Somebody give Ellen Degeneres back her dog!!! (training, rescue, cost) - Dogs - - City-Data Forum

GreenMachine · 10-16-2007, 03:00 PM

Ellen Degeneres goofed up by giving away a dog that she got from a rescue organization to her hairdresser. When they found out, they came and got the dog. I hope they will do the right thing and evaluate the hairdresser and her family and return the dog to them.

Ellen DeGeneres - Yahoo! TV

Ratzakli · 10-16-2007, 03:21 PM

I'm sorry that she is supposedly upset about this but she's not stupid and she is certainly old enough to understand that dogs aren't playthings to be passed around at whim. She may think she knows what her hairdresser and her family are like but does she really know enough about their circumstances to be sure that they will be able to look after the dog properly?

There are very valid reasons why rescue organisations include clauses like this when someone takes on the responsibility for looking after a dog and Degeneres had no right to try and pressure them into making an exception in her case. I say they did the right thing in taking the dog back.

Rescue centres do not hang onto dogs for no good reason and, if the hairdresser really wants to take on a rescue dog, she can easily apply to go through the vetting process. If she is found to be suitable, I have no doubt they will be only too pleased to let her have a one.

Stuart

Katie1 · 10-16-2007, 07:36 PM

She does not want it back..She wants the SPCA to give it to a friend of hers! So why don't they go & apply for the dog? I feel for the dog being tossed about like that!

sbd78 · 10-16-2007, 08:51 PM

I read that Moms and Mutts, the agency Degeneres got the dog from, has a policy that people with children under age 14 are not allowed to adopt small dogs. Since her hairdresser's daughters are 11 and 12, they are not eligible to adopt the dog themselves. If you ask me, this is a pretty dumb rule. 11 and 12-year-olds are not toddlers and should be fine around a small dog. When a rescue agencies first priority is supposed to be finding loving homes for homeless animals, why do they make dumb rules that exclude people from adopting and lessen the animal's chances at finding a home?

GreenMachine · 10-17-2007, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbd78

I read that Moms and Mutts, the agency Degeneres got the dog from, has a policy that people with children under age 14 are not allowed to adopt small dogs. Since her hairdresser's daughters are 11 and 12, they are not eligible to adopt the dog themselves. If you ask me, this is a pretty dumb rule. 11 and 12-year-olds are not toddlers and should be fine around a small dog. When a rescue agencies first priority is supposed to be finding loving homes for homeless animals, why do they make dumb rules that exclude people from adopting and lessen the animal's chances at finding a home?

That's a silly rule. It's hard enough to find good homes for these animals. They should be thankful to find one for this dog. Why not just assess the new family, let them have the dog, and then move on to finding another poor mutt a home. There are so many unwanted stray dogs out there, it's crazy. Let's hope they do the right thing.

Not only that, but what a PR disaster! These rescue organization rely on donations to keep them going. This is going to cost them.

Greenie

GreenMachine · 10-17-2007, 12:20 AM

Well, the latest news is Moms and Mutts refuses to give back the dog. The best reason they can give is that they "don't want to be bullied" by Degeneres and they don't adopt to families with kids under 14 years old.

E! News - Ellen's Rescue Agency: No Doggone Return Policy - Ellen Degeneres | Portia De Rossi (broken link)

cleosmom · 10-17-2007, 12:25 AM

I haven't read the article yet, however coming from previously working with a rescue group I can't fault them with taking the dog back. They have policies and procedures, regardless whether one feels that they are fair, they have the right to set them and have them respected.

I also agree that not all 11-12 year olds are fine with smaller dogs.

GreenMachine · 10-17-2007, 12:27 AM

Found some more info posted on craigs. Someone wrote:

Ellen Degeneres adopted a dog from Mutts&Moms, made a donation to the agency, then had the dog fixed and trained. After training, it became obvious that it wasn't going to work because her current cat and the dog were not a good match. So Ellen found a loving home with a little girl for the dog. Ellen was supposed to notify the agency if it didn't work out, but her reasoning was that she had spent so much money and love on the dog, and had found the previously homeless dog a home, that there really was no need. When Mutts&Moms called to see how the dog was doing, Ellen was honest about what had happened. The owner FLIPPED out, then contacted the new home and lied and said they were only doing a "home check." They then TOOK the dog.

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APBT_Samara · 10-17-2007, 12:31 AM

LOL at Ellen. I don't believe she is crying because the kids don't have the dog. She is crying for attention and self gain. She signed a contract without reading it? How responsible. She gave the dog away for a LAME reason.

So many dogs are "free to good home", dumped off or dropped at a shelter because of lame excuses like hers. People see dogs as disposable and don't make a commitment to them. She gave the dog away because it was too energetic and rambunctious? So tell me why did she get a Brussels Griffon (mix) again? A breed known for being hyper, energetic and high strung? This is the main reason dogs are dumped. People don't get dogs that fit their lifestyle. If you don't want an energetic dog, don't get an energetic breed. That should be a no brainer.

14yrs is a very dumb rule indeed. They need to really reconsider that, however not make a special case for Ellen. If thats the rule its the rule. It should be brought to their attention to change it. It would benefit dogs and homes both.

GreenMachine · 10-17-2007, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by APBT_Samara

LOL at Ellen. I don't believe she is crying because the kids don't have the dog. She is crying for attention and self gain. She signed a contract without reading it? How responsible. She gave the dog away for a LAME reason.

So many dogs are "free to good home", dumped off or dropped at a shelter because of lame excuses like hers. People see dogs as disposable and don't make a commitment to them. She gave the dog away because it was too energetic and rambunctious? So tell me why did she get a Brussels Griffon (mix) again? A breed known for being hyper, energetic and high strung? This is the main reason dogs are dumped. People don't get dogs that fit their lifestyle. If you don't want an energetic dog, don't get an energetic breed. That should be a no brainer.

14yrs is a very dumb rule indeed. They need to really reconsider that, however not make a special case for Ellen. If thats the rule its the rule. It should be brought to their attention to change it. It would benefit dogs and homes both.

APBT,

I find it so strange that you would see things this way. Mutts and Mom's pulls most of their dogs out of a shelter. As soon as they find a home for one, they can go and pull another. Why not just reassess the new family and allow them to adopt the dog? It seems like such a simple solution. But how far people will go just to prove they are "right." Mutts & Moms could have used this situation to their benefit to let more people know about their work and adopt out even more dogs. But now they have a PR disaster on their hands. People are bocoting them, refuse to adopt from them. This woman's email is full. She's receiving hundreds of phone calls, many of them threats. And all the while, she could be using her time to find more homes for the dogs. It makes me think that this whole situation has more to do with her than the pooch. Such a shame.

Just my two cents, and that's all I have to say in the matter.

Greenie