Articles such as this help pet buyers learn that they should only support reputable breeders. Buyers can make up their own minds what a byb breeder is, there are lots of opinions out there. This link compares a reputable breeder from a back yard breeder
Lawrence County Humane Society Abuse and Adoption Center and I would like to see more people choosing breeders who have more qualities on the left side of the list.
The"pet of the day" you mention, is usually a dog that will be hard to place, not one that will be easy to place. You can place any dog, if it's given enough publicity, and people will stand in line for this. Remember that local shelters do have outlets for many purebred dogs, because many go to breed specific rescues, and these rescues are notified immediately after the dog have gone through the waiting period where the owner is trying to be located. I think articles such as this are important because they inform us that millions of dogs are needlessly dying, and while puppymills/petstores are a problem they are not indeed the biggest problem. Backyard breeders produce way more dogs than puppy mills, and I don't think most people realize this.
For me, the biggest problem is unneutered pets, who are allowed to roam freely. We had a thread on legislation California was attempting to pass, and pets that were picked up three times would be required to be neutered. Most YT members were against this, and I was shocked by that fact, I believe responsible breeders don't allow their pets to "roam freely."
I think the biggest point you are overlooking, is that many new time Yorkie owners ponder the thought of breeding. Most people have no idea what breeding entails. Because animals breed all the time in nature, and everything goes well, they think the same is true with domesticated animals, but once man enters the picture, Mother Nature waves her hand by-by. Domesticated animals often need help in whelping, and even having sex. My point is the many people think, if they have a cutie pie dog, it's OK to breed, and the more information that we can get out there that this isn't a good idea, the better.