The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers

by Kim Kavin, Tamara Marston (Narrator)

We love them with all our hearts, but do we really know where our dogs came from? Kim Kavin reveals the complex network behind the $11-billion-a-year business of selling dogs. A must-listen for the benefit of all dogs everywhere.

In what promises to become an Omnivore's Dilemma for dog lovers - breed devotees and adoption advocates alike - The Dog Merchants is the first book to explain the complex and often surprisingly similar business practices that extend from the American Kennel Club to local shelters, from Westminster champions to dog auctions.

Without judging dog lovers of any stripe, The Dog Merchants makes it clear that money spent among these dog merchants has real-world effects on people and canines. Kavin reveals how dog merchants create markets for dogs, often in defiance of the usual rules of supply and demand. She takes an investigative approach and meets breeders and rescuers at all levels, shedding much-needed light on an industry that most people don't even realize is an industry.

Kavin's goal is to advance the conversation about how all dogs are treated, from puppy mills to high-kill shelters. She shows that a great deal can be improved by understanding the business practices behind selling dogs of all kinds. Instead of pitting rescue and purebred people against each other, The Dog Merchants shows how all dog lovers can come together, with one voice as consumers, on behalf of all our beloved companions.

©2016 Kim Kavin (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Business, Activism, Audiobook, Politics

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

I joined the high school newspaper as a freshman, went on to graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and spent years as a daily newspaper editor before becoming executive editor of Yachting magazine. After more than three years in that job, I left in 2003 to follow my passion and become a full-time freelance writer and editor.

My primary area of expertise is luxury travel by boat, and in 2012, I published my ninth book, "Little Boy Blue: A Puppy's Rescue from Death Row and His Owner's Journey for Truth." It let me combine my journalism experience with my desire to help all dogs live better lives. In May 2016, my second dog book will be released. Its title is "The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores and Rescuers."

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to rate because some parts of it were really good and others, abysmal. It started off with a description of a puppy auction that included too much details of clothes etc. But after the writing resolved into good, investigative reporting about the business of breeding purebred dogs and was very much the kind of book I was expecting from the title. 5 stars! But overall 3.5 stars.

The author says that the everything is related to money. That the most expensive dogs must be the premium dogs, and that the cheap 'used' dogs at the Animal Shelter must be not so valuable and are likely to have defects making them not a good choice for those that can afford the best. She blames the Kennel Club et al shows for this so that if people didn't see the gorgeous purebreeds they might not see the rescue dogs in such a negative light.

The entire economy of the US is based on getting the best people can afford in every sphere of life. Getting a bargain in anything is very uplifting but we all know, are all shown endlessly, that the super rich and the celebrities who are touted as our role models, don't need bargains, so they get "the best" which is always the most expensive.

So combatting that and what Genesis has to say which she thinks is at the root of the evil of , "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." by giving certain animals (she mentions elephants, dolphins, primates and dogs very similar rights to humans instead of being property.

There’s Gary L. Francione, the Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy at Rutgers School of Law in New Jersey. He advocates total veganism, an end to animal farming, and a legal distinction of nonhuman personhood for all sentient animals, and he teaches that the very action of owning a pet violates the animal’s basic rights to be considered something other than property. If only two dogs were left on Earth, he says, he wouldn’t breed them to create more pets. “It’s morally wrong,” he says, “to bring any domesticated animals into existence for human purposes.”

. The author a dog, if not cat, lover isn't as extreme as that.

The author was happy to name names of the big time breeders, so I was surprised to find that the Amish are not discussed at all. Puppymills are a major part of the Amish economy. Both the Mennonite and Amish communities consider dogs livestock, a cash crop and legally can be housed for their entire lives in cages only 6" bigger than they are. As long as they are given food and water, the USDA will licence them. Battery farm dogs.

So it is even more mystifying when the author rails against battery farm chickens, and praises (at length) cage-free eggs, which is another form of cruelty, perhaps not so bad, but nearly Cage-free means thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of birds crammed together in a building where they are free to trample on each other but not peck each other to death as the tips of their beaks will have been painfully burned off as with caged birds.

