Ok, I LOVE Ellen Degeneres as much as the next person, and I’m sure she meant absolutely no harm by handing her dog off to her hairdresser’s kids. But that doesn’t matter, in this case. If Ellen signed something that said “you have to give the dog back if it doesn’t work out”, and she didn’t, then Ellen plain and simply broke a contract. I’m actually proud of this breeder, because they must care about the well being of their pups. They probably do a very serious background check before letting anyone adopt their dogs. If people go handing off dogs they don’t want to other people, then they have no way of being sure their dogs are going to good homes. So I say good for the breeder for standing up to Ellen! What’s right is right! Doesn’t matter how famous you are. And who knows — the hairdresser’s kids could be terrors — seriously — more people need to do background checks. The agency I volunteer for won’t let a pup going outside of a 60 mile radius so they can come and check on them, and they do serious background checks.

Ellen is a bloated clebrity tick who thinks that rules, including the terms of her signed contract, are for “the little people”.
Ellen’s torrent of sobs is designed to goose interest in her lame TV show and intimidate the shelter people. She is an actress, after all.
No wonder Ellen was so smitten with Anne Heche. Two psychotic peas in a lunatic pod.

What’s sad is that an agency that does a lot of good for abused and abandoned animals is getting a bad rap out of this. If people want to threaten someone, why not call Michael Vick and his crew? Don’t waste your time threatening and harassing people who actually care about the animals that they are trying to place. I don’t think Ellen was using this situation to gain attention for her show – she doesn’t need it. I think she is truly upset about hurting those girl’s feelings and upset that the dog had to go back to the shelter. I hope things can be worked out so that both parties are satisfied and I think it’s a shame that it’s gotten so blown out of proportion.

lil mo — EXACTLY! I wrote to Ellen’s show and said “shame on you”. Seriously, Mutt’s & Mom’s is now off the web, because they are overwhelmed with hate mail because of Ellen Degeneres. This is not fair at all. Hopefully PETA comes out and scolds Ms. Degeneres about how important it is to follow the rules when it comes to the well being of animals and children. Better yet, write directly to her: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/dearellen/

Mutts & Moms called Page Six themselves. Now they can live with the consequences of that. Ok, Ellen broke a contract but its not like she dumped the dog on the side of the road and drove off. She gave it to someone she knows and trusts to give it a good home.
This is drama over nothing. Did Mutts and Moms say they found the hairdresser friend was abusing the dog? No. So why go crying to Page Six? Because Ellen is famous and they wanted publicity.

Ellen’s television show is huge. It makes perfect sense that Mutt’s & Mom’s lawyers went BIG (by going to Page 6) to protect themselves and to tell their side of the story. If they didn’t do that, what recourse would they have against someone as big and well-liked as Ellen? NONE. So good for them, I say. And no — the children weren’t abusing the dog, but that isn’t really the point. Animal shelters have rules to protect dogs. Sign the contract — follow the f-in rules. That simple.

I can’t believe that this organization would go ‘after’ someone like Ellen, who actually has an animal’s best interest at heart! Screw Mutt’s Moms!!! Where were they during Michael Vick?? How many other Michael Vick’s are out there??? Do they really have THAT much time and money to spare on ‘tracking down’ Ellen and her dangerous hairdresser crew?? That isn’t where I would want to DONATE ANY money or time… they are SUITS looking for publicity and a lawsuit. F-them!

Contract or not, taking the dog back just defies common sense in this case. If the new home was safe and secure, and the dog is well taken care of, what is the big deal? Sounds like to me that Mutts & Moms just wanted another adoption fee out of the dogs.

Kids and dogs don’t mix anyways. Kids are mean to dogs most of the time. I wouldn’t
give a dog to a family with kids, sorry.

“Lesbo” doesn’t mean “above contract laws”.
Or maybe it does.
Rosie thinks so. So does

T-Bone, I hear what you’re esaying but this is a storm in a teacup. If when Mutts and Moms went and checked out the hairdresser and her family and if they saw that the dog was safe and out of harms way, could they not have left it there? The likelihood is the dog was fine, or else it would have been mentioned in Page Six. They upset the kids, probably upset the dog and upset Ellen. It would have been the most practical solution to leave the dog there, thus avoiding the drama.

And ok, Ellen broke a contract, but it isn’t the main issue here. They could have just fined her or something. I mean this is California, people seem to make up their own laws there!

I know Ellen D. personally and she is a great person. I too however do rescue work and this type of contract is pretty standard. The only thing is that most places like the Humane Society really don’t care if you pass off a dog to a friend, well that’s it, they don’t care.

