Is there any chance you will be getting a puppy for someone you love for Christmas? The number of family pets in the United States exploded during the COVID era and apparently has not backed off.
Reports suggest that we have nearly 200 million pets (dogs and cats), double the number in 1996. We have a problem generating enough dogs in the United States to supply the annual replacement rate and increase the number each family has. I am on this topic for several reasons, one because I recently watched the Fox news show My View with Lara Trump, supporting the pet shelters and rescues.
My first exposure to the daughter-in-law of Donald Trump was during the fight to save greyhound racing in Florida. We were on opposite sides of the issue as I was fighting to keep it and Lara Trump partnered with then Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to eliminate it. They won and today there are only two greyhound racetracks left in the U.S., both in West Virginia. It was clear, in my opinion, this pair were animal rights zealots and perpetuated many myths about animal ownership to gain public support.
When Mindy Patterson, president of the Cavalry Group, suggested I watch Lara’s roundtable discussion about dog rescue on Dec. 20, 2025, I was not going to miss it. Trump had three guests including U.S. Attorney General Bondi, Human and Health Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who said “puppy mills” at least 12 times.
The Animal Welfare Act is the act and order that requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to license and inspect dog breeding “facilities”. The act itself was passed in 1966, but it is the modifications made in 2006 and 2010 that led to problems. If you have more than four breeding-age females and sell dogs for resale or to dealers, you must be licensed.
Someone please tell me what a “puppy mill” is”? I do not believe puppy mills exist, but watching this show and listening to Rollins, you would think it is a big problem and the current administration will end it.
The absolute worst environment animals could be in are the unregulated rescues and pet shelters all across this country that may receive funding through the USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program. USDA, in my opinion, discriminates against families breeding dogs to supply the need, but financially assists the rescues that bring in dogs from Mexico, Ukraine, China, and other unregulated countries. USDA-licensed dog breeders produce less than 2 million dogs annually, while the demand sits at 9 million. Where do all these dogs come from?
While I could go on about the dangers regarding USDA and all animal ownership, I really need to address something Kennedy said. He was speaking about the HHS trying to move away from vivisection. He spoke of the beagles and primates used in human disease research and said it was done solely for profit. While I don’t have a basis to argue that point, it sounds hypocritical coming from a man with the wealth of the Kennedy fortune. Let’s take a look at the wealth of these dog heroes.
It turns out that Kennedy is the low man on the totem pole in net worth with a nest egg of around $15 million. Bondi, who had little wealth at the end of her tenure in Florida, is reportedly worth $18 million thanks to “lobbying” and “consulting.” Lara Trump reportedly earned her wealth outside of the Trump family in production and political activities to amass about $20 million.
Rollins reports a personal net worth of somewhere between $1 and 5 million, mostly because of the $1 million she was paid by American First Policy Institute for political work in Washington. But there is more. Brooke is married to Mark Rollins, a political strategist and co-founder of Redwave Strategies, with an estimated net worth of $28 million. His 85% ownership in Redwave Strategies is valued at $18 million.
President Donald Trump coined the phrase “drain the swamp” and I am here to tell you he has intentionally surrounded himself in the swamp. Merry puppy-free Christmas!
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the views of High Plains Journal. Trent Loos is a sixth-generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show “Loos Tales” and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.LoosTales.com, or email Trent at [email protected].