Ellen Degeneres

[Wenton]

If no-kill, lifetime home-style rescue organizations are going to become a viable alternative to animal shelters, this kind of thing needs to be enforced. I think Ellen might be fudging a little bit when she implies that she missed something in the fine print because every rescue I've ever known makes it very clear that if you cant keep the animal, you give it back to them. It just seems.... weird to me.

[freddydingo]

They treated the situation the same as they would have if a celebrity weren't involved, so I say good for them. As berrybearie said it's a standard clause with the majority of rescue/humane groups, one which every one I've ever dealt with emphasizes very clearly. Ellen's the one at fault here for thinking the rules didn't apply to her or that she knew better than the rescue agency. She could probably have avoided the whole problem if she'd gone to the rescue group and suggested her hairstylist as the new adoptive family.

[Deleted]

If no-kill, lifetime home-style rescue organizations are going to become a viable alternative to animal shelters, this kind of thing needs to be enforced. I think Ellen might be fudging a little bit when she implies that she missed something in the fine print because every rescue I've ever known makes it very clear that if you cant keep the animal, you give it back to them. It just seems.... weird to me.

I agree with this. I'm ambivalent about Ellen but if pressed I would say she's a good person with her heart in the right place. She hasn't ever struck me as the type to disregard the rules because she's a celebrity.

But rules are rules, and I also find it strange that she didn't realize what she was doing would be against them. It puts the shelter in a terrible position because if they bend the rules for one person, they may as well not have them at all. What they did seems cruel but what else could they do?

[plush]

I agree with both the shelter and Ellen. Is that possible? Yes, Ellen broke the rules by not telling them but the shelter people would be very happy I assume to know that the dog has found a loving home. It doesn't have to be so black and white. I think the hairdresser should go to the shelter and apply for adoption, Ellen can give a donation to the shelter and never ask for another dog or cat adoption from them. Yeah, I know she may get a pass for breaking the rules, but sometimes it's better to do what's best for everyone and find a middle ground then follow the rules strictly and cause unhappiness in all parties involved. That's what I would do anyway and Ellen being a celeb has nothing to do with it.

[Deleted]

When I adopted my cat, Minky, I had to go through interviews and paperwork and questionnaires. Answering questions like "How long do you plan on living at your current address?" and some questions having to do with the kind of people who visited my house. They were going to actually do a home visit before I could adopt her to see what environment she'd be in, but they skipped it because I was being referred to them by someone who actually worked for this shelter!!! Anyhow, I thought it was a little bit overboard.

On the other hand, when I adopted Foxxy from a vet's shelter, my boyfriend and I walked in, they showed her to us, we said we wanted her, and that was that. I was kind of shocked. We walked out of there without them even taking down our names, let alone filling out forms.

So, I agree with plush -- isn't there some kind of middle ground with this stuff? I'm an animal lover from way back, but in the first scenario I described, I was getting a little steamed at what they were putting me through. In the second scenario, I was astonished that they apparently didn't care who it was walking off with this little kitten!

[Deleted]

I don't doubt that she feels bad that the dog was taken away from her hairdresser's family, but I don't like her using her television show to beg a charitable organization to break the rules for her. And if people are setting up petitions against this group, that's even more damaging. If they (and other similar organizations) wind up losing support from Ellen fans, then she's done way more harm than good, even if the rescue organization bows to the pressure and gives the dog back to the hairdresser.

Something about this just says "bully pulpit" in a way that I don't like.

[ownlife]

Something about this just says "bully pulpit" in a way that I don't like.

I agree with this and think Ellen could have avoided all of this by telling the rescue group upfront what was going on. When I adopted my doxie from a shelter, I had to wait several weeks before I could bring her home, I was interviewed twice, I had a home visit, they even called my landlord to make sure dogs were allowed in the apartment. And they repeated endlessly, that I was to bring her back to the shelter the next day or whenever if I couldn't keep her - no questions asked. Maybe the hairdresser will get the dog back but the rescue group was right in taking the dog until the family passes the adoption test.

[Ginger]

I'm really surprised so many people are coming down on the side of blind, rigid rule enforcement for the sake of rule enforcement.

If no-kill, lifetime home-style rescue organizations are going to become a viable alternative to animal shelters, this kind of thing needs to be enforced.

I don't understand how that's so essential to the viability of the organization. Their job is to successfully place the animal in an appropriate home; they did that. If the animal then goes on to a better home, what's the problem? Even if, hypothetically, the animal had eventually wound up homeless again, wouldn't they just be in the same situation they are in by taking the dog back--i.e., having to find a home for it?

I think if those organizations are going to be viable, it's much more important that they treat human beings well too and not be so overzealous. Afterall, people have a lot of options for getting pets, including going to their local pet store and getting something raised in a mill; don't they want adoption to be the more appealing option?

I think this incident makes that shelter, and shelters like it, look very, very bad.

[Deleted]

I truly don't think she was trying to use her show to get them to break the rules. I saw a clip where she said she just couldn't act happy and carefree when she was so upset about what was going on. I think she's genuinely upset and couldn't hide it and that's why she chose to address it.

[luciano]

Even if, hypothetically, the animal had eventually wound up homeless again, wouldn't they just be in the same situation they are in by taking the dog back--i.e., having to find a home for it?

No, because there is no guarantee that it would be returned to that particular shelter - it could end up in a pound, with another crappy owner, or on the streets. That's why they do interviews/background checks/contracts. They want to make sure that the animal is going to be in a good environment for the rest of its life.