Puppy Mill Free Illinois

07/01/2025

For the first time ever, the commercial dog breeding industry has been audited! Advocates now have actual data that can be backed up with research, in order to continue their work fighting puppy mills and inhumane resellers!

06/17/2025

Bailing Out Benji just released our latest project! We have the most conclusive database regarding breeders and how they sell 💙

We are thrilled to announce our new search engine that allows the public, advocates, and policymakers to instantly do their research into licensed dog breeders across the country! The online search tool is a companion to our database where we are currently tracking 4,445 licensed dog and cat breeders, as well as thousands of unlicensed facilities and canceled licenses.

You can view our search engine and methodology here:
https://bailingoutbenji.com/search-engine/

Why is this important? Because our unique research shows that:

[41%] of the licensed breeders we are tracking have state or federal violations in the last 5 years.

[36%] of the licensed breeders who supplied pet stores in the last three years had state or federal violations.

[42%] of the licensed breeders we have found to be supplying online brokering websites had state or federal violations.

It is often easier for the public to find a puppy mill or inhumane breeder than a responsible one! While inspection records only show one part of an operation, until now it was nearly impossible for anyone to access state records or even know how to access the USDA. We want our search engine to be one tool in the toolbox in the fight to end puppy mills by helping consumers make responsible purchases.

Please support our work today, so we can continue doing the research that matters! The dogs can't thank you, but we can 💙
https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

04/01/2025

Bailing Out Benji just released our latest investigation into Puppies.com ! This is a preliminary report, but you will see that some of the active users on the website have some truly heartbreaking violations.

This is why it is important for the public to research before they buy or look for their next pet at a rescue/shelter. Cruelty stays in business because consumers fund it through their purchases.

https://bailingoutbenji.com/puppiesdotcom/

01/17/2025

You can be anyone you want online.
So can puppy mills.

You can be anyone you want online.
So can puppy mills.

John Kowal is a perfect example of that. Kowal holds a New York state license and was found to have 3 critical violations in 2024. A quick search of his phone number shows us that he is selling puppies on (at least) 10 different websites that are all breed specific- making it seem as though he is a small, specialized breeder.

Kowal, of course, makes no mention of his violations or his identity on his websites. We also have evidence that he is brokering without a USDA license.

Read more about our latest investigation here:
https://bailingoutbenji.com/whats-in-a-number/

01/14/2025

Last month the Puppy Mill Free Illinois Bailing Out Benji team got to educate folks at a craft fair event hosted by A Tail of 4 Paws Animal Rescue

01/14/2025

Just a friendly reminder from the Puppy Mill Free Illinois Bailing Out Benji Team that there a bunch of cute puppies out there waiting to be adopted. While our team was at an event educating about puppy mills, we met these guys from Chicago Rescue Authority

01/05/2025

Buyer Beware! Puppies for Profit is the name of the game!

Forgive the graphic nature of our post, but this is the reality of buying puppies without researching where your puppy was born. No matter how the breeder is selling, there is always a possibility that they are running a cruel and inhumane facility. We have to reach potential puppy buyers and educate them- without shame- or they will continue financially supporting puppy mills.

The photos on the left were taken at the Hargis facility in January 2024, while the screenshot of their profile on Puppies.com was taken today. If a customer were to google "Hargis Sunshine Kennel", they would be able to read about years of violations, but third party brokering websites make it seem like you don't have to.

Featured breeder? Check!
USDA and State licensed? Check!
Small Kennel? Check!
Longstanding member? You bet!
A long list of recent violations and bad inspection photos? No mention of those...

Buying a puppy without getting to know the breeder is dangerous. Not only are the parents often living in substandard conditions, but you could have very minimal legal recourse if your puppy is sick, dies, or never existed at all.

Our nonprofit helps hundreds of families each year file complaints on the breeders and businesses they have bought sick puppies from. It is a heartbreaking part of our work, but very important. We are lucky to also get emails from people who research before they buy and want our advice so they don't support these kinds of places.

We need to keep encouraging the latter, if we want to see an end to puppy mills.

01/04/2025

Just some more pictures of the puppies Puppy Mill Free Illinois team got to play with while educating about puppy mills. Some of these puppies are still available for adoption along with a bunch of others at Chicago Rescue Authority

01/04/2025

The Puppy Mill Free IllinoisBailing Out Benji team also got to hang out with the adoptable puppies at Chicago Rescue Authority at Midwest Rescue of Illinois, Inc. Rescue Fest!

01/03/2025

Here are some more pictures from Midwest Rescue of Illinois, Inc. Rescue Fest where the Puppy Mill Free IllinoisBailing Out Benji team was busy educating about the puppy selling stores & online puppy selling websites connection to puppy mills. The team also got to meet Dottie who is up for adoption Midwest Rescue of Illinois, Inc.

01/03/2025

In November, the Puppy Mill Free Illinois Bailing Out Benjiattended an event by Midwest Rescue of Illinois, Inc. and got to hang out with these precious little ones up for adoption at ARF - Animal Rescue Foundation. Please check out these two amazing rescues for your next best friend!

01/03/2025

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Please take a moment to read through the violations and see just how many breeding dogs these breeders have on their properties. One guess where many of these dogs are sold -

Online websites that "click and ship" and "puppy selling stores"

1. Reputable breeders don't send puppies off to someone they have never met!

2. Reputable breeders don't sell dogs to third party sites like puppy selling stores.

The name of the game for breeders that do above is Puppies for PROFIT!

It is time for our latest USDA Violation Report! We have adjusted our layout to more easily showcase the most egregious violations and warnings.

This quarter, 41% of the violations were pertaining to veterinary care or attending veterinarian/adequate veterinary care. The 5 states that appeared in our report the most were Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.

https://bailingoutbenji.com/2024-usda-q3/