Willamette announced it was doubling its cage-free production and building two new henhouses that would hold a total of eighty thousand birds. Not only would the new henhouses be cage-free, but they also would be more energy efficient with features such as LED lighting.

And just as with caged birds, they may well be starved to keep them in egg-laying mode all the time.. Cage-free does not mean free-range or even that the birds have access to the outdoors. So I was mystified

The next 'section' (is not formally divided) is the business of rescue dogs. Again detailed, well researched well written. But then it becomes very obvious that the author's heart lies in rescue dogs and she has really no time at all for people who want a purebred puppy, breed them as a business or the conformation shows which she thinks are evil (I agree here. Breeding animals for looks and caring very little about health is evil. Dogs are more than image-enhancers.)

In order to do that, the author writes, at extreme length and detail how conformation shows (Kennel Club, Crufts) should not have any prominence but dog activity shows should be raised to standard and visibility of Pop Idol and shows deriving from that model. The detail here was excruciating.

Now think about replacing the singers with pooches in a series of next-generation dog shows called Best Dog America, Best Dog Australia, Best Dog France, and so forth, featuring all the best dogs in every nation judged not by their looks but instead in terms of health, temperament, and skills.

The Best Dog shows could be managed by a combination of an Idols-type producer and an X Games–type producer, updating the tone and style of the old-school dog show into something more exciting and modern, similar to the way the Idols series updated the age-old talent show and the X Games modernized the Olympics with new events. Sexy graphics, great music, and innovative camera angles with slow-motion replays of dogs doing fantastic tricks and stunts would snap our brains out of the tired routine of pageantry-style dog shows and wake us up to the fact that there is, in fact, a different way to attract a huge dog-loving audience to mass media during prime-time viewing hours.

If people really liked dog activity shows that much, they wouldn't just be a minor part of the conformation shows. But they don't. There is a limit to how much people want to see dogs running and jumping through the same small course and doing tricks with a ball or hoop.

However, in the UK, sheep dog trials on tv are quite popular but I think probably among a niche audience (like me) as i grew up in sheep country and since all sheep are free range, the only way for them to be managed is to have a dog or two who can go and find them and bring them home. They are super-intelligent and never bred for looks. But I wouldn't want to watch these very often, a few days a year is quite enough.

Finally we come to the last section. This is promotion of her website and the two books she has written. The book is much better than the website. I don't know why self-promotion doesn't feel right by an author in their own book, but it doesn't.

To sum up, the book was a bit patchy to me. There was good research, but it seemed that what was reported had to fit into the author's agenda which is anyone who wants a dog, and has $500-$1,000 a year to spend on it and lives near a park (so she is only addressing urban dog owners) should get a rescue dog and not even consider a purebred which would be furthering a market that is often pernicious to dogs and denies homeless dogs a chance of a happy family.
____________________

Notes on reading I had reservations about the book because of the redundant overly-descriptive writing in the first chapter. But... it was just in the first chapter. Since then, it has been hard, investigative, all-fact, no waffle. It's a really solid book. I'm loving it. The subject seems interesting, it's just now a matter of whether I can survive the writing. Since I have to listen to books rather than read them at this stage of my recovery from eye surgery, I can't skim over passages as I could in print.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: The author, Kim Kavin, came to my store to do a book signing. She was there for her first book "Little Boy Blue" as well. Both books are amazing and incredibly well researched. The following review is based off of the quality of the book and the writing and is not influenced by the fact that she is also a sweet, intelligent and vibrant dog lover. That doesn't hurt though. :)

Ok, disclaimer over, lets sink our teeth into this book.

First of all, she is amazingly balanced in her research. There are a few parts where you can tell she is struggling to remain unbiased in her relating of the facts, but she sticks to the facts. She is not defamatory or derogatory in any way. She presents the facts and lets the reader draw their own conclusions.

My conclusions after reading this book? That humanity sucks and it is repugnant that laws and rules need to be written so animals, in this case dogs, are treated humanely and with respect and dignity.

