The Mutts Magazine Archived

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS PAGE CONTAINS SELECTED ARCHIVED CONTENT OF THE ORIGINAL SITE.

A glossy upscale magazine, The Mutts Magazine, used this website as part of their PR push during the magazine's launch. I was so excited to see this dog lovers' magazine burst out on the dog scene. This site was overflowing with great ideas. The PDF that previewed the magazine was slick, there were facebook and twitter accounts with posts of events. It appeared that The Mutts Magazine was on its way. So what happened? The sites domain expired and the Mutts Magazine website disappeared.

Although their Facebook page still exists, there have been no new posts since 2013. Their posts extended from 2010 till 2013. I'm not sure if I fit into the complete profile of the demographics the magazine was aiming at. For instance I haven't bought doggie googles for my dog so she can ride in a Porsche Boxster, which sadly I can't afford. But I'm sure some folks would say I do pamper her, probably more than I pamper myself. I saw a recommendation in Vogue about some fashionable doggie products that mentioned an online store called GoodNightDog.com. They make and sell these gorgeous dog beds that put all others to shame - designer dog beds that look like stylish floor pillows. I have one dog and 2 of these. Now I consider that pampering!

I was delighted when I recently discovered that the domain was available, so I bought it with the goal of recreating as much of its original content as possible from archived pages. I did not want someone else to purchase the domain and re-purpose the site for something that had nothing in common with the original website.

If you were familiar with the magazine this should be a stroll down memory lane. Enjoy.

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This is the dawn of eco-awareness. Soon to be gone are the days of thoughtless exploitation of Mother Nature and the fellow beings with whom we share our planet. A new generation is taking form, from hybrid cars to eco-fashion a society that is more aware of its surroundings is being born as we speak. This change is what we like to call THE AGE OF THE MUTTS. With more and more animal lovers opting for the immense satisfaction of choosing a MUTT over the made to order pedigree, its time there was a publication dedicated exclusively for this special breed of humans and their pampered pooches.

Each month, The MUTTS magazine will reach thousands of these conscious consumers who create demand for your brand. From health and fitness, style and living, fashion and beauty, to more pressing issues like disease and cures many would come to the MUTTS magazine to be informed, to be surprised, to laugh, and to be moved.

The doting parent: Like any doting parent these mutt lovers spend hundreds on pet food, healthcare, lifestyle products and toys. On average pet owners spend over $12,000 for a small dog that lives 15yrs and more than $23,000 for a larger breed that live for 12yrs which exceeds the average cost of providing clothing, transport and healthcare ($18,690) for a child the same age by far. Always looking for ways to spoil their precious little tots these big spenders splurge on basic necessities like bedding, leashes, etc to sheer luxuries like eco friendly clothing, puppy goggles, etc

Conscious consumer: Unlike pure-breed dog owners who buy dogs from breeders puppy mills and treat them more like accessories or fashion statements, owners of mutts or shelter dogs are conscious of the pet overpopulation issue and are true animal lovers at heart who are assertive about the role they play in their pets life.

In short MUTTS is a lifestyle magazine for the modern pet parent, featuring an editorial mix of fashion, home décor, travel, entertainment and health for them and their precious MUTTS. With a clean, stylish design aesthetic, MUTTS believes that being a good pet owner and maintaining nature’s balance are not mutually exclusive.

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THE MUTTS Magazine Reader Profile

Predominantly female, affluent, well educated and professional. They are married, own their homes and have an average of 2 pets. These are well balanced and more active individuals than regular dog owners. They are proactive about all aspects of their pet's life - be it diet, exercise, grooming or even style.

Higher household income: With better jobs and higher disposable incomes these consumers place more importance on quality rather than price. According to the Annual Retail Trade Survey 2008 pet spending came a close second to clothing stores and even exceeded the combined spending on jewelry, beer and liquor.

Better educated / well read buyer: This select breed of animal lovers are intelligent, well educated and well informed on issues relating to their pets be it heartworm and tick prevention or the importance of micro chip, healthy diet and pet insurance. Constantly on the look-out for better products that are good for both their pampered mutts as well as the environment!

Conscious consumer: Unlike pure-breed dog owners who buy dogs from breeders / puppy mills and treat them more like accessories or fashion statements, owners of mutts or shelter dogs are conscious of the pet overpopulation issue and are true animal lovers at heart who are assertive about the role they play in their pets life.

In short MUTTS is a lifestyle magazine for the modern pet parent, featuring an editorial mix of fashion, home decor, travel, entertainment and health for them and their precious MUTTS. With a clean, stylish design aesthetic, MUTTS believes that being a good pet owner and maintaining nature's balance are not mutually exclusive.

