Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills

Join us this week for a short episode as we share our plans for the summer and announce a short break before season 3! We are working on some big things behind the scenes and we can't wait to unleash them on the world :)  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn to stay up to date on all that is Bailing Out Benji! 

On this week's episode, Kristen and Mindi sit down to recap the latest conference we attended! At the end of May, Mindi and Alexis hit the road to attend the Canine Welfare Science Conference at Purdue University, where they met up with a Bailing Out Benji volunteer attending in person while another joined virtually from home. What happens when animal welfare advocates pull up a chair at tabl...

On this week's episode of "Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills" we chat about the community vaccine clinic that our little nonprofit fully sponsored! We do this annually in partnership with our city shelter, and this year we had a record-breaking year. After the spots filled up within a day, the shelter asked us if we could sponsor twice the amount of animals! This isn't a cost they a...

Through our work, we are blessed to be surrounded by amazing people who are doing amazing things for animals (and the humans that love them!)- like Austin and Jodi with the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown. This dynamic duo has done incredible work in getting their rural shelter noticed by their community and by national organizations!  Tune in this week to hear more about the issues that shel...

This week, Mindi and Kristen kick off the episode by chatting about our experience with a local company that spent time with us to create videos and PSAs for our social media channels. We've learned a lot about what gets picked up on different platforms the best, and we've also learned to let ourselves look a little silly online (if that means more people see our message!)  This episode...

Y'all this week we are TIRED! Kristen flew across the country to table at her first ever national conference and then we recorded this one day after she got back (and one hour after our monthly free pet food pantry!)  So you are most definitely getting our sharpest thoughts and sweaty selves today :)  Tune into this fun episode where Kristen shares the information she learned while being out...

On this week's episode of "Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills", Alexis, Kristen, and Mindi talk about the recent puppy mill bust in Indiana and how lax laws across the country allow for animals to fall between the cracks. We discuss our research into the recently cancelled licensed breeders and talk about what steps can be taken to make laws more uniform across the country.  To view the n...

Our little baby organization is officially 15 years old! So much has happened during that time and we have already accomplished so much. Tune in this week as Kristen and Mindi walk back through time and chat about some of the biggest ways that our work has had an influence on the world- and vice versa. We have lofty goals for the future and we can't do it without you!  Please consider making...

For years, “animal rescue” meant putting animals first no matter what. But the conversation is quickly changing and, because of that, so is the impact. In our latest podcast episode, Kristen and Jalaine sit down with Cayla from The Pet Project Midwest and Abbey from The Animal Rescue League of Iowa to discuss how our organizations work together regularly to share food and resources so we can help...

On this week's episode, Mindi and Kristen take a closer look at the conversation around animal rights and animal welfare. These two approaches are often talked about, but are not always understood or recognized as two different belief systems. We explore where these perspectives come from, where they overlap, and how they shape the way people work to help animals. As always, we are having ano...

What happens when the work you love starts to shape who you are or when the baggage you carry dictates where you go? In this week's episode, Jalaine and Kristen dig into something we don’t talk about enough in animal welfare: trauma. Not just the heartbreak we witness, but how it compounds over time with case after case and story after story. All of that begins to live in us and influences ou...

As our research has expanded over the years, our understanding of the industry has deepened. With that came a strong sense of responsibility to turn away from generalizations and approximations, and instead focus on what we know... The research and the data that comes from it.  Alexis says it perfectly: "With great research, comes great responsibility".   Tune in this week as Jalaine, Al...

On this week's episode of "Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills", we invite you to step outside of the usual outrage cycle and into something a little more nuanced and hopeful. As the USDA proposes changes that could reshape oversight of the commercial breeding industry, we go back to the question that drives our work: what if real change isn’t about calling out individuals, but about creat...

After a busy few weeks, Mindi and Kristen are back in the nook talking updates! On this week's episode we chat about Mindi's trip to DC and how she was able to learn from a few Chiefs of Staff about effective advocacy and how to get your message heard. We also talk about Kristen's first experience tuning into a hearing about a puppy store ban and we talk about the negative side effe...

This week Alexis and Kristen sit down with our intern/part time employee Clarisse to talk about her passion for animals and how she found our organization! We met Clarisse through the group she volunteered for "Students Helping Rescue Animals". 

On this week's episode of "Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills", join Alexis, Kristen, and Mindi as we chat through the USDA's plan on how they will be cracking down on puppy mills. We talk about what they say, what we think, and what we hope will come of this initiative.  We also talk about how our online research will be a crucial tool for the USDA and state agencies as they begin t...

On this week's episode, join Mindi and Alexis as they chat about the release of our NEW directory! This website allows you to see even more of our research at your finger tips. You can search pet stores, online websites, breeders, brokers, and compare your state laws to others! We are proud to be the resource that people have come to trust for the most current and accurate data surrounding th...

This week we invite you to tune in and listen to our stream of consciousness as we try to work through some of the harder conversations surrounding pedigrees and breeds! We want to remind people that we always tell you what we absolutely know, and then we tell you what we don't know but think or have opinions on.  As we dive into different perspectives on issues like registries, doodles, and...

This week Alexis and Mindi chat with Rosie, our part-time assistant research analyst! On top of working 911 dispatch in Des Moines, Iowa and monitoring USDA records for our team, Rosie volunteers for two Shiba Inu rescues. Listen as we talk about rescue missions, creeping from the road, and the heartbreaking side of getting discarded dogs from puppy mills. Rosie also shares her perspective on our...

The words we use every day matter. They shape perception, they influence behavior, and they have the power to tear someone down or build them up. After taking the time to reflect on puppy mill advocacy and the language we use, our team sat down and started writing down the different ways our own terminology has evolved over the last few years. Join Mindi and Kristen this week as they chat through...

In today’s brief episode, we’re pausing our regular programming to acknowledge the heaviness that so many of us are carrying. At Bailing Out Benji, our work is rooted in research, accountability, and protecting dogs and their families from harm, but today we’re showing up as people before we show up as advocates. This raw episode is a reminder to breathe, to step back if you need to, and to give y...

This week's episode was recorded back in November, but the sentiment remains the same! The times are changing and we are excited to be leading the charge.  Sit with Alexis, Kristen, and Mindi as they chat about a few conferences they attended at the end of last year and how the vibe is evolving among advocates. More people are seeing the importance of laying down the swords and working togeth...

What if the way we talk about animal welfare is just as important as the policies we fight for? In this episode, we’re joined by Hanna Lentz from SPARC for a candid and necessary conversation about the messaging that happens in the animal welfare world. How everything we say shapes public perception and affects real-world outcomes for animals and the people who love them. We dig into our everyday...

HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome back to Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills! Join Alexis, Jalaine, Kristen, and Mindi this week as we chat about the impact that we had in 2025 and what our goals are for 2026. With an amazing volunteer team and a world of support, we are ready to be an even more effective voice for all the dogs, cats, and consumers out there. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 

Happy Wednesday and thank you for joining us for another week of "Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills!" Tune in to this very short episode to hear why we are taking a little break from recording and when to expect us back!  If you have ever learned from us or from this show, please consider sending a year-end donation over to help us continue our work!  https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/