Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills

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/

In this lighthearted episode full of laughter and smiles, we sit down with two members of Bailing Out Benji’s admin who help drive our mission every day: Alexis , our research analyst, and Jalaine , our volunteer coordinator. They share how their roles intersect through the incredible work of our volunteers, what collaboration looks like behind the scenes, and how partnering on presentations has s...

Last week you heard us talk about the online world of puppy sales and what our team is doing to try and get a handle on it! This week Alexis and Kristen sit down with Ally and Sarah , two of our volunteers who helped jumpstart our online research. Join us as we chat with them about what it takes to find unlicensed breeders online, and what it takes to create a profile to sell online!  Thank you fo...

On this week's episode, Alexis, Kristen, and Mindi dig deep into the world of online puppy mills. We talk about the history of regulation and go into the work we are doing to try and wrangle the wild-wild-west of puppy sales.  Love this topic? Next week we sit down with a few of our volunteers to talk about what doing this work looks like!  Want a Benji shirt? Check out our pop up store here:...

We didn't know what to expect when we opened ourselves up for questions, but we are here to answer all of them- even the tough ones!  Join us this week as we wrap up with part two of our Q&A style episode and continue having nuanced conversations about our work and the puppy mill industry. Remember, we aren't here to force you to think like us! We are offering different perspectives...

Whoop whoop! Our team has released 30 episodes so far!! Thank you for sticking with us as we found our groove. We have had thousands of listeners tuning in on various podcast apps and several dozen watching each week through Youtube! We are hearing from advocates and volunteers who love the content each week, as well as from people in the pet industry that are curious about how they can participat...

The Daniel Gingerich puppy mill case was one of the hardest cases we have ever worked on. In 2021 we helped shut down the worst USDA licensed dog breeder in history, but it didn’t come without learning some lessons and hard truths. As we come upon the 4 year anniversary of the seizure and rescue of all of the dogs on his property, Mindi and Kristen chat about how laws and regulations often enable...

Steve, Steve, Steve... We can't seem to keep his name out of our mouths! As TSwift might say, "it's actually romantic" how often we talk about Steve Kruse, owner of Stonehenge Kennels in Iowa- lol- okay maybe not. But in all reality he is just kind of everywhere and he seemingly evades all consequences! The tentacles that this person has within the puppy mill industry would sho...

This week, our admin team sits down and talks about the importance of gathering together with our supporters in person to share our work. Community is extremely important and having connections in our home state and across the country are what make Bailing Out Benji so successful in our mission.  Thank you for tuning in this week!  Shop for our Paw and Order shirts or other merch here: https://sto...

On this week's episode, Mindi and Kristen discuss our investigation into "California and the Case of the Disappearing Puppies". While this specific research project led to a story with the LA Times and subsequent bills being filed, it also caused some hard discussions with our colleagues about how to best tackle new issues as they come up. Our research found that hundreds of puppies...

Today we dive head first into the world of rescue. We start off by talking about 'sham rescues', those that are shell companies for the puppy mill industry, and then get into the messy discussion of 'retail rescues'. Retail rescue is a newer term that has been used most frequently by the pet industry to highlight why rescues need more regulation. These are typically rescues tha...

We had SO much to say about the most common puppy mill laws (and their pitfalls!) that we broke this episode into 2 parts! Make sure that you listen to part 1 before diving in. We finish up this two-part episode by discussing sourcing laws, state registries, and shutting down puppy mills with animal cruelty laws! Next week we continue the conversation about laws by discussing sham rescues and reta...

Sit with us this week as we dive into the most common types of puppy mill legislation that advocates work on! In this two-part episode, we discuss some of the biggest pieces of legislation that has been passed and what the research shows happened after the laws went into effect.  We called this episode "laws and pitfalls" because no piece of legislation is perfect and it is up to advocac...

We also don't know what Skibidi means (besides everything and nothing?) but we are in it now. Carsten and Gus are here for this week's episode and they tell us all about Bailing Out Benji and the animal welfare world through the lens of (almost) teenagers. These two keep us laughing and have a surprising grasp on some pretty complex issues.  Carsten was recently named our "Youth Vol...

On this week's episode, Jalaine, Kristen, and Mindi sit down and discuss "Kibbles for a Cause"- the newly formed coalition between Central Iowa groups who provide pet food assistance to families! They also take the time to share what every day people can do to help provide pet food to families, without starting an entire new pantry themselves... Beyond that... The episode was a litt...

On this week's episode, Mindi, Kristen, and Jalaine get all dressed up to talk about our Gala! The intent of the episode is to give a glimpse of what the night is like and why we host this kind of event :) We also have many ways that you can support us during the evening in person AND from afar!  If you can join us in person, please get your tickets soon, as we are almost to our limit:  https...