Puppy Mill Free Iowa

12/29/2025

This state specific page is going away! Follow our nonprofit at Bailing Out Benji to stay up to date on all that we are working on and stay in touch with us through our mailing list to hear the latest puppy mill news and action alerts!

Sign up here: https://secure.everyaction.com/nJH9y8dAW0ilG7-xltxBQQ2

12/22/2025

Have you followed our nonprofit Bailing Out Benji yet? This state page will be going away soon. Follow our main page for the latest puppy mill investigations, important updates, and our Thursday event roundups highlighting upcoming weekend events across the country 🫶

12/19/2025

💌 Blu's gotta know... are you on our mailing list yet? 💌

By joining Bailing Out Benji's email list, you'll get updates on our latest research into the puppy mill industry, breaking investigations, action alerts, volunteer opportunities, and real stories about the dogs and people your support impacts! Our work is data-driven, transparent, and entirely focused on empowering the public to make informed, humane decisions. When you sign up, you're standing with a national nonprofit that exposes the truth, advocates for stronger protections, and helps families avoid supporting puppy mills- one educated consumer at a time. Together, we can create real, lasting change for dogs. 🫶

Sign up here: https://secure.everyaction.com/nJH9y8dAW0ilG7-xltxBQQ2

12/16/2025

Have you followed our nonprofit Bailing Out Benji yet? This state page will be going away soon! Be sure to follow our nonprofit's home page to stay up to date on our latest puppy mill investigations and news 🫶

12/12/2025

💌 Are you on our mailing list yet? 💌

By joining Bailing Out Benji's email list, you'll get updates on our latest research into the puppy mill industry, breaking investigations, action alerts, volunteer opportunities, and real stories about the dogs and people your support impacts! Our work is data-driven, transparent, and entirely focused on empowering the public to make informed, humane decisions. When you sign up, you're standing with a national nonprofit that exposes the truth, advocates for stronger protections, and helps families avoid supporting puppy mills- one educated consumer at a time. Together, we can create real, lasting change for dogs.

Sign up here: https://secure.everyaction.com/nJH9y8dAW0ilG7-xltxBQQ2

12/02/2025

We give a lot.

A lot of food.

A lot of advice.

A lot of research.

Bailing Out Benji is a nonprofit service that gives everything we have back to the communities that need it the most. For our local community, that means giving pet food in order to keep loved dogs and cats with their people and out of the shelter. For the puppy-buying community, that means instant access to information and tips on how to avoid puppy mills. And for the advocacy community, it means providing the most thorough and up-to-date research on the puppy mill industry so we have effective ways of putting an end to the cruelty.

At Bailing Out Benji we leave it all on the table and we hold nothing back. If we have it or know it, then we share it!

If our work has helped you, informed you, or inspired you- then please consider supporting us today. Your Giving Tuesday donation means full bowls, informed families, and continued research in the fight against puppy mills. Bailing Out Benji is a small, but mighty nonprofit and we will continue to do big things with you by our side!

To make a donation to support our nonprofit:
https://secure.everyaction.com/LT0t7MN4DEOSsBsgg1IC6A2

To send a bag of food our way:
https://www.chewy.com/g/bailing-out-benji_b92375826 -list&wishlistsortby=DEFAULT

The photo you see is of our pet food shelves currently! We are expecting to have a record number of families who need our help in about two weeks. Any support you can send our way will help us more than you know.

Thank you, thank you!

11/25/2025

We all know someone who has bought a puppy- whether that is a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, a family member (or even ourselves!) We can't cut those people out of this discussion, when those are the ones who need to know how to avoid puppy mills the most.

We are at the beginning of prime puppy-buying season and we need you to have these conversations with those in your life who are looking for a new companion. You can encourage adoption and help them see all of the amazing animals that are in shelters and rescues first by looking at Petfinder or AdoptAPet! But for those who are unwilling or unable to adopt, please kindly talk with them about the importance of doing their research before they buy.

Share our nonprofit with them and let them know that we are here to help them avoid falling for a puppy mill, a predatory loan, or an outright scam where the puppy doesn't even exist.

Talking about buying puppies isn't a comfortable conversation for so many of us, but that is why Bailing Out Benji is here to help and we will do it with kindness and compassion. We want to stop people before they support an inhumane facility but we need your help reaching them!

