Post by: Brad Johnson on October 16, 2007, 10:19:19 AM
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DeGeneres under fire for giving away dog
By BETH HARRIS, Associated Press Writer
Today at 9:30 am
Ellen DeGeneres is in the doghouse with a pet rescue agency after giving a pooch away to her hairdresser because it didn't get along with her cats.
The talk show hostess and her partner Portia de Rossi adopted Iggy, a Brussels Griffon mix, on Sept. 20. But when things didn't work out, DeGeneres gave the dog to her hairdresser.
In doing so, DeGeneres violated an agreement with the Mutts and Moms dog rescue agency by not informing them of the handoff.
When the agency called DeGeneres to ask about Iggy, she said she found another home for the dog. The agency sent a representative to the hairdresser's home Sunday and took the dog away.
DeGeneres went public about the situation Monday while taping an episode of her show to air Tuesday. She admitted she didn't read all the paperwork involving the adoption.
DeGeneres said she spent $3,000 having the dog neutered and trained to be with her cats. But the dog had too much energy and was too rambunctious, she told her television audience.
"I guess I signed a piece of paper that says if I can't keep Iggy, it goes back to the rescue organization, which is not someone's home, which is not a family," she said in a show transcript provided to The Associated Press.
"I thought I did a good thing. I tried to find a loving home for the dog because I couldn't keep it."
DeGeneres said her hairdresser's daughters, ages 11 and 12, had bonded with Iggy and were heartbroken when the dog was taken away.
"Because I did it wrong, those people went and took that dog out of their home, and took it away from those kids," a sobbing DeGeneres said on her show.
"I feel totally responsible for it and I'm so sorry. I'm begging them to give that dog back to that family," she said. "It's not their fault. It's my fault. I shouldn't have given the dog away. Just please give the dog back to those little girls."
Mutts and Moms, a volunteer nonprofit organization in Pasadena, does not have a listed phone number and didn't immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
By BETH HARRIS, Associated Press Writer
Today at 9:30 am
Ellen DeGeneres is in the doghouse with a pet rescue agency after giving a pooch away to her hairdresser because it didn't get along with her cats.
The talk show hostess and her partner Portia de Rossi adopted Iggy, a Brussels Griffon mix, on Sept. 20. But when things didn't work out, DeGeneres gave the dog to her hairdresser.
In doing so, DeGeneres violated an agreement with the Mutts and Moms dog rescue agency by not informing them of the handoff.
When the agency called DeGeneres to ask about Iggy, she said she found another home for the dog. The agency sent a representative to the hairdresser's home Sunday and took the dog away.
DeGeneres went public about the situation Monday while taping an episode of her show to air Tuesday. She admitted she didn't read all the paperwork involving the adoption.
DeGeneres said she spent $3,000 having the dog neutered and trained to be with her cats. But the dog had too much energy and was too rambunctious, she told her television audience.
"I guess I signed a piece of paper that says if I can't keep Iggy, it goes back to the rescue organization, which is not someone's home, which is not a family," she said in a show transcript provided to The Associated Press.
"I thought I did a good thing. I tried to find a loving home for the dog because I couldn't keep it."
DeGeneres said her hairdresser's daughters, ages 11 and 12, had bonded with Iggy and were heartbroken when the dog was taken away.
"Because I did it wrong, those people went and took that dog out of their home, and took it away from those kids," a sobbing DeGeneres said on her show.
"I feel totally responsible for it and I'm so sorry. I'm begging them to give that dog back to that family," she said. "It's not their fault. It's my fault. I shouldn't have given the dog away. Just please give the dog back to those little girls."
Mutts and Moms, a volunteer nonprofit organization in Pasadena, does not have a listed phone number and didn't immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Brad
Post by: Paddy on October 16, 2007, 10:23:41 AM
Post by: Sergeant Bob on October 16, 2007, 10:28:11 AM
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In doing so, DeGeneres violated an agreement with the Mutts and Moms dog rescue agency by not informing them of the handoff.
Why is this news?
Post by: Ex-MA Hole on October 16, 2007, 10:49:13 AM
It will allow "gunners" to look at a similar situation and maybe get ideas about why we think the way we do, and idea on how to fight the issue.
Think of it metiphorically (if I spelled that correctly, I'm going to be amazed).
Post by: Manedwolf on October 16, 2007, 10:52:24 AM
Post by: mtnbkr on October 16, 2007, 11:06:30 AM
Chris
Post by: Joe Demko on October 16, 2007, 11:06:43 AM
Post by: Tallpine on October 16, 2007, 12:20:19 PM
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The agency sent a representative to the hairdresser's home Sunday and took the dog away.
How the hell do they get away with that ?
The family she gave the dog to had signed no agreement with anybody. The "representative" came and stole the dog. The family should have told the "representative" to get the hell off their property and then slammed the door in his/her face.
Post by: Perd Hapley on October 16, 2007, 12:48:24 PM
Post by: 280plus on October 16, 2007, 01:33:07 PM
Mom was great like that...
Post by: RadioFreeSeaLab on October 16, 2007, 02:10:11 PM
This has ****-all to do with us.
Yeah, but it's funny.
Post by: grampster on October 16, 2007, 02:25:44 PM
Post by: Hawkmoon on October 16, 2007, 02:32:09 PM
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The agency sent a representative to the hairdresser's home Sunday and took the dog away.
How the hell do they get away with that ?
The family she gave the dog to had signed no agreement with anybody. The "representative" came and stole the dog. The family should have told the "representative" to get the hell off their property and then slammed the door in his/her face.
If you receive stolen property, the item remains the property of the rightful owner and can be taken from you and returned to the rightful owner at any time. If you paid money for the stolen item ... if you're lucky, you'll stay out of jail, and maybe even get your money back.
