Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills

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 a donation today in honor of our birthday and help us continue our work: https://secure.everyacti...

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 another nuanced discussion, one that reflects the complexity of this work and the different paths people ...

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, Alexis, and Kristen chat about our database and the different ways we hope that people will use it....

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 effects of both 'sides' filling the room with people who all essentially say the same thing... for 7 hours straight....

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 their quest to bring breeders who sell online into compliance. Learn more about what we know about online brokers...

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 consumers, please remember that we bring these issues up and talk through them so we can all cont...

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 some of these language changes and then reach out to us to share your thoughts! And Mindi d...

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 interactions with the public- the moments that build trust, the moments that shut people down, an...

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!

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 strengthened both their work and their friendship. It's an uplifting peek into the people-powered en...

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: https://pmapparel.chipply.com/store.aspx?eid=440338

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 participate in the animal welfare conversation. Today's episode is a fun patchwork episode that Jala...

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 shock you, but that doesn't stop us from trying to hold him accountable every way that we can. In this episode we ...