Whiny dyke.
They took my dog. WAAAAA. SOB SOB
Feel sorry for me! WAAAAAA
I’m one of the highest paid dykes around….feel sorry for me!!!!
I should get special treatment.

Her little performance is akin to the 20-something socialites who think they are ENTITLED to special treatment because they have a degree of celebrity.
She should be slapped and sold to some redneck to use as a sex toy for a month or two.

BTW…..it’s just a dog. 1000′s are killed every day….go get another mutt, give it to the little kiddies…give the kiddies some money to goto Disney Land. Feature the mutt on your dumb little show. Hug a couple of women. Everyone will be in tears…
Oh how sweet. retch!

I’m basically over this whole stupidity.
ellen signed a contract and violated its terms.
the family that she gave the dog to needs to go to the shelter and properly adopt the dog.
end of story.
case closed.
ellen was really stupid for making such a big deal out of this on TV.

Green cardigan you are a moron. She violated a contract in place to protect rescued dogs. Rules and regulations do not disappear Ellen felt she gave it to a “good” home- those were the rules stick by it.

I totally agree that this has gotten blown out of proportion, Green. But Ellen had everything to do with that. She went public. And since she is the famous person here, she should have known that this would happen.

Having said that, this is a perfect case of “there are two sides to every story”. I work for a rescue group that would have done the same thing as Mutt’s & Mom’s, and not out of spite, but out of concern for the process and the well being of the dogs. Had Ellen followed the rules and brought the dog back to Mutt’s & Mom’s and said “we can’t keep her, but I know of a great home for her”. Something tells me they would have worked directly with this family and given the dog to them.

Whoaaa Jason -
While we’re on the same side of the fence on this argument, Green Cardigan ain’t no moron. She’s my cyber pal ;)

Thanks T !

Jason, you lose credibility when you add an insult when you disagree with someone. Each time I read a post where the person makes a personal remark to the other poster, be it ‘loser’, ‘moron’ or whatever, I dismiss it. :)

If Ellen had given the dog back to Mutts and Moms that idiotic owner would have leaked the story “Heartless Ellen Degeneres returns tiny little puppy dog to the doggie shelter, how cruel of her”
Ellen did the right thing finding a good home for the dog and this miserable witch who owns the shelter is going on a power trip. Do you think she calls all her customers to check up on all her dogs or just the ones the famous people adopt. Please!!!

JJ – NO EXCUSES!!! Signed contracts are actually meaningful documents in a court of law. That contract is in place for a reason — for the protection of the animal. Without a contract like that, Ellen could hand the dog over to some well-intentioned person, who could also hand the dog over to some other well-intentioned person who could hand the dog over to some abusive thug. CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED FOR A PURPOSE!

You know, I’ve dealt with Kelly Bush (Her Publicist) and this is exactly how she calls people up on the phone, being all nasty and threatening. If they were going to let the kids keep the dog, I’m sure they changed their minds after that BITCH called and threatened them like that.

Reports are now saying Mutts and Moms didn’t make Ellen or Portia sign anything; they let their ‘celebrity’ sign for them. I don’t see how taking a dog from a loving home and locking it back up in a cold, small cage is doing the animal any good.

Not true, Mutts. They signed a contract and gave a verbal contract.

PETA:
“At a time when so many people in Hollywood, like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, are making impetuous “pet” purchases, PETA commends Ellen for adopting a homeless animal from a shelter rather than buying a dog. Every animal purchased from a pet store is a virtual death sentence for an animal desperately waiting in a shelter for a home.

We know that Ellen was trying to do the right thing in finding the dog a new home. She just missed a step in neglecting to contact the agency first. We hope that if the new home she arranged turns out to be as good as she thought, the agency will allow the family to take the dog back. PETA does think that Mutts & Moms’ policies of doing home checks and not allowing people to transfer animals to others are good rules that protect the animals…”

Ellen apologized for not remembering every wording in the contract she signed.She said that on air it was her mistake. Mutts & Mom sent a police car over to the hairdresser home and took Iggy in front of two crying children, and placed the poor dog into a cage. If Ms Batkis would have gone over to the Hairdresser home she would have seen the dog was in a loving home. Ellen begged the organization to please don’t punish the dog or the two children for her mistake. Ms Batkis would not return phone calls and threatened to take her story to the media; and that is why Ellen went on air to plead with Ms Batkis to go and look at the home and allow Iggy to be adopted by the hairdresser & her two children. The two little girls are devastated. Ms Batkis comment was it is my dog and I will place it where I please; she has closed her heart to Iggy & these children. To the people who threatened violence on Mutts & MOM’s you are no better than what they are doing to these two little girls.The ones hurt by this is Iggy & those two children; there was no need for this to get so out of hand if Mutts & Mom did not act in a cruel and heartless way…

