I adopted my dog from Mutts and Mom and can tell you that Marina is an absolutely devoted dog lover who has saved hundreds of dogs from the needle (mine included). She is very clear and upfront about her rules. There's no way in hell that Ellen or her partner could have not known that they were required to return the dog to Mutts and Mom. She told me that several times before I signed the contract, so it's not a matter of reading the fine print! Another point that people might not be aware of is that Ellen returned another dog to Marina prior to adopting Iggy. Two rejected dogs! Marina is basically a one-woman operation. She's given years of her life and much money to the cause of rescuing dogs. Her business will probably be ruined because Ellen used her celebrity to blast her on national TV. If you don't like the rules of an adoption agency, adopt from the pound or through the classifieds. No one was holding a gun to anyone's head here. If Ellen wants to use the experience to talk about private adoption agencies being too stringent in their requirements, fine. I think it's a worthy topic of conversation. But don't villify an individual who has served her community well.

Moral: ALWAYS read the fine print before you sign, and if you don't like the contract, go somewhere else.

It's a pity that laissez-faire business rules now have to be applied to personal decisions as well as career ones, but that'$ how it i$ in the Corporate State$ of Amerika,

I haven't even read through all the comments, but this is so ridiculous! First of all, Ellen should have never brought this issue up on her show in the first place. Using her talk show in this manner is incredibly tacky and only serves in rallying over zealous crazies to her pathetic defense. I hope she's happy that the shelter owner is getting death threats. Secondly, Ellen had no business giving that dog away. Those shelter people were only doing their jobs, and no matter what Ellen's hairdresser and her kids say, that dog never at any time, truly belonged to them, because Ellen never legally transfered the title of the dog to them. Third, based on the enthusiasm of "Mutts and Moms" in the Ellen case, there's not a doubt in my mind that the dog has been placed in a nice, new home, one where the owners will most likely follow the rules and not expect leniancy because of their celebrity status.

I can't believe what a big deal this has become. Ellen is a smart woman who should read a contract when she signs one. Or does she think they don't apply to her? Her actions started this silly mess. Its gotten way out of hand with the death threats and all that. She's using her show as a bully pulpit to get her way which unfortunately the adoption agency has taken as a challenge and they have chosen to be hard-hearted about the return.
Ellen, do good works but know what the rules are first.

Will the people who got the dog please give it to the two little girls now. We'll help you get a different dog. Thanks! =)

I'm curious to know if Ellen got the money that she paid for the dog back? Anybody know?

I just watched the videos, and those Mutts women entered Ruby's home under false pretenses, saying that they only wanted the new family to fill out a questionaire to keep the puppy, and then just snatched up the dog, physically holding it for 2 hours. Why is that any less illegal/unethical than Ellen finding a good home for this dog.
I don't think 'death threats' are necessary, but I would protest long and loud if I lived in the area.

Anyone knows that Ellen loves pets and has done more to help pets and people during the Katrina disaster than this rescue has ever dreamed about. Ellen made a mistake. SHE DID GIVE THE DOG A FABULOUS HOME WITH LOVE AND EVERYTHING ANY POOCH COULD HOPE FOR. Give her a slap on the hand or maybe a slight fine but for GOD'S SAKE, LEAVE THE DOG IN THE GOOD HOME THAT ELLEN GAVE THE DOG. Celebrity has nothing to do with this. What is missing from the whole mess is "common sense" being used by the rescue, Mutts and Moms. They are far more concerned with rules and regulations than they are the happiness and safety of a little dog.

I hate when black and white thinkers enforce rules to the letter without using an ounce of common sense. Just because the contract in question allowed the shelter to take the dog away, doesn't mean that they shouldn't consider other possibilities. This is about what's best for the dog, not what type of power the shelter has over the situation. Why didn't they think about what's best for all the parties involved move from there. If they care about the dog so much then they should realize that moving him from one home to the next (over and over) is obviously not ideal.

Your poll is flawed: Do we think the dog should be returned? To whom?

I'd like to see that awful woman from that shelter try to take a pet from me. She would not live another day.
Ellen is a great hero, a wonderful person, and the shelter was wrong.

Get a life!!

Celebs don't have to live by the same rules as the rest of us. They get preferential treatment and when in the rare instances that they are held to the same standard as the rest of society, most of them can't handle it and use their celebrity to champion the unfairness of it.

She had the dog only a few days. Not like it was a member of the family yet.

Get over it!!!

This woman is a self-indulgent fool. Imagine with all the important things to cry about, wasting time on this. Dogs are being killed everyday because people don't want them. Why not get another deserving dog?

With death, war, and poverty overwhelming this country, Ellen cries about a puppy?
Should we all get involved?

How many puppies and innocent children were bombed in Iraq? That's what we should all be crying about.

I really hope Iggy finds a nice home Ellen.

Yeah.

It wasn't right for the shelter to take the dog away from those kids. But Ellen has done all she can do now.

The people at the shelter are just evil.

Time to move on now...

This is a perfect example of how a celeb can manipulate the rules the rest of us live with even when they are wrong.I have adopted 3 dogs from the Northshore Animal League.Each time I did I first drove there and looked at the pets available ,then I applied for adoption and provided my household information to them and 2 references.I then waited with the perspective pet and played in an open area to make sure we liked each other with the understanding they would be observing me and the dog before adoption.I then waited to have for instructions on care of that specific dog and any possible tendencies and/or medical problems the dog may have and was asked directly if I could take care of the medical needs .Some dogs need to be in adult household and some breeds are good with kids.The match is set up to prevent that dog coming back to the shelter.
Then I pay a fee and sign a contract just as Ms Generes did that if for any reason the match is not a good one I will notify the adopting agency. The shelters do this so they can make sure they watch behavior of both the dogs and the potential owners.
I understand Ms Generes had good intentions but she signed a contract similar to the one I did three times.She should honor that just as I have.I wonder what she would do if she signed a contract with her TV producers and then they decided they wanted to change it for any reason.
The shelter will porbably place the dog in a home with no cats as it is now obvious that dog does not get on with cats based on what Ms Generes stated.
There are no "bad guys " here but sometimes the worst case scenario becomes reality as it did in this case and in the absence of a contract she could have done what she did but not if she signed a contract stating otherwise.
CONTINUED BELOW