To publish an article promoting the exploitation of animals for one's own financial gain is reprehensible. I would have expected more responsible articles from a publication such as "People". I will definitely rethink purchasing any more publications from a magazine that does not thoroughly research their articles.
Puppies are alive and should not be treated and sold like toys. When puppies are viewed only as a commodity to be sold for profit, the peopel are showing no concern for a living breathing animal that has needs.
This is completely unacceptable to feature someone running a puppy mill in People magazine! Responsible breeders screen homes and breed only to improve the breed. Please print a follow up to this story!!!
This is horrible, more dogs to end up in shelter only to be killed. I can not believe People Magazine would even consider publishing an article of this nature. I know of no 16 year old that is responsible enough to have the dogs tested to make sure they are healthy and will produce healthy litters. This is another form of a Puppymill and the fact that a reputable magazine is support this show they have no concern for the well being of the animals they too are all about the money!!
A 16 yr. old kid selling animals over the internet should not be celebrated as a success. Not very professional when he doesn't even know what kind of environment he just placed a live creature in. You should do a story on how many of those dogs end up in shelters after the novelty has worn off.
Dear People Magazine,
I am so very saddened to see your article featuring a young man selling miniature dogs over the internet. This article, showing how this young man has made a lot of money and now fame is a HORRIBLE example to everyone out there who have no idea how over crowded shelters are, and how the rate of euthanasia is skyrocketing. Please follow up this disgracing article with a postivive one about adopting from shelters, and please stress the amount of pure breeds in shelters, thanks to careless breeders such as the one your article featured.
I am not a breeder but have bought from puppymills before I knew what they were and this is that. I know new breeders have to start somewhere, but 16 is way too young to be raising puppies.
People Magazine shame on you. Selling living animals, pet no less, on the internet is a terrible thing to do.
Please print an article about the poor lost souls in the shelters that no one wants. L. H.
I am President of a no kill Rescue Group, if it wasn't for people who make money off of breeding and cross breeding, many of us in rescue would have less dogs looking for homes.
I can not believe anyone would have thought promoting puppymills would be a good story. This dogs are posed on beds and looking cute. Most of there young lifes are spent in small metal cages. The fate of their poor mother is worse. Shame on People Mag and shame on the Hampsons
The article on the teen who breed puppies was disgusting. With so many animals dying ever day in shelters, you promote a back yard breeder in your magazine as someone to be proud of. How about focusing on all the VOLUNTEERS who give of their time and money to save dogs either through rescue, transporting or fostering. Those are the ones that should be showcased.
Deplorable. Especially w ith the overcrowing of shelters and millions of pets euthanized each year because people buy these pets without knowing the care involved.
PEOPLE Magazine, please do your research more carefully in the future. Thousands of puppies, dogs, cats and other animals are being killed everyday in this country because of the pet over-population problem. You should work on educating the public on this issue instead of promoting backyard breeders!
I CANT BELIEVE THAT YOUR MAGAZINE WOULD PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE - ITS DISGUSTING -
RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS ARE TRYING TO PUT PEOPLE LIKE THIS OUT OF BUSINESS NOT ADVERTISE THEM IN AN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE.
PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO REFUTE THIS BREEDER'S INTEGRITY - ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY NOT THE DOG !
DR. LOUIS REZNICK
This is completely unacceptable to feature someone running a puppy mill in People magazine! Responsible breeders screen homes and breed only to improve the breed. Please print a follow up to this story!!!
I will not buy another People magazine until you PEOPLE do an article on puppymills..Do you even have a clue as to how these poor dogs live..Do you know of the disease, and filth, and hunger and suffering that these helpless, voiceless animals endure everyday of their lives in these places. Did you also know that only ONE puppy out of every litter finds a permanent home. The rest are shuffled around from here to there until rescue groups come in to clean up the mess...Do you even think to ask where the parents of these dogs were..If you would have investigated that, I am sure you would have been appauled..I am in contact with every rescue group across this country. I will make a plea for everyone who is involved with rescue to boycott your magazine. Shame on you. I thought you people were smarter than this. I wish you had to live in his puppymill for just 1 day. I am sure you would be singing a different praise, after spending the night in a crate in his bathroom...I am very sickened by this.
I belong to Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue (YTNR) and we spend our personal time rescuing the results of situations like this. I have "fostered" 9 sick, needy Yorkies in the past few months and found good homes for them, but it isn't easy since they aren't housetrained, socialized or in good health. What an irresponsible position to take on an impossibly cruel situation! I won't be buying your magazine ever again!
It is sad you would highlight this person. Uneducated people will read your article and think he is a good honest breeder...nothing could be further from the truth. Shame on You
This boy is being commended for making money from the suffering of these little dogs? They must go through much suffering until they get to where they are going, and even then who knows wehre they're going and what their fate might be. Shame Shame on you People..Don't look for our subscription to be renewed.
As an owner of 7 dogs, many are retired show dogs that required a home I can't begin to condone any unnecessary breedins and strongly advocate educating the population of canine consumers.
No child knows enough about responsible breeding of dogs; it is disgraceful that People magazine touts him as an "entreprenuer." Dog breeding is not a money-making venture; it is a hobby, practiced by people who are dedicated to the betterment of a breed, not to make money. Puppy mills need to be exposed and the public educated.
This is totally about puppy brokering. Nobody is checking prospective buyers out, they are just breeding puppies to make money. What about health testing of the Dam/Sire?
In the name of Responsible Journalism, a follow-up story should be printed about puppymills and rescue organizations. I sure hope no one else gets the bright idea to sell puppies over the internet! Shame on you, People!