Tara -

Ellen Degeneres had good intentions. On that, everyone agrees. But now that she has taken her PERSONAL plight public, the rescue group is not only getting death threats, but they’ve had to go off line due to hate-mail. What does this say about her fans??? Uneducated perhaps about true animal rescue? Do you have any idea what Ellen’s public outcry will do to those who STRUGGLE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO SAVE ANIMALS???? It PAINS me on so many levels. Those of you ask to make just this “little exception” just this “one time” have no idea how hard animal rescue groups try to make sure that their policies stay in place so that dogs are given to good homes. Furthermore, according to the rules of this facility, tiny, tiny dogs like this are NOT supposed to go to children under the age of 14, because many small dogs have been stepped on and CRUSHED because of wild playing VERY YOUNG children!

YES — Ellen had good intentions, and I commend her for that. But now she needs to undo all the damage she’s done to truly good no-kill animal rescue facilities who have rules in place for nothing other than the SAFETY OF THE ANIMAL!

If she has any sense of justice AT ALL, she will put an animal rescue group on her show to explain all of this, so that uneducated people STOP their death threats!

I’m appalled at this situation — but not because of the AGENCY’s actions…of ELLEN’S. And her “people.” I know people who have adopted from these agencies before, and the agencies are trying to do a good thing by handling the process almost as carefully as a regular adoption agency would handle a baby. People agree to return the dog to the agency if for whatever reason they cannot keep them — that ensures that the dog will NEVER be dumped anywhere, or placed with a bad home, etc. A friend of mine adopted his dog after two previous familes returned him to their agency — and thank God they did! These organizations are run by GOOD people, who are there to LOOK OUT FOR THE SAFETY AND BEST INTEREST OF THE DOGS — NOT to look out for self-involved celebrities who like to think that the rules don’t apply to them. I am so sick to death of these people trying to play the “celeb” card, especially in the way Ellen is doing…when SHE is the one in the wrong here!!

And don’t get me wrong — I’ve always been an Ellen fan, but in this case, I think she is 150% OUT OF LINE. SHE made the mistake, and while it might seem easy enough to just “work out the details” and let the agency formalize the new arrangement with this family of Ellen’s choosing, that is up to the AGENCY. NOT Ellen, and NOT Ellen’s hairdresser. And most importantly, NOT the American public. I am appalled that Ellen, in an effort to absolve herself of her own guilt, stoops to using her television show to try to make the AGENCY look like bad people, simply for doing EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO. The agency has not misrepresented themselves here, and they have done nothing wrong. And if in the end, this hairdresser’s family doesn’t fit the agency’s criteria for adoption of this particular dog, then that’s just too damn bad. I’m sorry that the daughters of these people are heartbroken, but you know what? Nobody died here…we’re talking 2 WEEKS they had this dog. Suck it up, get over it, and take it as a lesson in disappointment, girls. It won’t be the last time in your life you have to face it, so enough with the tears, already — despite the bad example you have in your hysterical Auntie Ellen. (Overreact much??? My God!)

I’m sorry, but Ellen is going to have to shoulder ALL of the responsibility for this one herself (Portia, too)…and I just think it’s BEYOND disgusting that she gave such a hysterical, weepy plea on her television show to try to sway the “Ellen-ites” of the world to get on her irresponsible bandwagon here.

Now these poor women who run this GOOD organization are now receiving death threats from Ellen’s idiotic fans? I’m sorry — but THAT is what’s wrong here. NOT the actions of the agency. If Ellen wants to have guilt about something, why doesn’t she save it for THAT. If anything happens to this agency or the people who run it, Ellen can consider herself 100% responsible for causing it. Do you suppose she’s going to break down on TV about THAT, too? If anything, I want to see her get her S together and go on TV to APOLOGIZE — not just to the girls that she disappointed, but to this agency — she should say she’s sorry for giving their efforts a bad name, and for setting them up to be a target for violence. She should ENCOURAGE the efforts of agencies like this, and urge her viewers to adopt from them, NOT to threaten them. Give me a Goddamn break. She, and everyone else who is rushing to take Ellen’s side in this, need to GROW THE HELL UP and pay attention when there are rules/contracts involved with something like an adoption. I’m sick of all the bellyaching over this from people who don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.