This book shows both sides of what I didn't realize was a two sided topic. Breeders versus rescue shelters/groups.

Basically it boils down to there are awesome breeders that treat the dogs well, there are crappy breeders who treat the dogs worse than they would treat inanimate objects. There are also out of this world rescue shelters that go above and beyond to save the lives of countless dogs. There are also shelters that practically kill the dogs as they enter, collecting tax payer dollars without a thought or care to the lives they extinguish every day.

There is no self-regulation on the breeder or rescue sides. The Government tries to step in, but the lobbyists on both sides throw such a fit and so much money to fight the attempted laws, that nothing really gets done. So who is going to step in and stop the abuse of the poor dogs? Who will be their advocate? Who has the power when the Government won't/can't step in?

Us. The consumer. If we do our due diligence before we decide who gets our money, then WE have the power. If we give our money to those who respect the dogs and cherish their lives and health, whether a breeder or a rescue, then they will thrive. If we don't give our money to those who don't care about the dogs, who raise them in squaller, who kill those who don't look right or because there are "too many" dogs already, then they will not be able to sustain a business and they will go under.

It took a lot of bravery to write and publish this book. No one likes it when their dirty laundry is aired, least of all the AKC and the Humane Society. Not all breeders and rescues are bad, but there are enough of them out there to make the skin crawl. And since the breeders and rescues won't police their own, then we, as consumers have to take a stand.

As Kim pointed out in the book, cage-free chickens for egg production has increased and will continue to do so, because consumers are buying the cage free eggs. If there is a demand, you better believe someone will do their best to supply it. People want dogs, that's a given. Now we have to be more picky about how the dogs are raised and treated before they get to us.

Kim focuses on just dogs in this book, but I am sure that the same thing is happening with cats too. I believe it's worse for cats. When she quoted a number of animals in a shelter, she gave the total and the number of them that were dogs. The rest were cats and it was about 4 times the number of dogs. I didn't note the page in the book, but I can do so if requested.

I flew through this book so quickly, I didn't have time to take notes. It was fascinating and disheartening. But hopeful too. If we take a stand, if we realize there is a problem and that we can do something about it, then hopefully we can change the horror that can be a dog's life and death.

I am pro-adoption. I have never had a dog, but my family and I have had many cats. All of them were rescues. I'm not into purebred, not because I am cheap, even though I am, but because purebreds have so many genetic diseases and die too young, all because the breeder is trying to create or foster a look that some human decided long ago was "ideal". Though I admit, I love the look of Rottweilers and Scottish terriers. But I don't have to have that type of dog to be happy with the dog. As long as it's happy, healthy and we love one another, how it looks doesn't matter.

I beg you, read this book. It doesn't matter if you are dog person, a cat person, pro-purebred or pro-adoption, planning on getting a pet or never allowing one paw to cross the threshold. This book is exposing the wrong that is happening to living creatures. It needs to be read and discussed and shared. Not to start a fight, but to start a dialogue and to be part of the solution, rather than an ignorant part of the problem.

If you ARE thinking about getting a dog or a cat, please, do you research. Don't give your money to a group, breeder or shelter, that isn't treating the animals they are dealing with in a way that you approve of. Kim provides a list of questions in the back of the book that you can ask to get some feedback from the person who has the animal you are thinking about obtaining.

Be part of the solution, not the the problem.

Five, huge, read-this-now stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

