Three veterinarians have joined the scientific advisory board at PuppySpot, a start-up company that connects potential dog buyers with what it calls “responsible breeders.”
The board members are:
- Ron DeHaven, DVM, MBA, the president of DeHaven Veterinary Solutions and former CEO of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
- Peter Kirsten, DVM, a former supervisory animal care specialist and veterinary medical officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
- Aaron Wise, DVM, MS, of East Holmes Veterinary Clinic in Berlin, Ohio.
Also serving on the board are Raymond Anthony, Ph.D., MA, a University of Alaska, Anchorage, philosophy professor; policy consultant John J. Goldberg, Ph.D., MS; and former USDA attorney Kenneth Vail, JD.
The Los Angeles company reported in an announcement Dec. 19 that the board will work to “enhance and build upon PuppySpot’s industry-leading standards to continue to ensure substantive, in-depth, science-based standards of practice for the company and its thousands of breeder partners.”
Founded in 2016, PuppySpot allows website visitors to search for purebred and designer puppies by breed, gender and age.
The company acknowledges that animal shelters and rescues might be a viable route for people seeking a dog.
“Reputable shelters are a great option for some, but they are not for everyone,” PuppySpot states on its website. “If finding a purebred or purpose-bred designer puppy or knowing your new family member’s health and behavioral history are important to you, PuppySpot is likely the better choice for you as that information is not often available to you at a shelter.”
The company adds that it “has a zero-tolerance policy for puppy mills or substandard breeding practices of any kind.”