Same thing here. By signing a contract, EG agreed that if she didn't keep the dog it reverted to the shelter. In other words, once she didn't want the dog, the shelter became the rightful owner. They didn't "steal" anything -- they recovered possession of their property.
Post by: MechAg94 on October 16, 2007, 02:55:57 PM
Post by: Tallpine on October 16, 2007, 04:00:05 PM
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If you receive stolen property, the item remains the property of the rightful owner and can be taken from you and returned to the rightful owner at any time.
The property (dog) was not stolen from the pet place.
If there was a violation of the contract with Ellen Degenerate, then that is a civil matter, and the pet place would need to sue to try to enforce the contract.
In the meantime, they can keep their grimy hands off the dog and their grimy feet off the new dog family's property.
Post by: brimic on October 16, 2007, 04:33:43 PM
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Mutts and Moms
Sounds like a bunch of bitches.
Post by: Antibubba on October 16, 2007, 09:35:52 PM
Post by: Firethorn on October 17, 2007, 07:30:43 AM
Actually, if it were discussed all the way through (which it won't be, because that would take longer than a 30-second sound bite), it really sets PETA back, because it acknowledges that the dog is property, and not a "person" with rights of it's own, like deciding who it wanted to live with.
And, just like property but unlike people, you can dispose of unwanted animals as you wish - even when the reason is something as silly as 'the dog had too much energy'.
Post by: jnojr on October 17, 2007, 09:38:13 AM
Actually, if it were discussed all the way through (which it won't be, because that would take longer than a 30-second sound bite), it really sets PETA back, because it acknowledges that the dog is property, and not a "person" with rights of it's own, like deciding who it wanted to live with.
And, just like property but unlike people, you can dispose of unwanted animals as you wish - even when the reason is something as silly as 'the dog had too much energy'.
...except when you sign a legally-binding contract stating that you will not do so.
There's a reason why rescues put verbiage like this into their contracts. I'll give an example... I used to foster dogs for Pit Bull Rescue San Diego One of the dogs in the program was a blind old guy named Homer. He was eventually placed, and all was well... until I saw a post in the free Craigslist section for a blind pit bull. It was hard enough to get someone to adopt him in the first place... what would have happened to that poor dog if someone got him for free, on a whim? How soon before he might have been abandoned, or dumped at the shelter to be killed? How likely is it that someone would pick up a "free" dog for bait, torture, or to sell for medical experimentation?
If you wind up with a rescue dog, and try to keep him/her even though s/he belongs to the rescue, I can guarantee the police will be the next ones knocking on the door, and telling them to go to hell and slamming the door in their face won't work out quite the way you'd like.
Post by: Tallpine on October 17, 2007, 11:43:30 AM
I didn't know the cops were so bored as to spend time on dog repossessing - heck, you can't even get them to evict somebody from your house without a court order.
But, what do I know...? Maybe there's a whole new career path available here, that of "Dog Ninja". You get to dress up in tactical black and sneak into back yards to recover Rover
Post by: 280plus on October 17, 2007, 01:42:06 PM
)
Post by: Perd Hapley on October 17, 2007, 01:55:18 PM
Post by: Firethorn on October 17, 2007, 06:11:03 PM
...except when you sign a legally-binding contract stating that you will not do so.
Exactly. I was simply making an example.
If you tried to give away a baby for 'having too much energy', you'd most likely be looking at jail/prison time.
Post by: Antibubba on October 17, 2007, 08:37:44 PM
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If you tried to give away a baby for 'having too much energy', you'd most likely be looking at jail/prison time.
A good defense attorney would put other young parents on the jury. Good chance they'd walk.
Post by: nico on October 18, 2007, 04:51:37 AM
It bugs me that ellen is being painted as the good guy in this, when (especially with the audio tapes coming out) it's a pretty clear case of a celebrity expecting the rules to be bent for her.
Post by: HankB on October 18, 2007, 05:09:45 AM
So she's a moron who can't read a contract.
I don't know Ellen D, but if I were to venture a guess, it would be that she thought that, as a celebrity, rules and contracts didn't apply to her the same way they apply to "little people."
Post by: roo_ster on October 18, 2007, 05:22:10 AM
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If you tried to give away a baby for 'having too much energy', you'd most likely be looking at jail/prison time.
A good defense attorney would put other young parents on the jury. Good chance they'd walk.
This is from a parent who's 3YO boy was granted, by popular accliam, "Most energetic in his class" by the parents of the other kids.
Post by: Tallpine on October 18, 2007, 06:07:40 AM
Post by: SteveS on October 18, 2007, 06:31:16 AM
Why is this news?
The owner of the placement agency has had to close up shop after receiving numerous death threats and a nasty call for Ellen's publicist. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up going out of business. I guess the rules don't apply to everyone.
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If there was a violation of the contract with Ellen Degenerate, then that is a civil matter, and the pet place would need to sue to try to enforce the contract.
It would depend on the language of the contract and the laws in that state.
Post by: El Tejon on October 18, 2007, 06:40:42 AM
Post by: Tallpine on October 18, 2007, 09:08:34 AM
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think where TallPine lives, it would be a good idea to call first before one came over to repo the dog.
That statement is more true than you know, and would apply to 95% of my neighbors as well.
Post by: jeepmor on October 18, 2007, 10:05:32 AM
another That 70's show Red quote...."Dumbass!"
I saw a clip on the news last night of Ellen quoting "Apparently, I signed something that stated I couldn't give the dog away...." Hmm, how about her employer refuse to honor her employment contract and see how she handles it. That would be fun wouldn't it.