We are a small, Iowa-based nonprofit that is focused on creating change through kindness and compassion. At Bailing Out benji we are your neighbors who believe people deserve real information before they bring a dog into their family and that animals deserve the best care and conditions, no matter where they are living. What started as one story turned into the largest research based nonprofit, built so that anyone- a family, a shelter, a policymaker- can access data that, until us, simply didn’t exist anywhere else.
The need for Bailing Out Benji began years before our founding, and it was ignited the moment a young college girl bought a puppy from a pet store. She made a rushed decision because she fell in love with a puppy, not because she was ready or even knew where the puppy came from.
In fact, nobody warned her to ask where he came from, so she didn’t.
That experience became the foundation for an organization built on a simple belief: most people who end up supporting a puppy mill didn’t mean to. They didn’t have the information beforehand to make an educated decision. So in 2011, Bailing Out Benji was founded and began to close that gap- not with guilt- but with data, transparency, and tools people could actually use before they buy.
Fifteen years later, we are a national nonprofit based in Ames, Iowa, and we maintain the largest dog breeder, sales, and rescue database in the country. We are your favorite organization’s favorite puppy mill research group. We are the ones the industry look to for current and accurate information.
We call our approach “advocacy without pitchforks.”
We don’t believe that every breeder is running a puppy mill, and we don’t believe that shame or judgement changes minds (or hearts). We believe real change comes from proximity, not pitchforks and from research, relationships, and access, not from writing people off.
We work from within the industry, not just against it. We engage directly with thought leaders within the breeding industry, conduct field research at licensed facilities, and work with programs and agencies to raise welfare standards from the inside.
We arm consumers with the truth. Through our research and our free Search Engine, we give people the tools to make an informed choice before they ever put down a deposit on a puppy.
We provide the most current and accurate data surrounding the industry, so that advocates and lawmakers can see the gaps in their communities in order to create effective solutions for dogs that exist in the breeding ecosystem.
We monitor more than 5,100 licensed dog and cat breeders and dealers nationwide on both the federal and state level, as well as track over 100,000 unlicensed breeders across the country- and file a lot FOIA requests to keep that data current. Our 2025 national research is the first of its kind in the industry:
A free, public tool that lets anyone look up a breeder before they buy a puppy.
We build evidence-based referral packages using our FOIA in order to bring unlicensed facilities into regulatory compliance and refer serious violators to regulatory and law enforcement partners for action.
Our team conducts in-person visits with licensed breeders to document conditions firsthand, distinguish responsible breeding practices from inhumane facilities, and encourage elevated animal welfare standards beyond regulation.
Because we believe that loved pets belong at home with their families and not in the shelter, we operate a local pet food pantry serving a four county area and keep over 1,400 pets fed
On top of our academic research which is referenced by teachers, policy makers, and advocates across the country, Bailing Out Benji is also a thought leader when it comes to upstream work and when it comes to creating systemic change in an industry that has historically rejected it. Occasionally we will write thoughtful pieces about our experience in the field. You can read some of those below:
Our team forensically audits USDA and state inspection records to give the public unbiased, accurate information. We also monitor puppy sales across the country, including to pet stores, brokers, rescues, dog auctions, and online websites.
Rely on shock value or graphic content to make our case. We believe that real change comes from following the data and the strategies that are supported by it.
Practice advocacy without pitchforks: We meet people where they are, including those within the industry who are working towards better welfare.
Assume everyone who buys a puppy or breeds dogs is the enemy. Lasting change comes from listening and finding common ground.
Make our research freely available to the public: We have built the largest database in the nation regarding breeders, puppy mills, stores, websites and more in order to show the full landscape of the puppy acquisition industry.
Gatekeep information: Transparency isn’t just our mission, it’s how we operate. We believe that an educated public will help us put an end to the cruelty once and for all.
Empower consumers with the knowledge to make humane choices: We are committed to meeting the public where they are at in order to help them make the safest and most humane choice for their family, long before they ever walk in a store or click “ship”.
We study the affects of legislation or lack of regulation across the country in order to find the most impactful and strategic ways to help the dogs that exist in the commercial breeding system.
Backed by years of field research and public records, here is what the data actually shows about how the licensed and unlicensed dog breeding world operates in the United States.
Alexis Bell is the Research Analyst for Bailing Out Benji. Alexis is an Iowa State University graduate who majored in Animal Science and minored in Philosophy and Political Science. She was first introduced to Bailing Out Benji through the ISU club “Students Helping Rescue Animals” after Mindi presented at one of their meetings. After hearing about the work BOB does, Alexis reached out to intern with BOB the summer before her senior year and then ended up joining the team full time after she graduated.
For questions about our research, you can contact Alexis.
Jalaine Crees is the Volunteer Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Bailing Out Benji. Prior to joining the Bailing Out Benji team, Jalaine worked in childcare for ten years and has a degree in Early Childhood Education. She was first introduced to Bailing Out Benji after meeting Mindi at work! The two shared a deep passion for education and for animals and that continues to grow now that Jalaine has joined the Bailing Out Benji team!
For questions about volunteering with Bailing Out Benji or ways to support our nonprofit, you can contact Jalaine.
Kristen Petty is Bailing Out Benji’s Finance and Operations Director! Prior to joining the Bailing Out Benji team, Kristen worked for a children’s mental health nonprofit organization for 24 Years! She has always been active in our organization, both with gala planning and helping with our pet food pantry.
For questions about how to support our nonprofit, you can contact Kristen.
Mindi founded Bailing Out Benji in 2011 at just 21 years old after falling victim to the puppy mill industry by way of a local pet store, who offered her a credit card with high interest and sold her a puppy from a notoriously bad facility. Upon learning about the cruelty of puppy mills and learning about the predatory lending practices that these businesses utilize to take advantage of low-income families, Mindi knew that she needed to act. She has since devoted her life trying to fix this problem so that no dog or family ever has to suffer at the hands of greed.
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Backed by years of field research and public records, here is what the data actually shows about how the licensed and unlicensed dog breeding world operates in the United States.
