Adopting or buying a pet? New site lets you review dog merchants

Rescue enthusiasts celebrated National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day on April 30 -- a day when we raise awareness about dogs who need good homes who languish in shelters.

Pure breed dog lovers celebrated National Purebred Dog Day on May 1, "celebrating the heritage, diversity and predictability of the purebred dog."

No matter what side you fall on in the debate over adopting a pet vs. buying a pet, we can all agree that you should make sure you are buying or adopting from reputable breeders, shelters or rescues.

A new site wants to help people do just that. And they need your help!

Kim Kavin, an award-winning author releases a book in May called "The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers."

Courtesy Kim Kavin

Here's the description of the book from Barnes and Noble:

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.

 And lets face it, this is long overdue.

The purebreed world is under lots of scrutiny, and with good reason.

Can the same be said for the rescue world? We certainly could use more scrutiny there as well.

Kavin has also started a website to go with her new book that's like Yelp for dog buyers/adoptees.

Rate the Dog Merchants

Dog Merchant.com allows you to search for dog breeders, shelters or rescues near you and see how people reviewed them.

You can search by breed, by keyword or even by zip code. 

You can also write your own reviews!

A site like this NEEDS reviewers though. It needs people to say, "hey, I rescued a dog from this great group and you should do it too." Or, "Hey, this breeder is totally legit and reputable and cares about the pets they breed and if you want a certain breed, go to them"

So whether you celebrate National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day or National Purebred Dog Day, take some time to rate the shelters, rescues and breeders you love so that we can make sure good dog merchants are celebrated.