Executive Director

Bob Baker has been active in animal welfare for over three decades and is a nationally recognized authority on animal cruelty. His work on investigations, legislative initiatives, and his advocacy efforts on behalf of animals have all been widely acclaimed. Bob brings extensive experience to the Alliance, having worked for both national and local humane organizations during his career. Recently with the ASPCA, he played a key role in efforts to combat the cruelties of puppy mills and to effect the passage of precedent setting legislation in Pennsylvania regulating large-scale commercial dog breeding operations.

His investigations into animal fighting ventures led to the arrests of more than 1,000 individuals. He also spearheaded an extensive investigation into the commercial dog breeding industry, inspecting more than 1,000 puppy mills during the past thirty years. These efforts generated a tremendous amount of national publicity, the closing of numerous puppy mills, probes by the federal government's General Accounting Office and the Office of Inspector General, and the closing of the nation's largest pet store chain, "Docktors Pet Center."

Bob not only fought to expose cruelty but lobbied to enact laws to prevent such abuse in the future. He initiated and worked on local, state, and federal legislation to improve the welfare of animals. His efforts led to the successful passage of legislation in forty-two states, through direct lobbying activity as well as grassroots lobbying efforts, including the passage of stricter animal abuse laws for horse racing, dog racing, dog fighting, cockfighting, puppy mills, and pet stores. He also worked on regulatory initiatives and increased enforcement efforts by federal and state government agencies.

Bob conceived and aided in the production of several national news exposés on animal abuse including televised pieces on "60 Minutes," "20/20" and "Dateline." He has been a tireless spokesperson over the years on a host of animal issues. He is a respected author and his book, "The Misuse of Drugs in Horse Racing" resulted in major reforms in the horse racing industry.