Dog adoption turns into a fight for DeGeneres – USATODAY.com — Ok, so I’m flipping around the TV and this story keeps cropping up. Apparently Ellen DeGeneres adopts a dog and gives it to her friend. All of a sudden the dog is seized because she broke some rule. Now it’s a federal case. The way I see this the dog went to a good home and so what? It didn’t go to Michael Vick. But rules are rules. So I guess the dog should be killed instead. Everyone is making a huge stink over this. Cripes.
For two days in a row, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has gone to the dogs — a dog named Iggy.
On Tuesday, DeGeneres broke down in tears relating how a dog rescue group seized the Brussels Griffon terrier mix she adopted and had given to her hairstylists family. The rescue group, Mutts & Moms, has a minimum age of 14 for small-dog adoption, and the familys children are 11 and 12.
The question on my mind is what dipshit agency actually went out and seized the dog.
As you said, this is a lot of stink over nothing. In all the greater events of the world, people are crying over this. I think that agency that is enforcing this is really full of it. Honestly, just let it go and let the pet owners be happy. Put more people like Vic in jail and we won’t have this problem.
You know, there is an old saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity. I would like to politely disagree.
This adoption group looks like a bunch of f***ing morons.
Ok, we have wasted more than enough bandwidth on this story.
I am almost willing to say that Ellen conived this situation to generate publicity for herslef, but it is just to weird. Who would have thunk it?
Don
Who the heck opens their door to clowns like this? Seriously, in this day and age why open the door to people you don’t know and then let them come in and take your dog. I of course bother to post on this trivial matter because no matter what I say or do I can’t affect the possibility of peace in the Middle East or stop the war in Iraq or the coming war against Iran. Also, celebrities are complete loons.
#3 Jeeze, maybe the kids took the dog out for a walk…
Morons.
They thought that going after celebrity would give them visibility.
They had visibility, but not what they applied for.
some of these “rescue” groups are downright nuts. They make all these rules (all of which are totally anti-kids, like kids under the age of adult can’t be trusted to not kill, injure or dine on the pets) which are amazingly arbitrary. There are cat rescue groups that won’t let a cat go to a home with either kids or dogs (not fair to the cat). There are dog groups that have so many rules and regulations that the one Ellen dealt with sound like puff-balls. Some of these groups insist on visiting the animal every month or so for a full two years!!!! They’re literally bat-shit crazy.
They get their pets from shelters (kill and non-kill) and charge huge “adoption fees” to cover their costs. In some cases its as much as a grand for a mixed breed, perhaps socially inept untrained mutt.
Its simply the case of women who have no kids, and too much time on their hands. I think Ellen should sue them….see if their contracts really hold up in court. The question is…why in the HELL was she honest and even tell them where the dog was? And, she gave out their address? What sort of idiot is Ellen? Why didn’t she just say the dog ran away or was taken by coyotes. Geez….doesn’t everyone know that playing “fair” with crazy people will make you look crazy, too?
stupid stupid stupid.
What every happen to having a dog you didn’t want anymore, so you ask your friends and neighbors if any of them want a dog, and someone says yes, so you give them to the dog….. if you listen to the hype you’d think you’d need to be a qualified professional in order to give a dog away!
Silly or not, when you sign a binding contract, don’t be surprised if someone enforces the terms. Many breeders will sell an animal on specific terms, like mandatory spay or neutering. Some of these terms are to protect the breeders bloodlines and reputation, if the animal is not up to show. Incidentally some small aggressive breeds do not do children well. Many times the child gets nipped and an over reactive parent wants to skin and boil the animal.
Apparently your fan base has expanded John….you have the power to drop posts by idiots…but you allow the jerks above to hijack your blog.
I know that they and some others think they are cute or somehow cool……but 5 y/o’s venting their stupidity isn’t cute or cool.
OK, I have a soft spot for dogs, but Ellen’s just way too overwrought over the whole thing. No matter how much feeling I have for the critters, I never forget that they’re still DOGS.