I was very disturbed to see People Magazine praising such an irresponcible business practice. Do you realize how much they are price gouging those puppies? $700 for a puppy that will cost thousands of dollars in vet bills because of poor health due to irresponcible breeding and neglect. Worse think of those that can not afford to pay such high vet bills and either euthanize the dog immediately or reliquish it to a shelter where it will meet the same fate. They are charging $700 for mix breed puppies calling them exotic and designers when all the are doing is taking a home away from a deserving mix breed dog sitting in a shelter waiting to die! This is not good business and this is not something that you should be encouraging the youth of our nation to do! I have always enjoyed People magazine but unless you do something to atleast help remedy this situation I feel that I can no longer support this publication. Please just think before you print...make sure you have all the facts!
Shame on Timothy Hampson and his family, shame on the people who obtain puppies from places other than qualified breeders and shelters and shame on People Magazine for spotlighting both!
I can't believe you people are promoting back yard breeders. There are so many dogs in shelters that need rescuing. You should have done more research on this topic before encouraging others to have no regard for living creatures and their exploitation.
I agree with the boy has no idea what he is talking about or doing! Many decent breeders take years and years to know what they do. This young man is 16? He is a puppymiller in the making and the magazine is helping him! Shame on you!
Considering the 56%-71% rate of euthanasia in shelters across America due to pet overpopulation, I find it sad that you chose to profile this company/young man, who is contributing to the problem. Why not feature the importance of shelter/rescue adoption?
It totally surprises me that People Magazine is not in touch enough to recognize a bad situation like this. How disgraceful for People to endorse the selling of puppies over the internet. In the name of Responsible Journalism, a follow-up story should be printed about puppymills and rescue organizations. I sure hope no one else gets the bright idea to sell puppies over the internet! Shame on you, People!
Its sad that your very popular magazine would actually print (and thus encourage) a story like this without giving any thought to the ramifications. Has any of your publishers or editors gone to a local pound (kill shelter)? Has ANYONE from your magazine seen how many PETS are killed in these "shelters" because of unscrupulous breeding?? If you had, you certainly would NOT have printed this!!!!!!
I really do not think that this child should be classified as an entrpreneur. A child can not know all the things needed to know about breeding dogs. I really belive that by him selling them on the internet it is a puppy mill and he is not looking in the best intrest of the dogs, just looking in the best intrest of hisself and the money he is making.I think that People needs to do a very lenghty article on the rescues shelters and the help that they do for the animals that get left behind by owners that dont care or by puppy mills. People Magazine you really need to look into your information first before you start printing stuff like this.
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on People Magazine. What were you thinking? I guess you weren't thinking. Glorifing a puppy mill! An article stating your mistake is in order. Sadly, it is the puppies who are the victims. Ethically breeders do NOT make money breeding dogs!
I have 2 permenant puppymill rescues. They are permenant bc their problems are so severe they cannot be rehomed. I rescue a giant breed. Please research puppymills and show why continuing "making money" off these dogs furthers their misery.
As usual, your magazine glorifies another mindless act of greed. But then again, that's what the various PR reps for the "stars" pay you to do for promoting their clients.
In my opinion this is a totally irresponsible article on this young man's puppy brokering. Your article has done nothing except encourage others to join in this quick easy way to "make a buck' at a helpless animal's expense. Puppy Mills need to be put out of business not aided by any magazine. Please consider doing an article on the horrific conditions of puppy mills, the pet stores who buy the animals and the unfortunate, often sick creatures who's misfortune it is to be born into such a situation.
Frances Moody
You should check your stories and your "entrepreneurial" endorsements more carefully. Responsible pet ownership is a major issue. Internet orders and laundry room puppymills shows a frightening disregard for the animals under this individuals care.
I think this is an aweful article, stating that running a puppy mill is a great way to be a successful entrepreneur. The article should have been about how it is a discusting way to make money off of running a puppy mill!! I'll NEVER buy your magazine again and will make sure to tell the rest of my family not too also!!!!!
It sickens me that such a popular magazine would even consider supporting CuddlyPuppy.com when there are so many rescues and shelters needing the attention.
The whole idea of this is disgusting. Hey, "People" - where are YOUR morals??? Feature an article of a kid who does something GOOD for animals (working at a shelter, rescue, etc.). This is garbage.
It is reprehensible that a magazine of your caliber would promote such a 'business venture.' This individual is profiting off the exploitation and pain of people and dogs alike. How many sick dogs has this child sold to families looking for pets? How many dogs have ended up in abusive situations? How many of those dogs have met their ends at the end of a needle in an animal shelter, because the family couldn't handle the cost of medical care or have ended up with an unruly, neurotic mess of an animal? I am sickened and disgusted that you would support anyone in this industry, and I will certainly not be purchasing any publications from you in the future!
As a former journalist, I was taught to strive for "accuracy of facts." Apparently your magazine does not subscribe to this. I would urge you to tell the other side of this sordid story. It's your responsibility as journalists. Please live up to it!
Just last week I watched a program about shelters in the USA. They stated in the program that in one shelter alone they receive 30,000 animals a year and only 3,000 find homes the rest are killed. This is only one shelter! As a member of a rescue group myself I am disguested by people trying to use these animals for their own financial gain.
This is disgusting selling dogs to any person, could be a person feeding dogs to a pit bull for practice or in a fight. You should not be encouraging abuse of animals.
Puppy mills are nothing but extreme cruelty to living, feeling creatures. People Magazine ought to have the decency to help the fight against these awful operations.
