s provisions.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle, called it an “anti-puppy mill” law that increases “transparency and responsible breeding practices.”
“It centralizes and improves pet standards in the community,” said Jonathan Lawler, a spokesman for the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare, an organization representing animal owners and breeders.
It is the second attempt in as many years at restricting the cities from regulating pet stores. A bill last year failed to get a vote in the House. But that legislation didn’t include any industry regulations and it didn’t touch the cities that already had banned dog sales in stores. There is no such grandfather clause in this year’s edition. Indianapolis and Carmel are among the cities that stand to have their pet store bans revoked.
Critics said the legislation was another usurpation of local control by the Indiana legislature and the enforcement provisions are too much for the Board of Animal Health to handle because the bill provides no funding for additional inspectors.
“The board doesn’t have the manpower to handle all this,” said Adam Aasen, a Carmel City councilor. “The pet stores know this and are telling us what rules they want to follow.”
Rep. Kyle Miller, D-Fort Wayne called the legislation an “unfunded mandate on an already understaffed” agency.
The registration fees will go into the Board of Animal Health coffers, as will fines assessed for violations of the bill’s safety provisions. But Rep. Matt Pierce D-Bloomington said on the House floor the agency can’t collect the fines if it doesn’t have the workers — and there is no requirement — just the option — to conduct inspections.
“If you aren’t doing inspections you can’t collect fines,” Pierce said. “We will be chasing our tail, so to speak.”
Rep. Chris Campbell D-West Lafayette said the bill is not only “unfeasible,” it takes away the localities’ ability to address puppy mill profits with their own laws.
“We need to let them decide since it doesn’t look like inspectors will be funded,” he said at the House session.
Pierce and Campbell conceded the legislation was well-intentioned in cracking down on puppy mills but urged the house to delay consideration until next year’s budget session when the Board of Animal Health could be properly funded.
The bill’s supporters, which include pet stores, said the measure provides a much-needed crackdown on under-supervised puppy mills and helps to ensure breeders treat dogs well and that retailers purchase pets from reputable breeders.
Baird said it also “empowers consumers by providing them with essential information” because pet stores will be required to keep records of a dog’s health and purchase history.
Lawler said the bill requires stores to take back dogs that have been sold if the owners decide they can’t handle them.
“There needs to be some type of impulse protection in case the consumer doesn’t fully grasp the commitment required but also to protect them if the dog is unfit due to illness or disease,” Lawler said.
The Council for Animal Welfare said there are 26 pet stores in the state that sell animals and 14 of them sell dogs. A representative from Uncle Bill’s Pet Centers testified at a House committee meeting in favor of the bill as did a representative for the Ohio-based chain, Petland.
Uncle Bill’s has two stores in Indianapolis and one in Fishers, which sells dogs. Petland has a store in Westfield. Carmel passed its ordinance outlawing puppy mill sales even though it has no stores that sell dogs or cats.
The cities with sales bans argued they would increase pet adoptions at overcrowded animal shelters if people did not have the option to buy dogs at stores.
The Legislative Services Agency said there are 192 commercial dog breeders, 113 animal rescues, 107 private animal shelters, 32 public animal shelters and six commercial dog brokers in Indiana.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society and the Association of Indiana Municipalities were among those testifying against the bill.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418 or email him at john.tuohy@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook and X/Twitter.
CLOVERDALE, Ind. (WKRC) – Authorities in Indiana found a semi trailer loaded up with hundreds of pounds of suspected cocaine.
According to a statement issued by the Indiana State Police (ISP), 27-year-old Harmandeep Singh of Bakersfield, California was taken into custody after nearly 400 pounds of suspected cocaine were reportedly found in the trailer of a commercial truck.
Per the statement, an ISP trooper seized the suspected cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Putnam County, authorities said.
The stop occurred Tuesday morning near the 37-mile marker, just east of Cloverdale, after a commercial motor vehicle was observed exceeding the posted speed limit.
Police said Singh displayed several indicators of possible criminal activity during the encounter. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, troopers discovered multiple duffel bags and cardboard boxes in the trailer containing approximately 392 pounds (178 kilograms) of suspected cocaine.
Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at about $9 million.
Singh was taken into custody and taken to the Putnam County Jail, where he is being held on a $30,000 cash bond.
He faces the following preliminary charges, per the post:
- Possession of a narcotic drug
Formal charges will be determined by the Putnam County prosecutor.
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Indiana State Police said drug interdiction remains a priority, with troopers focusing on major highways to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics into the state.
For many Hoosiers living in rural Indiana, accessing health care can mean driving 30 minutes or even an hour to see a doctor or reach the nearest hospital. As workforce shortages and financial pressures challenge rural hospitals across the country, ensuring access to care close to home has become one of the most important health-care issues facing our state.
About one in four Indiana residents live in a rural community, yet access to health-care services in many of these communities continues to shrink. Across the nation, rural hospitals and clinics report extremely thin operating margins and often say workforce shortages and rising costs make it difficult to sustain services such as primary care, maternity care and behavioral health.
