Ellen Sobs For The Return Of Confiscated Pet

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres broke down while taping her show yesterday, in an episode that airs today, over a dog named Iggy that she rescued from a shelter in September. After she spent thousands to get Iggy neutered and to try and train him to get along with her cats, it wasn't working. Meanwhile, Ellen's hairdresser has two daughters and looking for a puppy. Ellen gave them Iggy, got daily reports of how the girls loved and had bonded to Iggy, and she thought she'd done a good thing by finding the dog a loving home.

But the rescue shelter claims Ellen violated a deal by giving the animal away, and they took Iggy from the kids. "I guess I signed a piece of paper that says if I can't keep Iggy, it goes back to the rescue organization, which is not someone's home, which is not a family," Ellen told the audience.

When the shelter called Ellen to check on Iggy, she was honest and told them she'd found the dog a new home. The shelter took Iggy from the hairdresser's home.

Here is Ellen sobbing on her show for the shelter to return the dog to the kids:

From NBC 10/16

Comments

[booker52]

I saw a short clip with the owner of this shelter. She says she was treated to a call from Ellen's lawyer. Whatever, the folks on GMA says this woman's guildlines for adoption is that her animals do not go to homes with children under the age of 14 years. Give me a break. I feel sorry for Ellen and the family she gave the dog to, but my advice is next time you want a dog think twice about where you go to get one. You just might run into someone like this gal. Well meaning, but has issues I would say.

[TheAverageAmerican]

This is shocking news... Ellen uses a hairdresser?

[kulshan]

I know shocking, ya know what else I heard I couldnt believe??

Dumbya can read.

I know I know, its shocking.that a man whos command of the english language is equal to my 4 yr old, can ACTUALLY read.

amazing what you can accomplish in A-mur-u-kaa.

[hugs4u]

The dog rescue organization people were way out of line. Their job is to rescue dogs that are being abused. They see that the abuser is also charged with dog abuse and since they didnt get the people charged, it tells you that they were doing this for a personal reason only. The rescuer had a hair cross ways in her ass for some reason and it was she probably has a thing against Ellen that is a personal problem anyhow the bitch should be fired and kept away from animals herself.

[jones]

I'd like to hear the shelter's response to this story. I think there are two sides to this story. ellen....you are such a drama queen.

[wheelskeepturning]

You really do have to sign a paper saying you will not give the pet to anyone else. Check with the shelter yourself. I live in a different state and it is that way here to.

[vabear61]

True- and Ellen admitted that she was wrong. The best interests of the dog seem to be the only motivation.

If the mission of Moms and Mutts was to place dogs in happy homes, they failed. You have to wonder what their motivation was, and I can only guess it is either vindictive or stupid. Neither was good for the dog.

[llmitchellb]

My God! When I saw her breaking down, I thought she was going to say she had cancer, or a sick parent, or Portia was sick...
Of course this is sad, but she's been jovial through a million things and This, This causes her to loose all composer on TV?

[Economike]

Menopause

[LCSANITY]

Sound like someone needs to be neutered. LOL Leave it to a man to bring hormones!

[3reddogs]

I've been involved in Irish Setter rescue for years and no organization that's truly interested in the welfare and well-being of the dogs they've placed would have rushed into that home and taken that dog away unless it was obvious that it was being mistreated. (Presumably it wasn't!)

Instead of using this as an excuse to take cheap shots at Ellen DeGeneres, how about a little outrage directed at this so-called dog rescue organization?

[who38]

Most of these agencies have this policy so that a person does not come in, adopt a dog and then sell it to a pharmacutical lab or Michael Vick. This is a good policy. I don't necessarily understand the age restriction, but if that particular agency wants to make it, they have the right. It's Ellen's bad for not being responsble and reading the fine print. Just hope this does not end with Ellen and the kids holding the dog on national TV and crying that "this is the only home this dog has ever known" or worse yet, "Iggulito, Iggulito."

[kulshan]

another RedHerring.

can u substantiate the CLAIM that people go to the shelter and getting dogs to SELL???

that doesnt make any sense at all.

who pays for a Mutt??
seriously. never happened.

and i bet you ALWAYS read the fine print right who??

being omnipotent and having attained absolute perfection.

[godlessclif]

I don't care if they give the dog to Michael Vick.

[VOTER]

Seeking attention again?

[Empire]

Thanks for caring "godless", now drop dead.

[kwestionauthority]

If animal adoption agencies let people adopt animals and then let the people give the animals to other people, many of the adopted animals would be sold to laboratories. People who do this are called "bunchers," or Class B animal dealers. Bunchers also answer "Free to Good Home" ads and sometimes they steal dogs. I've heard the going rate for a healthy, obedient dog is a couple of hundred dollars. Selling dogs to laboratories is perfectly legal and run by the USDA which houses the animals in warehouses. Animal adoption agencies have to have very strict adoption guidelines and follow-up procedures to avoid being duped by bunchers. Sad, but true. Bunching is BIG BUSINESS!!!!!

