Ellen Degeneres

[canuckcutie]

Yeah Ellen was the one who clued them in to the fact she'd given the dog away - at least she was being honest. If she'd have lied and said she still had the dog then they'd be none the wiser.

I know the rules are there for a reason but I think that the end result - to place the dog in a loving home was met - and somebody at the shelter got on a little power trip and decided to ignore that fact and take the dog back. I mean it must be traumatic for the dog - 2 homes in the space of a month and facing the possibility of a 3rd home. I think the animal's best interests should be put before the rules, I don't see how continually yanking the dog around is good for it either.

[angelaudie]

I mean it must be traumatic for the dog - 2 homes in the space of a month and facing the possibility of a 3rd home. I think the animal's best interests should be put before the rules, I don't see how continually yanking the dog around is good for it either.

Strange thing is the reason why the rule exists is to prevent the dog from being tossed from home to home. Kinda ironic isn't it?

Ellen said that they called her to check in on the dog, and she told them that she had given him away to her hairdresser.

Thank you! I don't know how I missed that!

[Millis]

While I do agree that some animal shelters take it too far- especially in this case where it would seem to me that they could have at least inspected the hairdressers house to see if they were suitable before taking the dog back- after finding out (thanks again Michael Vick) that shelter dogs are sometimes adopted to be used as bait in dogfights, I am glad that there are agencies that are strict and take animal adoptions seriously.

[Deleted]

When we adopted our cat from an animal shelter, we never had to go through any background checks. We picked her out, signed a few papers, paid the fee, and we had her in less than an hour. I think policies vary from animal shelter to shelter.

I do think Ellen had the best intentions, but I do understand there are rules. I think the best way for the shelter to have handled the situation is to assess the new family for adoption, especially since the children had become attached to the dog. It just seems cruel to rip a dog away from young children when it wasn't their fault for breaking the agreement.

[pellacan]

When we adopted our cat from an animal shelter, we never had to go through any background checks. We picked her out, signed a few papers, paid the fee, and we had her in less than an hour. I think policies vary from animal shelter to shelter.

Yes, it seems like shelters and pounds are more flexible to releasing animals possibly because they (some) are kill facilities and the workers understandably want to place the animals rather than euthanize. The rescues, conversely, have an almost evangelical approach to saving the animals in their care, which, while commendable, does have to potential to backfire. One of my (horrid) neighbors got a Dobie through a no-kill rescue, did all the required b/g checks and then left that poor dog locked in their concrete backyard -- on a chain -- 24/7. I guess it's not that difficult to fake a suitable home environment.

[ivy]

Why can't the hairdresser go back to the shelter and formally adopt this dog herself? Will they not let her because she "broke the rules" by accepting the dog from Ellen?

[Oxynia]

The rescue shelter where we adopted our Delilah from has this same policy and I understand why it exists. But I have to think it would have been less hassle for that shelter to evaluate the hairdresser first vs. take the poor dog back. It feels a little punitive. I hope it all turns out OK in the end and that they amend their policy for the sake of the dogs.

[avadementia]

Wow. I just saw the clip of Ellen crying. That's really too bad. I applaud her for being so honest on her show. All I know about shelters is the time we went to adopt a cat. The older women volunteers were so nasty about the fact that I have kids, (God forbid!), that I ended up going to a breeder instead. They really are stupid in that respect. My kids are not toddlers and have been around all kinds of animals their whole lives. It completely turned me off to shelters though. I think sometimes the volunteers can be a little too rabid.

[oxygen1234]

Holy moly. That's crazy, avadementia! I can't believe they'd think children would be a problem. We got our lab from a shelter about eight months ago and although they were stern at first and asked us tons of questions ("Do you have a yard? Have you done your research? If he gets into your belongings it will be your fault for leaving them out!") once they realized we were serious they lightened up and were very helpful.

I really hope the hairdresser's family can get the dog back.

[ang]

Poor Ellen, poor Iggy and poor 11 and 12 year old girls.

Ellen could have bought a dog from a puppy farm and never had to think about this crap - she tried to do the right thing, and because the dog wasnt suited to her home, the dog suffers.

People say kids shouldnt have small dogs - I say it depends entirely on the kids. If Moms and Mutts cared about the animal they would have looked seriously at Iggys new family adopting him formally, not just whisked him away.

Still, I guess now they get to sell him all over again, already neutered and trained, and make some more $$$$$.