When rural communities struggle to maintain health-care access, the impact doesn’t stay confined to small towns. It ripples across the entire health-care system, contributing to increases in chronic conditions, reduced preventative care for children, and worsening outcomes for the sickest patients.
Communities such as Greater Lafayette serve as a regional hub for care, with hospitals like IU Health Arnett caring for patients from surrounding counties across north-central and west-central Indiana. That role is something we are proud to fulfill. But when rural residents must travel long distances for care that should be available closer to home, it places increasing pressure on emergency departments, specialty clinics and inpatient services at larger regional hospitals.
In many cases, what might have been a routine appointment, preventive screening or early diagnosis in a local clinic becomes far more serious by the time a patient reaches a larger hospital. A missed screening can escalate into a medical emergency.
That reality makes strengthening rural health care more important than ever — not just for rural communities, but for the health of the entire state.
One of the most important steps we can take is investing in the next generation of health-care professionals who will care for these communities.
At IU Health, we are working directly with local schools and community partners to help build that workforce pipeline. Across the region, IU Health has partnered with the Greater Lafayette Career Academy and area school districts to introduce students to health-care careers earlier and provide hands-on learning opportunities that bring those careers to life.
Through these programs, students explore health-care pathways and earn certifications such as certified nursing assistant, medical assistant or emergency medical technician while still in high school. Many participate in job shadowing opportunities, clinical experiences and mentorship programs, giving them valuable exposure to the field before they graduate. In fact, since the first cohort in 2023, IU Health has extended job offers to more than 70 students.
The goal is simple but powerful: help students see that meaningful careers in health care exist in their own communities and create pathways that allow them to stay and serve those communities.
For rural health care, this approach is critical. Students who train and develop personal mentorship connections locally are far more likely to remain in the region after completing their education. By helping young people build skills and connections early, we can create a sustainable workforce that strengthens health-care access in both rural communities and regional centers, including Greater Lafayette.
Since launching the $200 million Community Impact Investment Fund in 2018, IU Health has invested more than $40 million in community grants supporting workforce development, education and school-based programs that build Indiana’s health-care talent pipeline. This includes funding for the Indiana Latino Institute, which placed Latino students in health-care internships, supported career pathways, and provided medical interpreter training and college coaching to communities across the state.
Our goal is to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation, and this is one way we work toward that in partnership with our communities.
But workforce development is only part of the solution.
Strengthening rural health care will also require continued collaboration between health-care providers, educators, community leaders and policymakers. Expanding telehealth access, supporting rural hospitals and investing in primary care and behavioral health services are all critical steps toward ensuring patients can receive care close to home.
Greater Lafayette will always play an important role as a regional health-care center, providing specialized care and advanced services for patients across a broad region. But the long-term health of Indiana’s health-care system depends on maintaining strong local access points for care in rural communities.
When rural clinics and hospitals can provide preventive care, manage chronic conditions and connect patients with the services they need early, the entire system works better.
Patients receive care sooner, communities stay healthier and larger hospitals can focus on the complex cases they are designed to treat.
Healthy rural communities do not just benefit the towns where they are. They strengthen Indiana’s entire health-care system by ensuring that every Hoosier — no matter where they live — has access to the care and resources they need to live healthier lives.
When rural health care succeeds, all of Indiana benefits.
Gary Henriott is a lifelong resident of Lafayette and the retired CEO and Chairman of Henriott Group. He is the chair of the IU Health West Region board of directors and the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, and president of Lafayette’s Board of Public Works and Safety.
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — An Indianapolis mother is now facing criminal charges after her 2-month-old baby died in an apparent improper co-sleeping environment, according to investigators.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX 59/CBS 4, police were called to an area hospital on Sept. 19, 2024, following the death of 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis’ son. The boy had been found unresponsive in his family’s home early that morning, and Davis attempted CPR before he was rushed to the hospital.
The affidavit says the boy had been sleeping on Davis’ bed with his 6-year-old brother. Davis later showed investigators a video showing the baby sleeping chest down on the 6-year-old’s chest.
An autopsy concluded the baby’s cause of death was “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, which included being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items; discovered unresponsive in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
A report from the Department of Child Services (DCS) indicated the boy had no known health issues and that Davis ran an FSSA-licensed day care and has “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
Davis had been known to DCS prior to the baby’s death. The boy had been born marijuana-positive and, on July 2, 2024, Davis had reportedly signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan,” acknowledging she understood that the safest places for her baby to sleep were in a crib, pack-and-play or bassinet and warned that co-sleeping places the baby at risk of suffocation and sleeping areas should be kept free of blankets, pillows and other items. The plan also included a provision that Davis not use marijuana while caring for her children, but she told investigators during an interview that, the morning of her baby’s death, she had gone downstairs to smoke marijuana and left the children alone upstairs.
Davis’ two other children were removed from the home, and interviews with them revealed that co-sleeping with the infant happened often.
Investigators say they attempted to contact Davis several times after talking to her children.
“She called me on February 18, 2025, and said she didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “Brooklyn never came in for an additional interview.”
Court records indicate the case was filed in March 2026. Davis was booked into jail on April 1 on three counts of neglect of a dependent. An initial hearing was held on April 7, and a bail review hearing is planned for Monday.
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