This teen may not be aware of the ramifications of what he is doing. Perhaps he should be encouraged in his intention to extend his business to pet supplies, and abandon his sales of puppies. He could then use his website to direct his audience to consider rescuing what is already out there in need of homes. I suggest that he consider volunteering at his local animal shelter to see what goes on there.
I am a person who works in a small dog breed rescue group. My rescue group cleans up after people like Timothy Hampson, one of the subjects of your "Teen Titans" article. Is that how we measure success in this country? By how much money one makes by peddling flesh with little regard to the fate of that flesh? Timothy Hampson is NOT a success story - he is reprehensible at best and evil at worst. People magazine must show the other side of this coin in order to prevent others from following in the footsteps of Timothy Hampson. Please contain an article in your magazine to undo the harm you have done by glorifying this flesh peddler.
Irresponsible journalism. Maybe People magazine will become a major contributor of funds to aid in the care of these animals when they are later dumped in shelters & with rescue groups due to poor health & bad temperaments? I doubt it.
People Magazine should be more careful about who they sing the praises of. Read the LIFETIME HEALTH GUARANTEE. It has so many loopholes in it, a child could weasel out of any responsibility. Oh YES. He is one! Please use your magazine to educate people about the plight of companion animals in North America, and not glorify somebody motivated only by greed and utter lack of compassion.
I think the mom is behind this and wants the money, or this is a very stingy and single-minded child. This child needs to go visit a rural Animal Control facility to see what is most likely happening to the puppies he is selling - most will end up there and be euthanized because people always want a cute little puppy until it growns up to be a dog. If you are going to bring a pet into your family, it should be a part of your family - just like a child.
People is a magazine I love reading. It is a fun read. Still, it does touch on very important issues too. I can't support a magazine that glorifies in issue as serious as the hell that is so often experienced by dogs in puppy mills.
I have signed. this is so disgusting I know i'm going to have nightmares over these poor little pups.I have been a avid reader of your magazine This is the worst I have ever seen.Char from B>C>Canada
Please do not glorify any online puppy mill businesses by publishing such articles! Apparently you have no idea of the ugly, and sad results of puppy milling.
Ok, now do an article about the cruelty of Puppy Mills and then do another on Rescues where the discarded products of puppy mills are sent to live out their pathetic years
People Magazine is just promoting puppymills and the life time breeding of innocent dogs in horrible, cruel conditions. I have a breeder dogs who was saved by a rescue group. For 9 years, she had never stood on grass, floors, never had on a collar, never been lovingly held...who was afraid of everyone and everything. People magazine should now show the atrocities of puppymills and how petstores should be closed down.
I'm sure this "child" got into this thinking he was doing a good thing and making money, too. However, he and his mother couldn't be anymore misguided. Quite frankly I am appalled that his mother would even consider helping him with this. She should certainly know better.
Buyer beware, you do not know what your are getting! People Magazine, please run some kind of article showing the horrors of puppymills. The public needs to be educated and so does Timothy Hampson!
Please, please do not encourage puppy mills. This teenager is not being entrepreneural at all, he is brokering in a very sad end for puppies that cannot protect themselves. What is his mother thinking!?!?!? Are shelters not overpopulated now with dogs that are a result of thoughtless, selfish backyard breeders & puppymills???
although it is our culture to breed special dogs, the number of homeless in shelters, innocents being executed, should be a powerful incentive to this young man to help them with his entrepreneurial skills instead.
I am NOT at all impressed by Timothy Hampson's site, Cuddlypuppy.com...he is apparent that he does NOT care who "buys" these innocent animals as long as he recieves money for them..he is NOT "saving" any of these animals but simply promoting more puppy mills/back yard breeders to breed even more animals.It is very sad that this young man does't spend his time and energy on actually HELPING animals instead of selling them off to whoever has the almighty dollar in hand...sadder yet that he does not do background ck's or require the animal be spayed/neutered. Equally sad is that his mother helps him with this disgusting venture of cruely...she should be teaching him COMPASSION -vs- the sale of innocent lives. I am totally disgusted that People Mag would even advertise this sick site...I suggest you visit a shelter, preferably on "kill day" and then ask yourself WHY is there so many unwanted animals...it is because of ppl such as Timothy Hampson and others who have no compassion for our animal friends.
This article was shameful and People magazine should print the whole truth about puppymills. Especially, how they treat the animals there, it's awful!!!
I think people should know this is a puppy mill operation which keeps several pets uncared for in small kennels and use them for only breeding. This site is a disaster to all what animal rescue is about. Animals need love and attention to be a good part of any family. We need to put an end to all this puppy mill breeding. Don't they know how many are animals are put down every year. This will draw more puppy mills to keep creating and could cause too much inner breeding.
I would like to see more responsible reporting by People Magazine. It is clear that the reporter did not do the right level of research to provide perspectives on all sides, A misinformed article that leads to poor decision making by consumers on the backs of the dogs with no voice.
