Two Manorville dog breeders named in ‘Horrible Hundred’ puppy mill report

Two Manorville dog breeders were named in a new national report identifying 100 “problem puppy mills and puppy sellers” across the country — including one kennel whose owner was charged last month with animal neglect.

The report, titled “The Horrible Hundred,” was released by Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. It lists breeders and sellers tied to recent violations or concerns, including inspection records, enforcement actions, court records, consumer complaints and undercover investigations.

Blue Ribbon Puppies and Sportsman’s Kennels, both in Manorville, were the only Long Island locations named. Seven other New York breeders also made the list.

“The public has the power to make an enormous difference in stopping puppy mills like the ones in this report,” the report reads. “We encourage choosing adoption first when getting a pet or purchasing only from carefully screened breeders after in-person meetings.”

Blue Ribbon Puppies owner John Kowal was charged last month with nearly two dozen counts of animal neglect after a state inspection found dogs on his property without adequate food, water and other basic care. 

The charges came after Mr. Kowal brought inspectors to his property during an unannounced visit on Feb. 24. Prosecutors said when they got to where he allegedly keeps the dogs and puppies, they saw snow obstructing access to the building, indicating to them that no one had visited the dogs inside for at least 48 hours. 

Mr. Kowal then allegedly shoveled a path for the inspectors to access the facility, where they allegedly saw 23 dogs and puppies living in indoor and outdoor kennels.

Inspectors cited several critical violations, including accumulated feces, frozen water and cramped conditions that restricted the animals’ movement. The building’s temperature was also not properly regulated to protect against extreme cold; after inspectors raised concerns, Mr. Kowal turned on the heat, but the kennel reached only 43 degrees about an hour later.

Inspectors also found that several dogs had not received required rabies vaccinations, lacked proper licensing and did not have documented or implemented exercise plans.

The Humane World report said Mr. Kowal also received violations in 2024 and 2025 for dogs in need of veterinary care and other issues, including nine critical violations last year. His case is pending, according to the report. 

Sportsman’s Kennels, owned by Helen Camlakides, was named in the report for the sixth time. Humane World said the kennel was cited for state violations in May and December 2025 after previously appearing in five prior reports for recurring issues such as veterinary care and unsanitary conditions. 

Humane World said an undercover investigator worked at Sportsman’s Kennels last September and October 2025 and documented puppies in enclosures that were too small, mother dogs and at least one puppy missing significant amounts of fur, chewed enclosures, dirty conditions, roaches in dogs’ food and dogs with signs of eye or ear infections.

Investigators also described a room they called the “forgotten dogs room,” where dogs that were not currently breeding and puppies deemed unsellable allegedly remained in small enclosures for months with little enrichment and minimal care, according to the report.