Please do not condone the sale of poorly bred, poorly cared for animals to people who may be buying on a whim, with little or no knowledge of what they are getting into. I work with rescue, and I see the results of purchases like this. This is not an ethical business that you should support.
Dear Editor, you should NOT advertise anyone as 'noteworthy' who makes money with the misery of helpless dogs. This young guy is simply a broker/dealer, who sells puppy mill puppies, which in most cases are not even according to AKC breed standard, and in all cases come from mills or backyard breeders!
Sincerely,
Gabriele G. Pollmeier
Please Please publish an atricle about all the caring people that take care of the unwanted and neglated animals not to make a dollar but to make a difference in these helpless animals lives and find them a loving forever home to be loved unconditionally as they do us.
I would have hoped someone would have taken a moment to pause on this concept of a 'Teen Titan.' Your article perpetuates an unnecessary evil in our country. I would hope your magazine will take the time to understand why this issue needs attention. Please, please offer a retraction and print an educational piece on shelters/rescues. Could you possibly find a teenager doing good for the many unwanted pets in shelters? I am sure there are many and why does the issue have to focus on how to make money? Why cannot it be for the good of another living being? Thank you for your attention, C. Maney, CVT
I cannot believe that People Magazine would recognize this boy and his $70,000 dollar income for being a puppy broker, shame on your magazine, the boy and his mother.
I agree with the comments about puppy mills. I have to wonder what true experience this boy has had in the ethical breeding of quality dogs, let alone the suffering and abuse so many homeless and unwanted animals endure in this country.
this is outrageous.
were is PETA NOW,,after hearing this I will NEVER buy that magazine ever,,it is all trash and they the mag.should've screened this before it went to print,,BUT then do they really care ,,as long as it sells,I will tell everyone never to buy it again,,it is a crime to exsploit inocent animals like this,,I hope this will send a message to stop to breeeding at puppy mill type place's,,animals are like children they need to be protected from monsters like that,
I am appallled and ashamed of people magazine for promoting this young nman's puppy mill. I have seen many rescues and what that young man is doing is a puppy mill through and through. People magazine should go to a humane society shelter and do a story about all of the animals that get put down in a day because no one wants them, or they are too ill to be adopted. That would be a story, not one that is about a brat who is making a profit off the lives of innocent animals
This young man is not a "teen titan," he is a puppy broker. From his website, it is clear that his one objective is to make money, not to ensure that properly bred puppies find good homes.
This young man is clearly involved in a puppy mill situation. If you have never seen one, it would behoove you to check them out to see what horrible conditions the puppies are exposed to. The real "fruits of his labor" will be imposed on the many rescue organizations that will surely be cleaning up after him when his puppies are no longer wanted.
Shame on you, people magazine!
It is bad enough that these puppy mills/back yard breeders are in business, then to have you portray this in your magazine is truly disguisting.
I ask you to spend a week in a kill shelter, where the only crimes an animal has commited, was to be born .
Maybe this young man and his mother can be the people that hold the dogs/puppies when they are put to sleep, if they are lucky enough to receive an injection. Better yet, let them view the ones that are go into the gas chambers, see the agony. fright and pain that our dear creatures must endure in their last breaths.
How can you applaud this, bringing more unwanted animals into this disposable society???
Disgusting!! People magazine should be ashamed to feature
this young man as a successful entrepreneur. People should be writing articles about the over crowing of the shelters and Rescue groups. He is running a puppy mill over the internet and should be shut down. He and his family are nothing but uncaring money grubbing people. I will never buy another of you magazines.
I was appalled that your article "Teen Titans" would include someone like Tim Hampson. I'm sure you could have found thousands of teen entrepreneurs who don't exploit innocent animals in order to make money. In this day and age everyone @ your magazine should be informed in the area of animal abuse. Shame on all of you! Deborah Richardson and Family
This kid should spend some time working in rescue. He'd find out real quick what really happens to the dogs in those puppy mills. It's a disgusting that a 16 year old would be involved in this kind of animal abuse and that People Magazine would glorify it.
Before you print a story could you possibly do your homework? I work in a na nimal hospital and daily see the "victims" of these so called entrepreneurs. Most of the puppies coming from "brokers" - which is what this young man is - are badly bred, sick, full of parasites and have multiple other issues. If he were breeding these dogs and were invested in their health that would be one thing. He is not he is a go between and is in it for nothing but profit. This child and his mother are interested in nothing but money! While the poor dogs suffer and so do the people that are buying them. They expect to get a healthy puppy and they end up with astronomical vet bills! Shame on you for advertising this kind of business. I will never read your magazine again. Mabey you should stick with J-Lo and Ben.
People Magazine - Shame on you for encouraging puppy mills and irresponsible breeding! This is an example of being reckless and thoughtless in the pursuit of the almighty $$ at the animals expense..your mag just took a sharp downhill slide!
While it may seem that what this young man is doing is very clever and businesslike, in reality he is participating in the exploitation of puppymill puppies. Before holding him up as an example of a young entrepreneur, please realize that he is capitalizing on sweet young souls who have no choice in what happens to them.
This Kid needs to be put out of busniess. He also needs to do comunity sevrice in a Shelter for rescued pets from Puppy mills. Also in a shelter that does kill when over populated. This would give him much needed wake up call.
