What are your thoughts on Ellen Degeneres?

Question

She adopted a rescue dog, provided it with training so that the dog would be a part of her family. Things didn't work out, so she gave the dog to a close friend who was looking for another dog. The kids loved the dog and the dog fit right in. The rescue agency demanded the dog back due to terms in the contract that Ellen had broken. Yes, I realize that she did break the contract, but she did find a great home for the dog. What are your thoughts?

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2007/10/iggy.php

Thumbs down are not by me. I ask the question and I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

Answer 1

It would be hard for me to take a dog contract seriously from a place called Mutts & Moms. I thought I heard she didn't sign it? It's sad that there probably wouldn't have been a big deal with this if Ellen wasn't a celebrity. The shelter is missing the point of their mission. I'm thinking it is now a horse with a broken leg. Well with all the comments, I'm sure I'm only repeating what others said. If dogs could talk, the dog would look at the camera and say, "I just want a home to call my own for five minutes."

Answer 2

Ellen didn't do anything wrong so far as the rescue dog. It was kind of goofy to go on TV about it but she's a celebrity so might as well go public. She was acting in the best interests of the dog by finding it a happy new home. Some of those SPCA and Animal Rescue groups are pure nuts. They want you to promise the pet will live in the house and that it can't be sold or given to another person. Too much!!! There's no excuse for animal cruelty but pets are not humans. I'm an animal lover but I will never again adopt a pet from one of those groups. I've got two dogs now. When it's time to get another one I'll buy it from a breeder or adopt one at the dog pound.

Answer 3

The real violation here is Ellen lambasting M&M publically, demonizing them so everyone in the world can hear.

Why the hell can't she complain privately? Does she think her status as a celebrity gives her the right to use "public pressure" to force the adoption agency to comply even though she violated the terms of her contract? Those adoption agencies have very specific guidelines for good reason.

What about those 2 kids? So what?, those kids had the dog for 2 weeks only. They weren't THAT attached to the dog for god sakes, and anyway, from what I hear, they're underage which also violates the adoption's contract.

Ellen gave the dog up and in doing so forfeited her right to decide the dog's fate. Now I'm pretty sure that dog's going to have a wonderful home anyways, if I thought otherwise I'd be on Ellen's side. But are there any really people out there that think that dog's going to be tranfered to a terrible home? I don't think so, end of discussion.


Perhaps I'm simply sick of celebrities (read: Paris and Britney and others) using their status to "bend" the rules in their favor. That's what really REALLY irks me here. M&M's business is probably destroyed now thanks to Ellen's sobbing slander, and I do think that's a heck of a bigger deal than where her former dog lives.

Answer 4

I think the rescue group should interview the family to see if they are accetable dog owners. Ellen should have contacted the rescue but admitted to being wrong. I think there is always an exception to the rule. The rescue group has their child age way to high. I can see not giving little dogs with toddles or even young children in th house but this looked like a medium size dog and was doing fine where it is. Instead of helping this family the rescue would rather put the dog in a cage so they can prove a point. I think there is something wrong with that picture.

Answer 5

This is another great example of blowing things way out of proportion. Every situation is different and if the pet was given to someone who wanted and properly cared for it as Ellen stated, then the rescue shelter should have seen past that and let the people keep the animal. If they wanted the new family to fill out a paper fine! It just sounds like they figured they could extort more money from the new family to get the dog back by requiring they pay adoption fees again. That is just plain bad karma.

Answer 6

i think that she did the wrong thing by breaking the contract! however i think she did find a good home for the dog! WHAT i think she should have done was to call the adoption place and tell them she could not handle the dog and then recommend that her Friend get to adopt the dog from them instead of her.

but after the fact i feel like the agency was in the wrong as they should have just let the family keep the dog and had them sign an adoption agreement with them!

Answer 7

Ellen did what she did from her heart, the rescue agency did what they did for both the financial and publicity they would gain from this whole mess. Even though the agency looks like a jerk free publicity involving a media star is still publicity. They will profit from this one dog over and over as the story is told. If everyone who thinks this is just way out of hand for the agency to do this let them know. I don't know which agency the dog came from but believe me when I am I will e-mail the information to everyone I know and the few who don't have computers will be called.

Answer 8

I personaly am a fan of Ellen. I think the shelter should be grateful that the dog found a good home. Many animals do not get that chance and live out their lives (however short) in a shelter.

If Ellen were not a celebrity, no one would have cared. If you ask me, let the nice family keep the dog, and worry about the ones that are actually in danger.

Answer 9

Since something similar happened to me I was very interested in this - and think the shelter played hard ball with her JUST because of her airing the issue on TV.

I adopt all my animals from a local rescue league here. I had adopted a kitty who did not fit in well in my home and my son wanted him so I gave him to my son. Yes, I had read the contract and knew I was supposed to return the kitty to them or at the very least get permission, but I didn't do so.

Years later they found out when I had gone to once again adopt a new kitty and they asked me about 'Bino...without thinking I told them he lived with my son. Thankfully, although they chastised me, they let 'Bino stay with my son.

I think the age restrictions that shelter had are a bit too stringent. The girls in the family who took the doggie were old enough to be responsible!

=====WELL said, goldwing! Ellen is a very special lady!

Answer 10

Personally, I think this animal shelter has gone far, far out of its way to embarrass a kind, loving soul who has done more good in the world than any of us know. She is not only a very good, kind person, she has blazed paths for many others to be free from the tyranny of prejudice we all find about us, be it racial or sexually motivated. She is a woman I highly admire, always extremely humorous without resorting to dirty language or putting other people down..a very rare comedian. She did a good job of placing a dog so ugly that few would want it...to a loving home, free of danger and nasty treatment...and yet, the rescue people choose to make a big deal of it, hurting children who love that little dog...So many doggies are put down every year, I have real problems finding fault with anyone who provides a loving home to an animal that will, in many instances, be killed! What can this organization possibly be thinking! Do they think they can take on a beloved Ellen and win! It just makes them appear to be lunatic, fantatics, and overall, foolish...and at the expense of little kids love for the dog. They owe Ellen a sincere, public appology ! Ellen did them a big favor by going out of her way, spending valuable time locating a good home for that dog, and now, fools thinking they have POWER, want to destroy a good work she has done. Some people never learn kindness. The whole affair leaves me sick at heart. Goldwing