More Background On The Mutts Magazine

In the early 2010s, as social media transformed every niche interest into a global conversation, The Mutts Magazine emerged as a stylish and socially aware publication for dog lovers who wanted more than pet tips — they wanted identity, community, and conscience. Blending fashion, wellness, home décor, and sustainability, it redefined what it meant to be a modern “pet parent.” Though its original website later disappeared, TheMuttsMagazine.com remains fondly remembered as a pioneering voice in the evolution of eco-conscious pet culture.

Origins and Founding Vision

The Mutts Magazine was launched during what its editors called “The Age of the Mutts” — an era of awakening to animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and responsible consumerism. This vision arose at a time when eco-awareness and humane adoption were becoming mainstream social values. The magazine’s team recognized that the bond between humans and animals was deepening in emotional, ethical, and lifestyle terms.

The brand’s messaging went beyond pet ownership; it celebrated the mutt — the mixed-breed, often rescued dog — as both a companion and a symbol of individuality, compassion, and authenticity. Readers were urged to adopt shelter dogs instead of purchasing from breeders or puppy mills, positioning The Mutts Magazine within a growing cultural movement that viewed animal rescue as chic, ethical, and aspirational.

A New Breed of Lifestyle Publication

Unlike traditional pet magazines that focused on training or veterinary advice, The Mutts Magazine was designed as a lifestyle publication with glossy aesthetics and a modern editorial tone. Its content blended high-end photography with articles that covered:

Health and fitness for both pets and owners
Home décor and design ideas that integrated pet-friendly living spaces
Fashion and beauty trends inspired by dog culture
Travel and entertainment with pets in mind
Environmental and ethical discussions about sustainable living

The magazine described its mission succinctly: to serve “the modern pet parent” — stylish, well-informed, and eco-conscious. The editorial design, both in print and online, reflected a clean, minimalist sensibility consistent with upscale lifestyle publications like Vogue Living and Dwell, but filtered through the warm, playful lens of pet companionship.

TheMuttsMagazine.com: A Digital Hub for the Dog-Loving Elite

TheMuttsMagazine.com served as the magazine’s online centerpiece. It showcased interactive features, digital previews of upcoming issues, and a downloadable PDF sampler that gave readers a taste of the magazine’s glossy visuals.

The website also maintained active Facebook and Twitter accounts between 2010 and 2013, sharing event updates, product features, and community stories. These posts cultivated an enthusiastic following of pet owners, groomers, designers, and boutique brands who saw The Mutts Magazine as an intersection of style and compassion.

Its online presence created a bridge between print readers and an emerging digital audience — years before “pet influencers” and Instagram dogs became household phenomena. TheMuttsMagazine.com anticipated the lifestyle-driven approach that many modern pet brands now emulate.

Reader Demographics: The Modern Mutt Parent

From its earliest pitch materials, The Mutts Magazine defined its readership with precision. Its core audience consisted of affluent, educated, and socially conscious women — typically married homeowners with one or two pets. These readers were not casual pet owners; they were active participants in their pets’ well-being, integrating canine care into their lifestyle choices.

Key Traits of The Mutts Reader:

Affluent and professional: With higher disposable incomes, they preferred quality and ethical sourcing over bargain pricing.
Educated and informed: They were familiar with veterinary science, diet, and preventive health — from tick prevention to microchipping.
Ethical consumers: They avoided puppy mills and preferred adoption.
Design-minded caretakers: They valued aesthetic harmony in pet accessories, often matching their homes’ décor with dog furniture and fashion.

The magazine’s tone appealed to those who considered their dogs not just family but reflections of their lifestyle choices.

Cultural Context: The Rise of Ethical Luxury

When The Mutts Magazine entered the scene, the concept of eco-luxury was reshaping multiple industries — from hybrid cars and organic fashion to sustainable architecture. The magazine’s “mutts over pedigrees” ethos mirrored a larger societal pivot toward authenticity and ethical self-expression.

In this context, The Mutts Magazine stood out for connecting animal adoption, environmental responsibility, and style. It rejected the elitism of pedigree obsession and instead elevated the mixed-breed dog as an emblem of conscious living.

This philosophy resonated with brands in adjacent markets. A Vogue feature on fashionable pet products at the time even referenced GoodNightDog.com, a designer dog bed company known for turning dog furniture into artful home décor. Such crossovers between pet care and high design perfectly captured The Mutts Magazine’s cultural niche: where sustainability met sophistication.