People Magazine should be ashamed of it self.
It may seem to be a good idea but to the poor dogs that live in cages all their lives just to pop out puppies,it is very mean. Please stop this practice of money before the animals life. thank you.
in an email conversation with this young man, I realized he neither knew, nor cared, about the results of his business. I also breed, and would never market my dogs as he does. His gaurentee requires a certain vitamin, or the contract is null and void. What a scandal!
This is a disgrace. I can't believe that you approve of this being in your magazine.I nor anyone that I know will ever buy or read your magazine again.. I thin you should do research into an article before you would ever publish it in your magazine. If you know the real truth, you would have never done this.
I'd have a lot more respect for this young man if he were finding homes for shelter dogs. Since when is running a puppy mill, even over the internet, something to brag about?
This is no way to sell live animals. Stop this at once. You should be ashamed! You are perpetuating puppy mills - a shocking horrendous blight on humanity.
To condone and encourage the breeding and selling of animals when there are so many sitting in shelters waiting for adoption , is disgusting. This kid needs to go watch as countless animals are killed in shelters across the States and Cananda each day ..many originally coming from businesses just like his...a blatant money grab with no thought to the consequences. He is not to be congratulated , rather he needs a reality check. Shame on him and your magazine for encouraging this.
Karen Duncan
Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association.
What a terrible disjustice People Magazine is doing by allowing this type of article to be written. No good has ever come from puppy mills - shut them down -- don't encourage them.
The only difference between this young man and puppy mills is his are "high-classed" puppies, but in the end they suffer just the same. Shame on you, People, for promoting this.
I think its disgusting that People portrayed this puppy broker as a successful entrepreneur, just encouraging more people to go out and start businesses similar to this. Puppy mills must be stopped, not encouraged! I used to love People but I won't buy a single issue more until they print an apology.
I can't believe that you condone and publish about someone who is starting a puppymill business as a teenager. You now need to do a full length feature on puppy/kitten mills so the public can see the REAL LIFE facts on them. And also a full length story on rescue groups who have to clean up the messes created by people like this "bright young man" (NOT)
SaAme On You -Peoples Magazine, Do You know about the Puppymills Business in this country. Do you care about the poor dogs that live in Disgraceful condition all over the USA . people who care only about the money they makefrom mass production of puppies
I am active in dog rescue, and although we concentrate our efforts on pit bulls and Rottweilers, more than a few small dogs have needed our help. Dogs and cats are dying by the millions because there are not enough homes for them all - small dogs and puppies included. Puppy mills, brokers, and stores that sell puppies add many surplus dogs to the ones already produced by backyard breeders. Careless breeding and breeding for profit need to stop - for the good of the dogs!
It is really sad when a person at such a young age learns not to respect life and tries to make money selling helpless puppies. It is sadder yet when you see such behavior accepted and praised by a nationally known magazine. Shame on you!
I believe that if People Magazine is going to print a story about this 16 Y/O boy who is selling dogs from various breeders, that this magazine should also do a story about Puppy Mills and the horror the dogs suffer for months and years.Peoiple need to be educated, on the facts, people need to know that there are rescues and shelters they can go to and get a perfectly wonderful companion. People need to hear the other side. I am involved in rescue and know fully well what goes on in these mills, having a "Mill" dog myself that I rescued
people magazine should do an indepth article on a breeder that quietly breeds and raises excellent dogs for show, pet, companion. there should be no need to buy from this teenage boy who knows not what he does.
How this magazine could laud this outrageous example of inhumane brokering of puppies, and become a high priced puppymill, is beyond my comprehension, as a long time respectedbreeder/ exhibitor of top show dogs. It just this type of thing that dedicated dog people have fought long and rard to educate the public about.
PEOPLE should be ashamed of themselves for "rewarding" this teen for a business that does nothing more than support a cruel puppymill industry. All that they are interested in is making money. Not one bit of care goes into genetics, temperament, medical conditions, etc., and these puppies are sold to people who just don't know any better. When the pups are grown and are not so cute and start exibiting medical conditions, they are discarded like so much trash. As one of the people who's job it is to "Rescue" his "product" I have seen firsthand what he's selling. Please do more research in the future on the things that you praise.
Dogs and cats suffer enough misery without you adding to the problem by encouraging this disgraceful business. Shame on People Magazine. The next time I am in the Dentist Office, I will read SOMETHING ELSE!!
I have children who work in rescue and I am much prouder of them than anyone could be of a child whose mother encourages him to make a living selling animals from puppymills.
The fact your Magazine even printed this speaks volumes...too bad I used to buy it periodically...certainly no longer and neither will my teenage daughter
If a person regardless of their age, race, or gender are not going to breed dogs to better the breed they should not be made out to be some kind of hero. There are enough unwanted dogs in this country without someone breeding that doesn't have a clue in what they are doing.
Sue Hupp
Please do an article stopping puppy mills! I lost my beloved Shar-Pei to kidney disease in July. He was only 5 years old! We bought him from a pet store (puppy mill). Please leave dog breeding to the responsible breeders!
What kind of magazine would promote puppy mills? This is disgraceful and unethical. Anyone who believe this is kid is buying good healthy pups is living in lalal land.