My thanks to Kim for both coming to our store and for being brave enough to tell the truth so lives can be saved, while opening yourself up to a lot of negativity from those on both sides of the field. Keep up the good work!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this book should be required reading for anyone who owns or plans to own a dog. The book is meticulously researched and enjoyable. I'm a "dog person" and consider myself a responsible, informed dog owner. Yet, as I read this book, I learned so much about the market forces and the rescue movements that impact how we acquire the dogs that become important members of our families. Getting a dog is a very emotional experience, and I found this book made me reflect on my experience with the rescues and hobby breeders I've dealt with. The author clearly is "for the dogs". And her goal is to inform, advocate and empower. Her chapter that includes the open ended questions that one should ask when searching for a dog is essential. For me, a dog is a lifetime commitment, and this book literally opened my eyes to the fallacies of getting a purebred for the "security" of getting a known quantity (did that, and ended up with a dog with serious "treatable and "manageable" problems, for 14 years), and the worship of the dog shows where best in breed is best conformation. My dogs enrich my life and after reading this book, I feel immeasurably better informed and forearmed for when I search for another dog. A quick and important read.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pets are a product. They are developed, marketed, and sold for profit says the author of The Dog Merchants, Kim Kavin. And too often buyers do not consider all the ramifications of what their dollars are supporting.

Once we understand the business, what can we do about it? Kavin believes that smart shoppers can make a difference, even in the dog industry.

I am a lifelong dog owner.

I was about four years old when my father brought home a puppy, Pepper, a mutt I loved dearly. She would follow me to school. One day appeared she at my classroom door and I had to walk her home again. When my little brother began walking my grandparents took Pepper in; she was getting crotchety and needed a quieter home. When she was old and in pain my family let her go, and it broke my heart.

After we lost our house trained bunny my husband and I bought two dachshunds from a pet store, adopted a dog through a want ad, came home with a home breed pure breed Shiba Inu, and fostered one adopted two more Shibas who were puppy mill breeder rescues. Eight dogs, eight sources that illustrate the cycle of dog ownership over sixty years: from mutts to commercially bred dogs to home bred to rescued.

Kim Kavin's fine book considers every aspect of the industry that provides us with our animal companions. She explains the impact of the AKC breed standardization on canine health and well being and how dog competitions fuel a desire for designer dogs. Kavin reveals that puppy farms are producing dogs in expectation that the rescue societies will buy them! That sends chills down my spine.

I respect Kavin for telling the truth in an objective and informative way. She offers examples of canine abuse without being manipulative.

I hate those commercials seeking funds that prey on one's feelings. Kavin never stoops to such tactics. I don't think I could stand 'the details' of puppy mill life any more than the details of combat. I saw the ramifications mill life had on my foster dog Kara and adopted girls Suki and Kara.

Everyone who loves dogs, or who are considering adding a dog to their family, should read this book. It will help in making informed decisions on all the vital questions: are you prepared to take responsibility for a dog, what are you willing to invest, what you should ask before making your purchase.

The book is published in conjunction with a website where pet owners can share knowledge through product-style reviews and ratings of breeders and rescues. Visit The Dog Merchants website http://www.dogmerchants.com.

I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Sassafras Patterdale]

Interesting premise and has some strong arguments but FAR from unbiased favoring rescue/mixed breeds (though it claims journalistic balance). i think i'm probably one of the more balanced readers - long-term vegetarian & animal welfare advocate, grew up training/showing dogs, hobby dog trainer, and lover of both mixed breeds and purebreeds.

The biggest red flag for me was the way in which the author used facts but didn't provide honest or accurate explanation for them. This stood out most to me in one of her MANY critiques of the AKC focusing on the 1st Westminster Agility Competition. She took issue with the limited number of mutts allowed in -- but see, I was there (as a member of the press) AND had friends competing. It was a lottery entry (meaning everyone who wanted to compete sent in a registration form, and dogs were drawn at random)-- far from the anti mutt conspiricy that was alluded to. That then made me much more skeptical of the framing for every other section of the book- and the inherrant bias.

