Think Benji Before You Buy
We’re excited to announce the launch of our newest resource- a nationwide search tool that allows you to research licensed dog breeders on the state or federal level before you bring a puppy into your family.
At Bailing Out Benji, we believe that transparency can change everything. Too often, families unknowingly purchase puppies from breeders with long histories of animal welfare violations- simply because that information isn’t easy to find. So we decided to change that.
Our tool puts the facts at your fingertips. Whether you’re searching for a specific breeder or want to know where a local pet store gets its puppies, you can now uncover inspection reports, license statuses, and any documented violations with just a few clicks.
The methodology for this search engine includes monthly tracking of the USDA’s search engine in order to update any business information, dog counts, or violations. Our team has also begun updating state-licensed breeder information on a rotating basis (if the states having breeding oversight) in order to give as much information as possible.
We are currently tracking 2,354 USDA licensed dog and cat breeders and 2,091 state-licensed dog and cat breeders. We are also tracking 244 USDA dog brokering facilities and 54 state-licensed dealers.
The search engine reflects that data and will be updated on a 6-month basis in order to reflect any recent changes. It is important to note that we are only going to report on violations that occurred within the last 5 years, unless the breeder has a long history of violations. The map and the figures below do not reflect the number of unlicensed breeders that sell through pet stores, brokers, and online brokering websites.
Why is this so important?
Because our 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.
[32%] of breeders who we have found to be supplying dog brokers in the last three years had state or federal violations.
The odds are stacked against the public when it comes to finding a safe and humane breeder to buy from. This is why it is extremely important to use as many resources as you can in order to do your research before you buy. Click here to read more tips about finding a humane breeder and don’t forget to double-check their inspection history here before you buy.
Before you buy, know who you’re buying from.
Do your research. Save lives.
Think Benji Before You Buy.
This searchable platform is the first of its kind- and it’s free for anyone to use. The research and time it took to build this search engine, however, was extremely costly. Please consider making a donation to support our work.