Advertise on podcast: Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills

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 support families in need. Through our community work, each organization has come to understand that when families are given dignity, and access to support, it is easier for them to keep their pets. This means that more dogs and cats get to stay home with their families, where they belong.  This conversation is honest, hopeful, and a glimpse into a future where helping people is how we save animals. Join us this week to learn about how our work is helping to reshape what the animal welfare world looks like by supporting not just pets, but the people who love them. 

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 take to create change.

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 our choices.  We are joined by Emily, a licensed mental health counselor to explore what it means when your identity becomes intertwined with the work and why that can make change feel so personal (and so hard). This is an honest conversation about burnout, boundaries, and the emotional weight behind doing this work. 

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.  Haven't checked out our database in a while? We are adding to it and expanding to it daily. You can view it here: https://directory.bailingoutbenji.com/

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 creating systems that actually improve dogs’ lives over time? Today you will hear us speak candidly and honestly about our field research and the Canine Care program, including a visit to a kennel we first saw after their former USDA violation photos were circulated. A year later, we were invited in to see what had changed and what that progress says about the role that support, accountability, and consistency can play in helping to improve the lives of dogs. Thank you for being here and for helping us create a world where we can work together for change, instead of yelling at each other in policy rooms.  This seems like a good spot to put our "Advocacy without Pitchforks" article. Please read it and consider sharing the work we are doing: https://bailingoutbenji.com/advocacy-without-pitchforks/

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.  Don't forget to join us for next week's episode, as we continue this conversation but dive into Mindi's trip to visit a breeder with USDA violations who sells to pet stores.  

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 their quest to bring breeders who sell online into compliance. Learn more about what we know about online brokers here: https://directory.bailingoutbenji.com/online-seller-directory

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 the puppy mill industry.  To view our new directory, click here: https://directory.bailingoutbenji.com/ And don't forget to support our nonprofit and mission here: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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 continue to be the best advocates that we can be for dogs in every kind of situation.  Also, Kristen pretends that she is above being trendy. But even she bought our latest shirt... Have you? The sale ends Friday: https://www.bonfire.com/bailing-out-benji-1/

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 field research and how it challenged her to evolve how she works to end this inhumane industry.  In this episode we feature Kita, a former mama shiba that has been looking for her forever home for too long. Click this link to learn more about Kita and consider opening your home to this independent lady: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/kita-90486212-1f00-4781-bfd8-79a2ddd9a1ff/ia/bondurant/shiba-inu-rescue-association-il484/details/

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 did meet her own challenge! You can read some of these language changes online here: https://bailingoutbenji.com/rethinking-puppy-mill-messaging/

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 yourself permission to rest in a world that too often feels relentless. You don’t need to have the right words, the right politics, or the right energy to listen, only your humanity.

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, and the unintended ripples (both positive and negative) that follow our words long after the conversation ends. From advocacy burnout to public backlash to unexpected allies, this episode explores how tone, framing, and empathy can either move people toward change or push them further away. Thank you for joining us again this week and for being with us on this journey!  To learn more about SPARC visit: https://www.sparcinsight.org/

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 together to create change for animals and the people who love them. Civil discourse with people who don't act like you or think like you is what challenges us all to grow and we are excited to continue using our skills to build a new path.  Thank you for being on the journey with us!