This is totally irresponsible on the part of People magazine. We hope you will begin to cover the thousands of animals that are put to sleep every year because they are placed in inappropriate homes. Breeding dogs should be limited to professional who know and understand genetics and temperment of the breed in question. Puppy mills lead to many animals suffering, particularly due to massive amoutns of healht problems. I am very disappointed in people magazine for this article. Someone needs to have a word with this boys parents. He would do better selling candy bars on line. Don't even get me started on the exotic pets issue...(see CITES and international traffic of endangered species). Animals claimed to be from legal sources in developing countries are almost always from illegal poaching activities and are leading to extinctions worldwide.
Please stop puppy mills. No one should sell a puppy for profit.It is not only the puppies that suffer when they have to be put down. Families are devastated as well.
Do the editors of this magazine ever read it??? This is just another reason why I stopped buying it so long ago! I only hope the local ASPCA look into Timothy Hampson and his mother.
Dogs are not commadities. Care in breeding and placement of dogs can best be done by contientious hobby breeders. The editors of People Magazine are obviously ignorant about puppy mills.
I am so disappointed in the lack of earnest research into this topic on the part of PEOPLE MAGAZINE, whom I would assume is a professional publication backing up all of their articles with the pertinent facts. So, this is your opportunity to really do an expose on the puppy mill business across the country. I am in the Midwest and there are millers everywhere "getting rich". Do you really know what you promoted in your article...does this teen really know? Maybe not. But, think about it: breeding dogs are kept pregnant constantly throughout their entire lives of many years. They and their puppies are kept in cages stacked high, one on top of the other, so that many dogs are deficated on continuously. These dogs have deformed feet from standing on wire cage floors and never touch real earth. With no consciouness about breeding, the puppies are eventually adopted with congenital problems such as hip dysplasia, heart murmurs and blindness. These mill dogs are not loved or touched except to be bred or hit, they are not vetted properly or socialized. Their nutrition is marginal at best and if they become sick, they are often left to die in their cages. Dog rescue organizations provide much needed medical attention, surgery, fostering, socialization, since many of the breeding dogs are terrified of humans, and eventually adoption.
I am hoping that PEOPLE will do the RIGHT thing and show the ugly underbelly of the dog business that is making some people rich through the abuse of innocent creatures.
I was appalled to hear that People magazine had run a story about a greedy boy and his mother making money off of the suffering of innocent puppies. Not only that but your magazine glorified this kid for doing so! Maybe you all need to take a visit to your local Humane society on 'kill' day and see what you think then of what this kid is doing. By helping puppy millers sell their puppies, he is condemning these poor innocent animals to a life of suffering and pain. Shame on you for helping him to do this by running this story on him! I won't be buying your magazine anymore, that is for sure!!
What incredibly poor journalism. Ever heard of homework?? Know how many dogs are euthanized in this country each year? Know that the ONLY reason for breeding purebreds is to improve the health of the breed? Don't know? Don't care? How about this, childen who mistreat dogs (even under the guise of capitalism) go on to mistreat humans. I hope this kid is your boss some day.
Please print a retraction in your magazine about this type of breeding practice! It is not for the animals best interest and it is just another detestible way to exploit dogs and should not be condoned at all.
Are you people completely devoid of brains? You can't see this is a puppy mill and exploitation of innocent animals?
NEVER will read your magazine again.
I look into the eyes of my dog I got from a shelter and know that she needs me and there are over 70,000 more like her. Puppy mills have got to be stopped.
Animal shelters are filled with the sick dogs that result from puppy mill breedings where a female is bred over and over again, sometimes as often as three times a year. People is doing responsible dog breeders and responsible owners a disservice.
You have the power to reach a huge number of people - please use this power to make the world a better place, not to promote an organization that encourages large scale breeding and inhumane treatment of dogs. I encourage you to do an in-depth story of puppy mills. It can be upbeat and focus on the amazing dogs who have survived life in hell - in a puppymill - or a true expose and show the horrific conditions in a mill.
this is disgusting! the mother should expose her son to the piles of bodies at the end of every day in our shelteres of wonderful unwanted animals! It is NOT just pit bulls. Many are pure breeds and puppies. The breeding for profit smacks of Planet of the Apes!!!
As a registrd vet tech, I am personally sick and tired of having to see clients get burned by "back yard" breeders. They do no health testing on their parent stock and ship out less than suitablle puppies to chains like P.J's Pet Store's and other private pet shop owners. More than half of these pups I've seen in 14 years working in vet clinics are not fit for sale , and people who want to have a "cute" little dogs are suckered into a life of paying vet bills and losing their pets prematurely to health problems.I think People Magazine should think about doing an expose on Puppy Mills in North America - I know it seems overdone - but that's the point - we should keep educating the public until we shut these money grabbing, ignorant,uninformed people down !!! Maybe if all the "doggy" people cross posted this to their email dog lists, more people would have a chance too express their concerns ? Come on guys - get this info out there !!!!
Should be called "Ignorant People Magazine". It's just another cheezy tabloid that uses better paper. Wouldn't suprise me if they think PUPPY MILLS are just another great American marketing idea. It's not like they sell to pet stores or anything. Maybe their next issue will cover the positive aspects of prong and shock collars! I better be careful, they may want to hire me!
I'm hoping the teen enterpreneur is just uneducated and misguided....and not a greedy sob that doesn't care that he's making money on an endeavor that causes untold misery to animals that are bred for profit only!
