I am truly saddened to see that People Magazine did not take into cosideration that they are aupporting a puppy mill. There are way too many dogs and puppies in humane societies, local pounds and purebred rescues to promote yet another greedy human that has no regard for the dogs and cats that they breed just for the money. I am sure that these people are not testing for the health issues of each breed, doing hip x-rays for displacia, checking for heart problems, thyroid problems, and the many other issues of each individual breed. I will not support your magazine any longer as I feel as thought People Magazine is a supporter of one of the worlds leading cauze of animal abuse..PUPPYMILLS.
I sincerly hope that you think about what this article really means.
Unbelievable that People Magazine could print such an article without at least "thinking" it through and doing some research. This kid and his mother are nothing but greedy puppy millers. People needs to print a retraction and an explanation immediately! I am cancelling my subscription unless they do so.
This boy is terribly misguided. Please do a story about Puppy Mills. For example, a woman was recently convicted in Tennessee for raising puppies and children in deplorable conditions. Also please celebrate a compassionate teenager who works to help innocent, desperate animals in shelters.
I think this young man should along with a People reporter make a visit to a puppymill and be ready to see some of the disgusting way these dogs live..
Your time and devotion is totally wasted on this terrible article. Why haven't you printed the stories about puppymills and "backyard breeders"???? Are those pictures and stories to horrible for your readers to read? I think not, shame on you for promoting this boy and his mother. Do you realize how many unwanted and abused animals will end up in rescue, shelters and yes most of those unlucky ones will be put down. Do some good and point out how WRONG this is and educate your readers instead of contributing to the ignorance that is so rapid in regards to puppymills and greedy money making people. Take a look at just one puppymill and you to will be as passionate about this mission as I am!
Debby Eagle, Michigan
As a person who works rescue I can't believe how uneducated the Editor is. Education is ment to unsettle the mind. If you would educate yourself about these Puppy Mills more than your mind would be unsettled! Please become educated and print a counter-point article to educate everyone else to the harsh reality of Puppy Mills.
You should look more closely into the implications of this young man's business. He is obtaining dogs who are bred in questionable and often cruel conditions. He is selling them to buyers sight unseen. Many of the people buying his animals are probably buying on impulse and the animals will end up in rescue (hopefully), or in pounds or worse.
Where is the compassion and sensitivity for a living, breathing animal? This is not wholesaling tires or CD's. This is irresponsible. What are the parent's thinking?
I will let People Magizine know that I and my extened family will be canceling our subscription ASAP. I will use the funds that I would be spending on their magizine, and donate it to a end the puppymill trade. I will forward the reciepts to People. Hit them in the pocket
People Magazine is a widely read & well-thought of magazine. As such, it has a responsibility and duty to educated the public about the dangers of puppy mills and irresponsible "quick for profit" breeders".
There are way too many dogs placed into rescues and shelters that will never have a home.Why promote puppy mills and back yard breeders when an eye opening and sobering story about shelters, rescues, and homeless animals would wake up Americans everywhere? Please consider doing such a story!!
Puppies are not commodities to be traded on the internet! They are living feeling creatures. This teenager is participating in something very cruel and abusive. How can he and his mom not know that?
Responsible, ethical breeders take years to learn about their breed. They get all necessary health clearances....a simple AKC registration doesn't mean squat. The bottom line is that Hampson is nothing more than a puppy miller in a teenage suit. It's sickening.
You should really do your homework before publishing these types of articles. This boy and his mother are nothing more than a puppy mill and is contributing to the over population of unwanted and unhealthy dogs and puppies. It would be in the magazines best interest to publish an article about how awful these puppy mills really are and focus on the rescue groups and shelters.
do you have any idea of the AWFUL can of worms you have allowed to be open here? these are PUPPYMILLS!! not decent breeders, who care about health tests, breed quality, certification for eyes, hips, etc. You have given them Carte Blanc to mix any two dogs together, call it a breed, and sell it for enormous amounts of money with no guarantees for the health and welfare of the puppy. Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Take a stroll through your neighborhood shelter. There you will the end result of puppymillers. dogs given up, because they didnt turn out "as expected".....