I think the premise was interesting, and the dialogue the book may inspire important BUT i would have liked to see a much more balanced perspective - all dogs are not "created" equal- talk to pure breed sport dog breeders, working dog breeders and handlers, get their perspective, experience and breeding philosophy of breeding dogs for specific types of work, otherwise you're just using a very limited pool of the pure breed dog world to prove a clearly pre-determined agenda and readers like me risk not trusting any of the book's arguments including those with merit.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that really makes you think. It's an interesting read and covers puppy mills, breeding farms, rescues, shelters, etc. Of course, there are parts that are a little difficult to read ; that is, the cruel ways of some people towards dogs, how easy some pet owners abandon their dogs, and the treatment of dogs in other countries. Well researched. I now understand what happened to a relatives puppy that she purchased from a store-many years ago-but the heartbreak of it remains.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this very moment, there is a battle going on in Montreal over whether certain breeds of dogs ought to be "banned" from our society. Why did this happen? I think a big part of it is because unscrupulous breeders and distributors have failed us. They have emphasized profit to the detriment of the animals, and they have sidestepped common-sense screening practices in order to increase sales.

The Dog Merchants follows the money through the big business of breeding and selling dogs. From backyard breeders to industry giants, this book takes an unbiased, fair look at all the different paths a puppy can take from mom to home. No one is let off the hook--not the person who sells puppies on Craigslist, not supposedly altruistic animal shelters, not giant dog auctioneers, not puppy distribution centers, and not even the AKC.

But Kavin does more than simply document the process. She suggests a solution: a database of dog breeders and sellers where we, the consumers (i.e., pet parents) can talk about the good and the bad in a neutral environment, giving support to the good guys and warning our fellow dog lovers away from the bad ones.

If you're thinking of buying a dog, read this book. If you're thinking of becoming a breeder, read this book. If you're thinking of adopting from a shelter, read this book. In short, if you're thinking of acquiring a dog from any source OR if you're thinking of dabbling your toes in the big business of raising and selling puppies, read this book. It can be done well--and certainly show breeders shouldn't have a monopoly on breeding--but all too often it's the dogs who suffer.

Well worth the read. A one-of-a-kind book.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why I did this to myself. I listened to two (TWO!!!) of these "how dogs are treated by society/sellers/owners/rescue/etc." in a row. There was so much information in this book and it was given in a very straightforward and unbiased way. Kavin explained the good and the bad of the backyard, commercial and wholesale breeders. She also did the same for the variety of rescue organizations and humane society/shelter groups out there, as well. The last chapter offered a great list of questions that people looking for dogs from any of the options should be asking to make sure they are working with a group that has more care for the animals than their own bottom line. She offered ideas on how the dog industry (and it is an industry for lack of a better term) can be modified by the consumer. She has even created a website for reviews of breeders, rescues, shelters, and pet stores: http://www.dogmerchants.com/. It made me pause to consider the process of a future dog adoption and how, when I'm on petfinder, I'm focusing more on image than personality but I know that I actually get in there I will have to focus on personality and compatibility with myself, my dog, my cats, my family and my lifestyle. It made me think. Which is what a book like that is supposed to do.

[Ginni · Rating 4 out of 5]

People who are passionate about things tend to be bad about nuance, so I expected this book to be the equivalent of the vegan friend who posts inappropriate pictures of tortured animals on Facebook. Instead, this book looks at the dog business realistically and comprehensively, with all its ethical grays. Dog breeders aren't always evil, rescues sometimes get things wrong, and looking at dogs as products might be the key to changing the system for the better. I was intrigued and surprised.

The biggest turn-off, for me, was when the book essentially summed up with a plug for the author's website. (Really--dogmerchants.com is how we will fix things!) But that's a relatively minor thing in a book that's thorough, well-researched, clear, current, and challenging. If you own a dog, are considering getting a dog in the future, or just care about dogs, it's a must-read.

(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow-a look into where we get our dogs-shelters, rescues, on-line, dog stores, small breeders and big.
This is the most objective analysis I've read about the dog industry, with no sad or scary pictures and serious research translated into real world impact. If you care about the conditions that dogs are raised or housed in, want to know why one pup can be $1000 and a another $200 and why neither is a guarantee of good temperament or good health, this is the book for you. It includes some intriguing information about laws regarding animal treatment and how they are evolving.