My favorite line to come out of the whole thing was Matt Lauer’s comment after the segment ran on the Today show yesterday. He commented that he “accidentally” had the Ellen show on and was kind of transfixed by the train wreck in progress. Heh. So, basically Lauer doesn’t watch Ellen “on purpose.” I think that speaks well for Matt.
The story actually goes a little bit deeper. Apparently, when DeGeneres first adopted Iggy, the agency had her sign the contract in question, but did not have her fill out the proper forms. When DeGeneres realized that the dog could not get along with her other pets, she gave Iggy to her hairstylist and her family. The family then followed proper procedure by applying for a change in ownership of the dog through Mutts & Moms’ website. The agency then contacted DeGeneres, to “check in” on Iggy. Ellen did not lie, and told them that the dog could not adjust to her other pets and had given it to the family of her hairstylist.
Mutts and Moms then set up an inspection/interview with the family. They then contacted the local police, and forcibly seized the dog at the time of the “interview”.
You say that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but this can only be contrived as a (pardon the harshness) dick-move on the part of Mutts and Moms. They should’ve left the dog in the care of the family for the interview, had a probationary period with random inspections, and THEN and only then made the decision whether the home was fit for the dog to continue living in.
She should have wrote a check out to the adoption agency for $10,000 (pocket change for her), delivered an apologetic Hallmark card and sit it out for a few days. Money works wonders in this world.
I’m dissappointed that she couldn’t come up with that especially since being gay usually means you are more sensitive and aware. But, I understand, overcoming cheapness is a monumental undertaking.
Rescue groups are looking out for the dog’s best interest at all times, and that’s why they will typically have you sign a contract. If the dog doesn’t work out in your home, you’re supposed to give the dog back to the rescue group, so they can find a better home for it. That’s just how it works.
And #6, you’re a moron.
http://www.muttsandmoms.org returns petfinder.com when you go to their website. Here is a quote from the first paragraph:
Mutts and Mom (sic) has chosen to temporarily inactivate their website on Petfinder.com because their email inbox and voice mail are overwhelmed.
Well imagine that!
Has anyone noticed that (dont care about people) PETA, has been silent on this issue?
#15 — You’re an imbecile. Your reply posting priviledges are hereby revoked.
The wife and I got a healthy Boston Terrier 1-1/2 years old up to date on his shots and already neuterd for $200, not a bad deal if you’ve priced breed specific dogs and vet. bills. I did cringe on the contract, but the Mrs. was in love. The biggest problem I had with the contract was a stipulation that says if the dog gets badly injured (hit by a car etc.) we have to contact them before we can decide to put the beast down, I interpeted it to mean also when the dog old and sickly they have the final say in it’s fate.
I really felt the group we dealt with has the dogs best interests at heart, but I also have the dogs best interest at heart and dread the day if we have to put this “member of our family” down and somebody with a big heart and an empty head would force us to let the dog go on suffering. I guess that’s where the coyotes come in #6.
#15, Shane;
No, what’s really moronic is people/groups who get more worked up over crap like this than are worried about the real problems in the world.
You know, such as the homeless/hungry/sick in our own country.
Or the civilians being killed in Iraq.
Or the countless hundreds of thousands being exterminated in Darfur.
#20
I agree people shouldn’t get so worked up, but this is something you can actually do something about. You can take a dog in and enjoy it.
You can’t do anything about the war etc. whether voting Dema-can or Republi-crat, the rich are gonna get richer the poor are gonna get poorer and people will be slaughtered.
Lesson:
If you start to cry on TV … STOP TALKING!
In my Scandinavian upbringing, we were taught to always stop talking if you started to cry. To keep talking, makes you sound like a weeping, slightly-crazed fool otherwise. Seems to be all-the-more-true when the tape is rolling.
#8 – You are talking about breeders and the article is about rescue groups. Those are two different kinds of loonbat idiot groups.
