TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Animal welfare advocates say Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors are reluctant to give violations to pet breeders who don’t meet state standards, instead providing them with notes on things that need fixing.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports more than 200 KDA inspections of licensed breeders in fiscal year 2013 recorded no violations, including in cases were the inspector wrote notes indicating a violation had existed.

Of 13 “problem dealers” in the state identified by the Humane Society of the United States, the KDA last year didn’t inspect six, cited two and found no violations for the remaining five.

Michael Faurot, director of the KDA’s animal facilities inspections, says the agency tries to be consistent and noted conditions cited by investigators in some of the reports sounded like violations to him.