[Cara Achterberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an important book! I love Kim Kavin's engaging style. She is an excellent journalist and digs deep into the business of buying/selling/rescuing dogs. Her research is thorough and documented. While there is plenty in this book to break your heart, there is also great reason to hope. Kim offers solutions and inspiration for making the business of buying and selling and saving dogs one that is best for the dogs well-being and begins to solve the problem of unwanted dogs. She offers creative ideas and innovative solutions to change the tragic situation many of us witness in the world of dog rescue. Cannot recommend this book enough. If you love dogs, you should read this book.

[Marcy Graybill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I know that some rescues do a great job and get little reward, but when someone is making large amounts of money and importing dogs from overseas instead of rescuing dogs in need here in the US, how is that any different from puppy mills?
I find that Kim spends a lot of time justifying just this, while dissing all breeders. She also really has no understanding of the point of Dog Conformation shows. I'm not saying the dog world is perfect, but making money off of dogs that are "rescues" is no different from making money off of breeding dogs.

[Alysa H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly informative, eye-opening, and surprisingly well-balanced book that has changed my perspective on dogs and dog ownership. I don't have a dog, but I had one as a child and have always loved them. But now, I see dogs around me -- out for walks, etc -- and cannot stop mentally questioning what I am seeing.

A must-read for all dog lovers, dog owners, and aspiring dog owners.


** I received a Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **

[Tina Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, so well done. highly recommend for any dog or animal lover or anyone considering adding a dog to their family in the future.

[Dlmrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is well worth the time for nearly all people who live with, love, work with, and/or are planning to adopt a dog. I wish that the author would release an updated edition, since this book was published about 8 years ago now, and while some things are undoubtedly the same; others have likely changed, especially post-pandemic. Maybe the most important message in this book is that dogs in our society, regardless of how much we love them, are property in practical and legal senses. Without acknowledging and confronting that, it's nearly impossible to improve the quality of life, and minimize the suffering, of dogs.

While I don't agree with everything in this book, I don't think the author does either. Rather, she has done her best to research the different ways in which dogs are supplied and marketed, communicate the complexity and nuance involved, and share different players' beliefs and experiences. Personally, I'm not comfortable with the solution to breed-as-brand issues being solved merely by conscious consumerism. While we as individuals can feel empowered by our individual decisions ("voting with our dollars"), I'm not sure that the answer to inhumane treatment of animals due to capitalism is...being better at capitalism (marketing rescue dogs better and making them trend; higher adoption fees because people think higher prices equal better). I think that the book is also misleading in its implications that shelter dogs are mostly surrendered due to behavioral problems (not true, usually due to economic reasons such as costs of care and housing, and addressing human welfare would improve dog welfare). I also wish that the author had been more careful about her wording about "high-kill" vs "no-kill" shelters. Both exist along the spectrum of unscrupulous to as-humane-as-possible. Maybe it is more of a recent phenomenon, and why the author didn't discuss it, but there are sneaky ways for shelters to maintain their "no-kill" standing (keeping suffering animals, refusing intakes, etc), and there are the ethical considerations of warehousing suffering dogs if their rehabilitation and adoption outlook is poor, as well as the tough calls about how to allote limited resources. On the other hand, many people at "high-kill" shelters are doing the best that they can, but due to circumstances and resources, they cannot manage a 95% live release rate, and vilifying them for this just leads to people not donating to them, which then leaves even fewer resources to deal with increasing numbers of dogs.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I think anyone considering buying a purebred dog should read before making a purchase. Learn what you're buying into. I'm a firm believer that if someone isn't helping to improve a breed, aiming for better health and temperament, they shouldn't ever breed a dog (or cat or any animal). People have ruined so many breeds by selecting for a certain extreme look rather than taking the health and well-being of the dogs into account.