The Business Model and Advertising Appeal

The magazine positioned itself as a high-value advertising platform for ethical and luxury brands targeting pet owners. According to its promotional materials, advertisers could reach “thousands of conscious consumers who create demand for your brand.”

Its pitch highlighted key economic insights:

Pet owners were spending $12,000–$23,000 per dog over the pet’s lifetime — often exceeding what many families spent on clothing or healthcare for children.
Spending on pet goods, from leashes to bedding, rivaled or surpassed sectors like jewelry and liquor.
Readers were trendsetters — early adopters of eco-friendly and boutique pet brands.

This alignment of moral values with consumer spending made The Mutts Magazine a unique advertising environment — part activism, part aspirational lifestyle marketing.

Visual Identity and Editorial Tone

The Mutts Magazine’s branding combined polished design with a warm, conversational tone. The magazine and website featured soft photography, clean typography, and a layout reminiscent of Vanity Fair or Elle Decor.

Articles were often written in a narrative, personable style, mixing practical advice with emotional storytelling — from profiles of rescued dogs to features on dog-friendly destinations. The publication avoided sensationalism or tabloid-style pet news, preferring instead to elevate animal care to a form of lifestyle art.

The editorial tone echoed a philosophy that “being a good pet owner and maintaining nature’s balance are not mutually exclusive.” That statement encapsulated the magazine’s mission to fuse ethical mindfulness with modern aesthetics.

The Fall and Disappearance

Despite a promising start, The Mutts Magazine’s digital and print presence faded after 2013. The social media accounts went dormant, and the website’s domain eventually expired.

The reasons for its disappearance were never publicly detailed, but industry observers point to several likely factors:

High production costs of maintaining a premium print publication during the digital transition.
Competition from emerging pet blogs, YouTube channels, and social media influencers.
Market contraction during the early 2010s as advertising dollars shifted to digital platforms.

However, the domain’s later reactivation by an admirer — who sought to preserve its archived content — speaks to the publication’s enduring impression on its readers.

Archival Resurrection

Years after the original magazine vanished, a dog lover discovered the expired domain and purchased it to recreate and preserve as much of the original content as possible. The goal was to prevent the site from being misused or repurposed and instead to serve as a digital time capsule — a tribute to a short-lived but beloved publication.

This revival transformed TheMuttsMagazine.com into an archival project, offering a nostalgic look back at early 2010s pet culture. Visitors can now rediscover the publication’s tone, aesthetic, and ideals, reflecting a period when pet media first began embracing sustainability and emotional authenticity.

Legacy and Cultural Influence

Even in its absence, The Mutts Magazine’s influence can be traced in today’s pet industry. Many modern brands and publications — from eco-luxury pet accessory companies to Instagram-driven rescue campaigns — echo its blend of design, ethics, and humor.

The idea that dog ownership reflects personal values, not just companionship, has become mainstream. Rescue dogs are now fashion icons; sustainable pet brands are a billion-dollar market; and “adopt don’t shop” is a cultural norm. In many ways, The Mutts Magazine predicted these shifts years before they became dominant trends.

Connection to the Broader Pet Lifestyle Ecosystem

During its active years, The Mutts Magazine connected readers to a network of boutique brands, ethical designers, and nonprofits. It served as a cultural bridge between:

Animal welfare advocacy — promoting adoption and responsible ownership
Design and décor — showcasing beautiful, pet-integrated living spaces
Sustainability — encouraging recycled, organic, or handmade pet goods
Community and events — linking readers through pet shows, fundraisers, and product launches

By curating these elements under one stylish umbrella, the publication helped elevate pet culture into a full-fledged lifestyle sector.

Why The Mutts Magazine Still Matters

Today, with social media flooded by pet influencers and “dog lifestyle” brands, The Mutts Magazine’s original message feels prescient. It recognized early that pet ownership was not merely sentimental but expressive — a statement of values, aesthetics, and ethics.

The publication’s emphasis on the mutt as a cultural symbol — diverse, resilient, unpretentious — reflected broader human values of inclusion and individuality. It invited readers to see their dogs as reflections of their best selves: kind, conscious, and a little mischievous.

Though The Mutts Magazine may have been short-lived, its ethos continues to resonate. Its commitment to eco-awareness, ethical consumption, and design-driven storytelling made it a pioneer among lifestyle publications.

By celebrating mutts and their devoted humans, the magazine helped shift the cultural narrative around dogs — from pedigree to personality, from consumerism to conscience. TheMuttsMagazine.com’s archived resurrection ensures that the magazine’s vision — that being a devoted pet parent and a responsible global citizen are one and the same — continues to inspire a new generation of dog lovers.

TheMuttsMagazine.com