I won’t obtain animals from rescues. I’ll only go to pet stores that do not contract with rescue groups. Rescue groups I have dealth with are staffed by overly emotional and overly privileged wanna-be do-gooders who anthropomorphize the animals, and ultimately serve their own needs over the animal’s needs.
The first time I ever dealt with a rescue, the “whatever a rescue clerk is called” asked if I would declaw the kitten. Unaware that they had an agenda, I answered that I planned to remove the front claws as the cat would never be allowed outdoors. Well, that turned out to be an argument, in fact it was a trap to create the argument, and their anti-declawing stance was entirely emotionally based… which never wins me over.
I smell a lawsuit.
Any takers on who is the first one out of the gate and who they will sue?
All my pets are rescue pets. They come to my wife and I and we take them in. It costs us nothing, except the food and vet bills, and we sign no contracts. Of course, if your hung up on “breed specific” this wont work for you. So the next time you see a dog playing along the highway, or a cat shows up hungry on your doorstep, take it in.
23. OFTLO- just asking but why would you purchase from a pet store when you could just go to the SPCA? Unless the SPCA in your area is restrictive like the “rescue groups”. I havent seen that in the area I have lived. Many of the pet stores purchase from puppy mills.
I believe the whole thing was a brilliant pre-emptive PR strike by Ellen. Imagine how it would look for an animal welfare advocate to be “outed” with a practice that is considered to be against the interests of animals.
RBG
#8
“Many times the child gets nipped and an over reactive parent wants to skin and boil the animal. ”
Are you Britney Spears ’cause you don’t give a damn if your kids are bitten by animals?
“The question on my mind is what dipshit agency actually went out and seized the dog.”
It looked to me like the cops, so I’m asking the same question: When did the police get involved in a contract dispute? This s-h-o-u-l-d be a civil matter requiring the adoption agency to show actual damages. I’ll be that they can’t.
Our local news showed the woman who runs the adoption agency – she is a rather obvious butch who has her ego tied up in this dispute. This leads me to believe that she should not be allowed anywhere near animals.
Ellen DeGeneres has a hairstylist?
#26 – Mark… Well, first off, I wouldn’t buy a puppy as I cannot stand to be around dogs for too long. Not that I would ever hurt a dog, but I just am not a dog person.
It’s about cats. I’m going to be in the kitten market soon and I insist on acquiring the kitten at 8 weeks (which most groups won’t allow).
I’m not native to the area I’m in so I’ll check with the SPCA here, since you mention it… might be a good idea.
As for the notion of not buying from pet stores… Those animals in pet stores are still animals. If “animal rights” groups succeeded in convincing everyone to boycott pet stores, what would happen to the animals in the pet stores?
I used to manage (about 15 to 20 years back) a pet store that was (still is, actually) part of a small chain (about 15 stores). Now obviously I can’t speak for every pet store, but the owners of my store were militantly anti-mill and very public about who and where the dogs and cats came from. We used some of the best vets I’ve met in my time. I’ve seen dodgy pet stores, but the level of care we provided was exceptional.
This is a great pet store, dealing typically in mixed breeds, dogs and cats. (they didn’t like getting caught up too much in the nasty business of AKC and CFA animals) We did a great business in exotic birds and herps (another business were you have to be very careful about who you are buying from) as well as our biggest areas… salts, reef, and freshwater fish.
My point is… There are very good pet stores who do a good business and operate healthily and ethically with animals.
“My point is… There are very good pet stores who do a good business and operate healthily and ethically with animals.”
You are right, there are. Being in the business at one time you should know. I guess because I regularly find and deliver lost animals to the SPCA, I have a hard time understanding why someone would buy from a store. The SPCA we have here locally is excellent, and they do try to match your household up with an animal, but all you have to do is pay for the spay / neutering (40 dollars). Lots of 8 week old kittens as well as adults. So give it a shot. I am such a bleeding heart when it comes to animals.