The sad thing is, some "rescues" are buying puppy mill pups and passing them on to well-meaning people who want to rescue rather than buy because having a rescue dog has become more popular and for some, it's become more of a business venture and they're more concerned with supply and demand and making money. I used to live in an area where a small dog "rescue" would pull any smaller dogs from the shelter. While getting dogs out of the shelter sounds good, in reality, most of those small dogs would have been adopted quickly from the shelter. Instead, they were pulled and someone wanting to adopt then had to pay hundreds of dollars more to adopt from the rescue. This meant the dogs often took much longer to find new homes. Having volunteered at my current county shelter, I see how quickly small dogs are adopted. Nearly every one, regardless of breed(s) or even age, has a potential adopter long before their stray hold runs out if they aren't reclaimed by their people in that time. The same goes for any dog that appears to be purebred and sadly, any dog that doesn't bare a strong resemblance to a pitbull. Many of the sweetest dogs I've met in the shelter were pitbulls or pit mixes, but too many judge a dog on looks rather than temperament.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog merchandising is a multi-billion dollar industry. Kavin shows us how dogs, from the Westminster best-of-show dogs to the rescue dogs are marketed and merchandised. One fact that shocked me is found in her opening chapter where she describes attending a dog auction -- and the buyers are various rescue organizations. I learned a lot about large-scale breeding farms (aka puppy mills), an abhorrent business in my eyes. Kavin shows the lesser known (or ignored) aspects of this industry (yes, procuring dogs, whether for pet stores or rescue organizations is an industry), the damage conformation shows (like Crufts and Westminster) have inflicted on various dog breeds over the years, and how major rescue organizations employ marketing techniques to adopt out their dogs (who hasn't seen the Sarah McLachlan SPCA TV commercials?), and how they interconnect. A bonus to the book is a list of questions to ask any breeder/rescue organization when adopting a dog.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who cares about dogs should read this book. Don't worry, it does not contain graphic descriptions about dogs in terrible conditions (maybe one somewhat graphic example, near the end of the book). This book describes the giant, convoluted business of buying and selling dogs and gives excellent information about how to make the whole system better for our beloved dogs.

[C.J. English · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no such thing as an unbiased view if you want to read a truly good book. The author must have passion for what she is writing about or the book be a total bore. The Dog Merchants is as unbiased as a book about breeding, buying and rescuing dogs could be. For anyone who criticizes the author for leaning a certain way, show me a book that examines the same content that doesn't lean in one direction. Excellent job Kim Kavin, for laying out facts that span not decades but centuries, for putting it all together so we can see the bigger picture, and for persuading the reader not to lean in one direction but to make the choice that is well informed.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dog Merchants by Kim Kavin is a thought-provoking book that offers a unique perspective on dog buying and ownership. It is, however, bookended by its worst chapters. The first couple of chapters, which are just pointless descriptions of a dog auction and dog show, respectively, peppered with Kavin's rather holier-than-thou judgment of those who partake or enjoy them. The final chapter is an advertisement for her website and a pitch for a TV series, and is also skippable. It's the middle of the book that has the interesting story to tell. Kavin revealed aspects of the dog-buying industry that I did not know existed, and did so from a fairly even-keeled position. However, I would have preferred some direct citations for things like statistics or science-based fact. Instead, there is just a list of sources at the end of the book, disconnected from where they are used. (The print version may be different.) I would say that Kavin does seem to lean more towards the animal rights side of things, although she is critical of all camps throughout the book. The odd difference was near the end where she rather oddly started talking about chickens in an attempt to inspire the masses to change the dog industry with their dollars. Ignoring the part where this suggestion is rather naïve, the whole chicken digression was jarring in that it was totally devoid of nuance where the book had previously laid the nuance on pretty heavily. The chicken housing debate is much more complicated than she portrays it here, and it's clear that she didn't actually know much about it. I suppose I shouldn't expect much on topics related to the food industry by someone who admits to being inspired by Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma in the introduction, but the rest of the book is fairly solid (if a little thin on sources) and this extended, grossly oversimplified digression near the end of an otherwise nuanced book came off as bizarre.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out really liking this book. It gave me a LOT to think about and I appreciated the research that went into it. I appreciated the division of commercial vs hobby breeders when those topics were discussed as well as a fair look at the issues with: breeders, shelters and rescues. As the book went on things started to become repetitive as well as random research or stories thrown in that seemed to stray from what I felt was the book's main focus.

