On Thursday the 18th, an article concerning a dog named Maggie rescuing a 6-year-old child was posted on The Morton Report under the guise of being a real story. The validity of the article was not initially questioned as it was posted under the name of one our respected columnists.





As it turns out, the article was the work of internet mischief maker David Thorne who gained access to the columnist's account and posted it under her name without her knowledge. The article, which ended with the dog having cancer, garnered over 40,000 hits within a 24 hour period and resulted in many readers expressing how upset they were by the dog's medical condition. Many said they were 'deeply touched' by the article and felt they had been lifted up with a story of love and hope only to be hit with the heart-breaking ending paragraph. Messages of hope were left for the 'parents' featured in the article.





The Morton Report has a strong stance on unsourced material and does not condone the posting of this fabricated article. Our columnists are highly respected professionals and experts in their fields and all material is sourced from reputable and established references. As such, The Morton Report has taken steps to ensure this situation does not happen again.





Speaking to Thorne via email, he stated "Readers received a Hallmark moment for free. Those upset by Maggie's condition should take solace in the fact that she doesn't actually have cancer."





In fact, Maggie does not even exist. While the location in the article is a real town in Washington State, 6-year-old Taylor, the parents and the dog are fictitious characters constructed by David Thorne.It may not be the first time readers have been 'trolled' by his juvenile antics, but it will be the last time it happens via an article on the Morton Report.