[VOTER]

All true but in this case the Animal Shelter had the option

of checking to be sure this was NOT going to happen to this puppy.

Why didn't they?

[3reddogs]

The proper procedure would have been for this organization to do a "home visit", screen the dog's new family and decide whether or not it was in the DOG'S best interest to be left there or returned to foster care. DeGeneres' hairdresser and her children were obviously not "bunchers" so I think one could logically conclude that this was nothing more than confiscation to prove a point.

[kwestionauthority]

Nor did I mean to suggest they were. I'm simply saying, there are excellent reasons for animal shelters to have strict policies. The work load at most shelters is overwhelming, the tasks are frequently downright grisly (euthanizing kittens, for example) and consequently staff shortages are common. Home visits and the like aren't realistic and would take resources away from the investigation of cruelty complaints which, I'm sure, most humane society shelters have a huge backlog of. Ellen made a mistake. Period. I've never heard of a shelter that allows animals to be passed from one home to another. That's no fun for animals either! The most important message to relay here is spay and neuter, spay and neuter. Animal over- population is the reason for all of this.

[kulshan]

care to site a single example with a link??

sounds like PETA propoganda to me.

[kwestionauthority]

Google "class b animal dealers."

[PazparaTodod]

...and FYI I LOVE ELLEN Degeneres

[PazparaTodod]

I have kids and I have pets. And for goodness sake America stop this drama. Like I have noted in previous posts, this is what Americans LOVE. Apart from the petition, are we going to start lightening candles and holding vigils in support? I hate this fanatism

[godlessclif]

We need to destroy the corporation that repossessed the pet. What kind of Nazis are these people. It is like the wicked witch trying to take
away Dorothy's dog toto in the Wizard of Oz.

[BlueLogic]

Wake me up when she sobs uncontrollably for the hapless "war" in Iraq and the subsequent heaps of dead young US soldiers who bravely gave their lives for lies.

Oh and also wake me if she should sob for Darfur and plead with her vast audience to pressure their congresspersons across the nation to send paramilitary forces to cease the violence.

Until then I'll write her off as a loopy celeb sitting on some six-figure perch moping about things that don't really matter.

[SunshineDaydream]

i hope you don't have kids....

[gulopartisan]

Or plans for them.

[vabear61]

...or pets.

[Witchitalineman]

It is such a waste of time to comment on these spoiled celebrities but for God's sake Ellen if you are going to cry why don't you shed your tears for something a little more worthwhile say Burma or Darfur or children's health insurance or the plight of the homeless. This display makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. Get a life.

[jlxn]

The one encouraging thing about people like you is if you talked to people like this in real life, you'd be getting your butt kicked daily.

[LoriB]

Maybe, instead of wasting your time and ours by complaining and hypocritically criticizing someone who has contributed to a fair share of good causes, you could spend time writing to your Congress members about childrens' health care, go to work raising money for a good cause, or volunteer at a homeless shelter since these seem to be the things you're most concerned about.

[mi]

love your generous heart ellen.

[boyd]

I second that.

[SunshineDaydream]

third that

[Charity]

i saw a follow up report about this and the story is pretty crazy - the so-called rescue organization threatened ellen by telling her if she didn't tell them where the dog was that they were going to call the media and the police.

obviously, this muttsandmoms place was escalating the situation based on ellen's celebrity.

THEN they said that they were only going to "check" on the dog - when the hairdresser let them inside the muttsandmoms scooped up the dog in one hand and dialed the police with the other on her cell phone - standing there for nearly two hours holding the dog until police got there (obviously not a police priority, of course.)

meanwhile, the children were traumatized by this bizarre behavior.

the people who work at muttsandmom certainly know how to get back their dogs, now don't they?

very classy.

they have now jeopardized their entire rescue operation for the sake of one dog who was obviously being well-cared for by not only ellen and portia, but also by the new family.

there are no "what if's" here - the family was a good family with kids that was known to ellen (her hairdresser of some time) and this dog was in no way being mistreated.

way to go, dog nazis! the dog's back in a cage! whoopeeeeee! you win?

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[Moon]

Obviously the value of the pet was greatly increased by ellens celeb status and the training the dog received. This is a sad story. I would love to know the Muttsandmoms e-mail and there names so when they reopen the org under a new name it could be linked to this story over and over and over again. People should be aware what kind of slime they are doing buisness with..

[vmaus]

Ellen, my heart goes out to you... Who is the top dog in that organization? Do they have any idea how much good will they have undone? You and those little girls are paying a high price for having hearts big enough to find a perfect fit for that poor animal... somehow, in a larger sense, we all suffer when stupidity overrides compassion. Don't beat yourself up, Ellen... you did the right thing. They failed to see a larger picture and a better, loving home for that pup. You gave that pup a chance to be loved and cared for. For your sincere efforts and selfless intentions, I commend you.