Can you help us have these hard conversations?

Here are our tips for finding a humane breeder: https://bailingoutbenji.com/finding-a-reputable-breeder/

Here is our search engine which helps families avoid facilities with a history of violations:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/63b1e45ed86f4b909ffbf9222c2d4030

And here is a link where you can make a donation to help us continue our important work :)
https://secure.everyaction.com/LT0t7MN4DEOSsBsgg1IC6A2

11/17/2025

And counting! Bailing Out Benji’s research is vast, thorough, and one of a kind. We continue monitoring the situation after a law has been passed or after a license has been cancelled in order to get a full picture of the landscape- and we hold those accountable who continue causing harm to animals and the people who love them.

Our findings are showing that a high percentage of breeders who cancel their federal license, either opt for a state level license or breed without any oversight. In the cases where we can, we file complaints to bring those facilities into compliance. Unfortunately, many states have no regulation for breeders or businesses that handle companion animals.

Consider making a donation today and invest in a future with no more cruel or inhumane breeding operations. Bailing Out Benji is doing the work to bring true transparency to the public, so we can end puppy mills once and for all!

https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

11/08/2025

From the Iowa Capital Dispatch: On Oct. 2, 2025, the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine issued an emergency order indefinitely suspending the license of veterinarian Jerry Couchman, 80, who practices in and around Appanoose and Decatur counties.

At the time, the board charged Couchman with five counts of violating laws and administrative rules governing veterinary medicine, and alleged his conduct posed an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare.

The board charged Couchman with knowingly assisting a person in unlawfully practicing veterinary medicine; failing to properly document and prescribe controlled substances and prescription drugs; failing to keep adequate records; dispensing controlled substances and prescriptions in cases where he had no valid veterinary-client relationship; and dispensing drugs used by laypersons to provide unlicensed veterinary medical services.

The board also charged Couchman with failing to comply with the requirements of an investigatory subpoena from the board, which the board says impeded its ability to investigate the matter.

https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/11/07/board-veterinarian-unlawfully-dispensed-drugs-blocked-state-investigation/

From Bailing Out Benji: Couchman was the veterinarian for two of the most prolific names in the dog breeding world: Steve Kruse and Brian Lichirie. We have more than 1300 CVIs where Couchman signed off on the health of puppies that were leaving these facilities and heading to pet stores and customers across the country.

https://bailingoutbenji.com/steve-kruse-saga/

09/30/2025

Today is National Puppy Mill Survivor Day!

September 30th will forever be known as National Puppy Mill Survivor Day 💙 A few years ago, we thought that these amazing dogs deserved to have their own day of recognition and so we took all of the official steps to make that possible.

Today is a day for us to recognize all of the dogs who have been rescued from puppy mills, recommit to our passion for helping those who are still trapped, and take a moment to think about all of those who left the earth without ever knowing a name. Thank you for helping us work towards a future where there are no more puppy mills.

Please tell us about your puppy mill survivor in the comments OR tell us about how you first learned about puppy mills (and what you've learned since! And don't forget to share :)

https://bailingoutbenji.com/puppy-mill-survivor-day/

09/04/2025

Our Bark After Dark Gala is two weeks away!! Are you joining us in Des Moines on September 20th?

Our annual Bark After Dark Gala is the *perfect* night out on the town! Yummy food, delicious drinks, and engaging discussions all while raising money for the best cause- putting an end to the cruel and inhumane puppy mill industry! Join your favorite Bailing Out Benji team on Saturday, September 20th at MainFrame Studios in Des Moines and celebrate all that we have accomplished for the dogs!

Reserve your tickets today and surprise your partner or best pal with a fun night out!
https://tinyurl.com/BenjiGalaTix

2025 Bark After Dark Sponsors:

Top Dog Sponsors:
James Jacobson and Family
Jake and Katie Biwer

Benji's Best Friend:
East Village Spa
Auntie Abby’s Professional Pet Sitting Service, LLC
Rachel and Jay Yarger
Wholesome Pet Essentials

Canine Companion:
Josh Davidson and Family

Rescue Partner:
SturdyFence Company
TRJ Financial Services
James Jacobson and Family
The Family of Maia