My wife works in PR and this is typical passive/aggressive crap on the part of Ellen and her nasty publicist. Celebs always send them out to do their dirty work. This was a tacky, cynical thing Ellen did-I’m sure this rescue agency has done a lot of work to save dogs, and now they may no longer be able to because of this selfish idiot.

PS The poster who said kids and dogs don’t mix is a moron.

Mutts and Moms has put pet adoption back twenty years, not Elen actions. They threatened to get lawyer,media and police involved when Elen was first contacted by them. The rules of putting age limits of children is outrageous and only said threw a person who has no kids.I lived on a farm my whole life not once did I kick a small animal; my children have small animals which they are playing with right now. Who want to adopt a pet if the organization is so controlling. You cannot change things with rules you just talk people out of helping. What they did to those small children is outrageous.I also worked in adoption facility for a week, what they put the new pet owner threw was outrageous, so I quit and place animals on my own without allot of bureaucratic rules, to stop people from owning pets.If kids don’t own dog when they are young they sure won’t love them when they are older, like everything else in life they learn to take care of their animals. Mrs Batkins overreacted and screwed up her own business, she cannot blame this on Elen. Elen was just pleading to them to have a heart and give the girl her dog back.The girls is heart broken. No one will want to adopt from Mutt & Moms, because what they did is heartless to Iggy.

I worked at one of the big 3 networks for years and had the displeasure of working with and getting to know Ellen. She is cold, calculating and extrememly ambitious. I saw her pull some really ugly crap with co-stars and a particularly nasty incident with an up and coming star (it’s interesting but I found many celebs with the most affable on camera personalities are the most reprehensible) That cry baby routine was strictly manipulative. I also found it disturbing that she referred to the dog as ‘it.’ I am a dog lover and would never refer to an animal as ‘it.’ I had hoped that she might have learned some humility after her sitcom was cancelled and that crazy Anne Heche business but I asked another friend, who knew her better than I, if she thought she might have learned anything and she related a story about running into Ellen recently at a work related event and that she was still hideous. Don’t buy that aw shucks routine, she is bad news! I cringe every time I see her.

It is the same with most nonprofit organizations they tend to be controlling and lose site of the goal, which is the well being of the pet. I saw the clip on Utube and could not believe how out of control the rep for mutts and mom was. You would have thought her dog was in a puppy mill the way she was threatening people. I have not seen the Ellen clip but heard it was just a desperate plea for a dog to be returned to its rightful owner. I feel sorry for Iggy and the family. Specially Iggy I think mutt and mom need to get over themselves and stop calling the press and give the dog back.Who will want to go to their store now.

I think the owners of Mutts and Moms should make an exception to their rule and let the hairdresser family keep the dog. I think they are engaging in a power struggle with Ellen and are trying to prove their point-that they are sticking by their guidelines and will not be pushed around by a powerful celebrity. I think they should do whats right by the dog and let it stay in the family where it is getting along so well and is loved.

Sorry – but the dog rescue agency is WAY out of line here…. Did Ellen break the contract…? Yes…. Is it a STUPID contract…? You bet…. As a dog owner (and all have come from resues and pounds and were strays), I’ve found that many of the so called “rescue” groups are, while doing good things by saving animals, are stepping WAY out of bounds when it comes to the ‘future’ welfare of the dog…. I’m sorry, but I’m pretty damn sure that this “new family” for the dog would have been GREAT and that there would have been NO problems…. but this group “mutts and moms” went too far in what they did….. the dog would have been fine in the new home that Ellen found for the dog…..

Shame on Mutts and Moms – get real!

It appears that in less than a month (Ellen got the dog on Sept 20) she spent $3000 dollars (she earns that much every minute by the way) on training the dog (how many days did that take?) to get along with her cats, gave the dog away and the kids bonded with the dog SO MUCH that they are devastated. Oh the drama! All this in less than 27 days. The kids have been pulled into this and are being used as pawns because Ellen feels guilty. The dog is fine because it takes longer than 27 days for a dog to truly bond with the pack. (yes, you people, your dog thinks you are his/her pack). This dog was never given the chance. It will settle in with another family and kudos to the organization for holding their ground on this one. Kids and dogs are not always a good mix. If you have gone to the trouble to rescue a dog doesn’t it make sense to not place it into another potentially difficult situation? Why take the chance?

Ellen is a tried and true animal lover. She was doing what she felt was the best thing for the dog. If I had to give away my dog because it was the best thing for it, I would prefer to know the family. Giving away an animal is hard.Why are you making it harder!!!! Really,with as many homeless dogs and cats as there are in this world, how can anyone judge Ellen for taking it upon herself to insure this dog had a good home?