Our animals would be better served if this teen wwas convincining people to adopt one of the many doomed pets in shelters. Then he would deserve your attention.
Please make puppy mills illegal!
And please teach your children that this is wrong. There are too many puppy's in this country and all other countries.
Take care of all the puppies and dogs that have no home, no love and some are out on the street freezing and do not have any food.
Look into their eyes and then look into your heart.
Go and see these puppies and dogs at a humane shelter or a rescue. Look into the dogs eyes. Some of these dogs do not have a prayer.
The mother and father of this 16 year old should know better.
This is just plain greed.
don't you people watch the news. one family can not provide proper care for that many animals. they live in filth, the children in the families live in filth. the dogs are usually not socialized and are shy and skiddish. when the athorities finally get their to retrieve them it is a sad situation. some make it and some don't. maybe you should try fostering one of the dogs that come out of a puppymill and then you would understand.
After running a story that promotes the potential abuse of puppies, I believe it would be in People Magazine's best interest to run a counter-story referencing the devastation that puppy mills cause, and focus on the many success stories of dogs rescued and the "forever" homes provided to them by rescue groups. I believe it is your obligation to print a counter-article presenting what happens to these innocent victims.
One-sided reporting! Tell the other side of the miserable lives of the mill dogs and the heartbreak of the buyers who discover their mill pups are loaded with expensive diseases, because no testing was done to eliminate unsound dogs from a breeding program--as a responsible breeder would do.
FOR SHAME!!! I find your article on the teenage entrepreneurs about the boy selling puppies disgusting!!!!!! I guess it does NOT matter that the poor pups in question are bred by less than reputable breeders or come with no health guarantee or that they may never have been around people before being yanked from their dam and sold by some teenaged idiot. I suggest you go to any internet search engine and type in "Puppy Mills." Be prepared to loose your lunch because the practices are truely disgusting. Why don't you send one of your crack reporters out to research puppy mills and do an honest story on that??? OH, don't have the GUTS????? You can count on me never buying or looking at another issue of PEOPLE magazine.
I couldn't be more disgusted with this story. Please consider running a story on the boy in Florida who started his own rescue "Wyatt's Ruff Rescue" - now THAT is something to be proud of!
And to think I spent all morning worrying about how to get this disgusting story out to all the people who could make a difference. Thank you Leigha Genduso.
Such a pity to highlight this type of business which exploits the animals and the naivete of buyers who truly think they are purchasing a healthy and well balanced animal.
Puppy mills are an travisty in our great country. They should be stopped, the lives of inoccent animals need to be protected not abused as a way to make money.
What a HORRIBLE thing to condone!! Haven't you PEOPLE ever heard of the horrors of puppymills? How do you plan to un-do the damage done by this article?
Irresponsible on the part of People magazine to promote dogs, or any animal, as a for profit commodity. How about showing the public the truth about puppymills, and what happens to the millions of animals when they're not wanted ???
Please spend more time on researching your story's subject matter. This story should have been run with some sort of complimentary educational piece with some photos, true stories etc. of the impact of a puppy being purchased due to the impulse shopping habits of so many people. Visit a shelter and meet those destined to be destroyed because of businesses like this.
The featured teenager is admirable for his ambition and work ethic. However, we do not need more brokers dealing with puppy (mills)who have been documented to not take care of their breeding stock or care about the puppies they sell, the puppies' overall health and future.
Puppymilling is cruel, if not only to the puppies, but to the *****es that are kept in inhumane conditions, and are treated as puppy machines, not as the wonderful creatures that they are.
after visiting the site of cuddlypuppy.com I cannot believe that People Magazine would fail to recognize this obvious abuse of purposful mix breeding of puppies for sale to anyone/shame on People Magazine for promoting cruelty to animals and shame on the childs mother for using him to make money of these poor puppies.
This is something that should not be promoted!!!!! Whatever happened to lemonade stands? This teen should learn that his spare time should be spent helping others in need, not exploiting innocent animals.
By encouraging this young man to continue you are aiding the puppy mills! Does Tim even know anything about any of the breeds he is selling and has he screened the breeders to see if they know what they are breeding???? Illnesses common in the breed, etc....
