THE DOG MERCHANTS BY KIM KAVIN

While browsing at the library a book cover with an adorable puppy caught my eye. I grabbed the book, read the blurb inside the jacket and checked it out.

The book was The Dog Merchants by Kim Kavin. I had absolutely no idea how much I did not know about dog breeding, rescuing or the canine world situation. What an eye-opener!

This book talks extensively about how all types of dogs are marketed and about breeding for traits as well as cultural differences between countries such as the USA, Great Britain, Japan or China. Most importantly, the author points out that change can come to all areas of the pet industry if people educate themselves and use their power as consumers to bring it about. Specifically, she mentions rating breeders, rescuers and shelters online much as we do with all our other purchases pointing the reader to DogMerchants.com as the place to write such reviews.

http://www.dogmerchants.com/

I highly recommend this book. It is more than a good read, it is a textbook to educate you and help you make informed choices when adopting your next canine companion and a blueprint for bringing positive change to the lives of all types of dogs.