It almost seemed as though Kavin starts out the first half of this book presenting interesting unbiased information and then unravels as the book goes on. The final 50-100 or so pages (I was listening to the audiobook so I am going to estimate.) were nearly unbearable and I kept thinking, "She doesn't know how to or does not want to end this book." And the final "half hour" of the audiobook seemed to reveal that Kavin thinks that conformation dog shows and the existence of purebreds are entirely to blame for all of the supply/demand issues that dogs face. (Explain the "doodle craze" then. There are no doodles in conformation shows yet that is THE desired family dog.) Okay. I am not going to get into my own opinions on dogs here :)

If I could rate the beginning of this book only, it would have been 4-5 stars for me. But then I finished it. The ending was thoroughly embarrassing (get rid of conformation dog shows and have celebrities compete against dogs to catch frisbees! WHAT!?) and if I hear the word "pooch" instead of dog one more time I might just scream.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an uncomfortable book for me to read. On the one hand, I am heavily involved in dog rescue so my conscience wasn't that wounded, but on the other hand there are breeds I do love, like German Shepherds and Pekingese, and if I had a chance to get a purebred and my life style allowed it I would. But to read how these dogs suffer - and not just in the puppy mills, but by the very traits they have been bred for. Like the ones whose brains are too big for their skulls, and who scream and seize throughout most of their miserable lives, or those with the squishy faces I love so, who struggle and strain for every breath - just because we think they look cute that way. It's a stunning indictment of an industry in which these living, breathing, loving creatures are just product. It was a little more thinking than I wanted to do on my summer vacation.

[Beckimoody Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book and I think a lot of my friends would find it informative. As a dog person, there is a lot of fighting among groups all claiming to have the best interests of animals at heart. I think Kim did a pretty good job of looking at different sides of the debate and pointing out ways that everyone gets it a little bit wrong. She discusses breeders (including large scale operations), rescue groups, dog shows, no-kill shelters, backyard breeders and more. It isn't quite as black and white as I had always assumed. (For example, she points out a dog auction where some rescue groups - with best intentions - purchase dogs creating more demand from breeders.)

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, so the gist is: regardless of where you stand on the spectrum (dogs are animals vs. dogs are little people wearing fur coats) the fact of the matter is that dogs are currently commodities. And if people continue to spend money with shops/shelters/rescues that treat them poorly, then things will never change. So people should use technology and crowdsourcing to keep shops/shelters/rescues's practices in the light of day, so that people can avoid the bad ones and help improve the system.
The content of the book is interesting, but the writing is not entirely to my taste (hence the rating)--however the author gets points for providing good notes, links, and resources at the end.

[Minna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that will make you think, for long, loooooooooong after you're done reading. If you are a dog owner, a dog lover, a dog anything, this is a book you ought to read. Dogs are examined from every possible political, legal, economical and emotional angle. I learned a lot, reading this, and I know it will stay with me for a good long time. Please: do yourself a a favor and pick up this book, especially if you have, have had, or would like to have a dog.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley - thanks NetGalley!

[Christie Bane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written, well-researched, contemporary book about the current state of dog buying and selling. Topics investigated include rescue groups both good and bad, top AKC breeders, hobby breeders, "middlemen" (dog brokers), and the ways in which value is assigned to products that we buy, including dogs. It's written in a neutral, investigative journalism tone. Overall, a good, informative if not terribly exciting read about the current state of dog buying and selling today.

[Jeri Waterloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for to read before getting a pet

Very interesting
Informative education
Read before getting a dog or any animal research on Google ask friends check references avoid hearts being broken. Remember this is the only member of your family you will have 100 percent say so.other than spouse

[Kristen EJ Lauderdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided some answers to so many questions I've had about breeders and rescue groups over the years but couldn't find much non-biased information about. Very balanced and informative. A book I wish everyone would read.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically, I ordered this from my local library system, and it arrived a few days after committing to be the northern Michigan representative for a rescue. Totally unrelated. LOL

I learned a lot from this book. I stuck more bookmarks in this book than any I've read this year.