Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills – Details, episodes & analysis

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Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills

Bailing Out Benji

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/8d. Total Eps: 59

We are bringing podcast back!! This will allow our team to go in-depth on the various facets of the puppy mill industry, the issues that advocates across the country face, as well as interviews with industry experts as we all work together to create lasting change for the animals trapped in commercial breeding facilities.

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Score global : 52%

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Ep40: Rethinking Puppy Mill Messaging

Season 2 · Episode 40

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 • Duration 01:04:41

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/

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Ep39: This Is Not Normal...

Season 2 · Episode 39

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • Duration 27:26

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.

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Ep30: Thirty and Thriving!

Season 2 · Episode 30

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 • Duration 46:11

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 Jalaine had a lot of fun editing! Listeners of our show sent in questions that they've had since they began tuning in and we had fun talking things through. The conversation ran so long that we will actually have a part 2 next week!

If you have questions that you would like to write in or record yourself asking, please reach out to us at info@bailingoutbenji.com . We would love to answer them on an upcoming episode!

We know that this conversation is rarely easy, but thank you for sitting with us in the discomfort as we keep learning to grow and evolve as animal welfare advocates!

In today's show we reference the following study:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23634679/

Don't forget to donate to keep your favorite anti-puppy mill advocates recording and researching!
https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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Ep29: Cracks in the System: The Daniel Gingerich Case

Season 2 · Episode 29

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 • Duration 58:07

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 problematic breeders to stay in business. We also chat about unlikely allies in this case that could have helped save dogs a lot earlier, had we been open enough to reach out. For those who listened to our first podcast and followed this journey, please sit down and revisit the case, as we look back at it with all of the information that was missing the first time.

When we know better, we can do better. but first we have to acknowledge that there is growth to be had!

*Also, we misspoke during this episode. It was a $100,000 grant.

*Please remember that the discussions we have are our opinions from our lens of work. We are not speaking on behalf of anyone else or organization*

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Ep28: The Good, the Bad, and the Steve

Season 2 · Episode 28

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 • Duration 01:05:29

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 talk about one of the most glaring examples of what the public thinks when they picture a puppy mill. We talk about a facility that has dozens of violations (including direct and critical) and has had multiple suspensions, yet still somehow sells his puppies to brokers and pet stores across the country! Sit with us this week as we talk through an extremely frustrating part of our work and let us catch you up on some of the tea :)

Oh- and don't forget to send a little support our way! Our small but mighty nonprofit is putting in the work to put an end to puppy mill cruelty: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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Ep27: Puppies, People, and Purpose

Season 2 · Episode 27

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 43:35

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://store.bailingoutbenji.com

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Ep26: The Case of the Disappearing Puppies

Season 2 · Episode 26

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 • Duration 50:39

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 were leaving some of the worst facilities in Iowa only to be delivered to names and addresses that didn't exist!

As usual-- sit with us to talk about the messy and don't hesitate to get involved in the conversation :) We would love to hear from you!

To read more about our investigation and the LA times article: https://bailingoutbenji.com/ca-puppies/

To support our work: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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Ep25: Sham, Retail, or Real? Let's Talk Rescue!

Season 2 · Episode 25

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 54:34

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 that buy puppies or dogs from breeders and then adopt them out for higher prices in their own communities.

Join us for a conversation about how puppy mill dogs find their way into rescue and which situations feel a little yucky.

If you would like to support our work: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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Ep24: Laws and Pitfalls Part 2

Season 2 · Episode 24

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 • Duration 32:05

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 retail rescues!

In this episode, we mention "The Puppy Kingpin" a podcast that Sony productions published that covers our early investigative work into California. You can learn more and listen here: https://bailingoutbenji.com/puppy-laundering/

Don't forget, we are a very small organization and every donation matters! Please consider giving back and help us continue our work: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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Ep 23: Laws and Pitfalls

Season 2 · Episode 23

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 • Duration 42:19

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 advocacy organizations to make sure that policy matches the needs of each community. It is also important to make sure that we aren't just passing laws and leaving, without studying the ramifications of our legislation.

In this episode, we discuss "The Puppy Kingpin" a podcast that Sony productions published that covers our early investigative work into California. You can learn more and listen here: https://bailingoutbenji.com/puppy-laundering/

Don't forget, we are a very small organization and every donation matters! Please consider giving back and help us continue our work: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

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Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Truth, Lies, and Puppy Mills – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other35

Amazon2

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other35

Amazon2

Facebook1