I am part of a grass roots animal rescue group in Seattle and this story is so sad and can only hurt the hundreds of similar rescue groups that help place neglected or lost animals in loving homes. We too have considerations we follow, but in the end, it’s all about what’s right for the dogs and cats. I’m not sure why Mutts and Moms established an age requirement for their placements. My five year old nephew is fully capable of loving and treating a new pet responsibly. This is not a “Hollywood” issue but sounds like an attorney issue and the folks that run Mutts and Moms should be ashamed that this situation escalated to this level. Kudos to Ellen for being so vulnerable and honest on national television.

Oh PULLEEASE! She gave the dog a nice home & made 2 little girls happy. Now the “adoption” agency is weilding it’s bullying power & getting a lot of free press. How does any of this make sense? Give the dog back to the family & stop the insanity!

With all the dogs that are in need of adoption it is wrong that this organization did handle this situation that way! This type of bullying would definitely make anyone think twice before adopting. I adopted a dog once and had the same problem the dog was excepted by my other animals. I had no problem with allowing the dog to go to another family! in fact the Western Arizona Humane Society was thankful I found a good loving family! Shame on them!

MUTTS AND MOMS obviously cares more about the “adoption fees” than the animals, since Ellen paid them $600 for a dog that had not been neutered.

MUTTS AND MOMS were the ones who did not want to work the matter out privately and civilly THEY were the ones that brought the police in to snatch a dog from a child, and THEY were the ones that brought up bringing in the media.

Pasadena Humane Society has come out on the side of Ellen, Ruby and Iggy.

I hope nobody is ever foolish enough to donate to or adopt from these people EVER again. I hope they lose their non-profit status and their kennel license.

If you have ever loved a pet, you understand that there are deep emotions involved, and you completely understand how distraught Ellen is over this situation. She was absolutely trying to do the right thing in finding this dog a loving home, and clearly the adoption organization does not have the dog’s best interest at heart. There are so many unwanted pets in shelters all over the world, and they REMOVE a dog from a wonderful placement? If they were truly concerned about whether this was an appropriate placement, they should have taken the time to observe. There are many, many small dogs placed in homes with small children — certainly younger than 11 and 12! Those children obviously love the dog… what more can you ask for? Anyone with any sensitivity would understand all the tears shed over this, by Ellen and everyone involved!

If you read all the articles you will see that Mutts and Moms is not the most reputable of adoption organizations. They never changed the registration on the dog’s microchip, their business has lost its license, and they went and took that dog back without seeing if they couldn’t make the situation work first. Aside from the contract, that is not how most adoption organizations operate. Go ask 100 rescue organizations and while most agree that the contract is necessary, they will also tell you it did not have to be handled that way. The ultimate goal is the dog in a good home and they made the contract their priority. Now they are further penalizing the family and the dog because Ellen’s fans lashed out at them. Is that Iggy’s fault??? It was a childish and unprofessional reaction on their part.

Obviously, Ellen had her henchmen post out here. Not fooling us Ellen. YOU ARE MANIPULATIVE! YOU BROKE THE CONTRACT! Next time pay attention! And right this wrong you’ve created for animal shelters all over the world. Follow the rules for the sake of the animal.

I can understand that the agency would want to have a say in any “re” placement process for an adopted pet. However, I think Ellen was being sincere, NOT manipulative, in her appeal. Give the dog bacl to the girls and move on. To “take a stand” against someone for trying to be kind is beyond absurd, it is spiteful and self-involved. These women seem far more concerned with ‘being right’ than with doing the right thing. Give the girls back their pet.

Has Ellen (or the family) personally threatened Mutts and Mom’s? If not, then don’t take this out on them!! The owner shoudl have weighted her options, realizing what she woudl be stirring up if she continued the repossession of the pet.

Nope, don’t BLAME Ellen, blame yourselves. Repoing a pet to earn more cash from soemone else on that pets re-adoption is the cruel part. If the home was good, leave it alone!

With the love that Ellen has for animals do these two owners of mutts and Moms really think that Ellen was doing the wrong thing. Ellen was giving the dog to a family that she knew and that by doing this she would still see the dog and know how he was doing on a regular basis its not that Iggy was going to straingers. I think that if it was just anybody that this dog belonged to in the first place Mutts and Moms would not have been making such a big deal about it after all it is Ellen and her word goes out to a lot of people.

I have worked for a Rescue Organization in Massachusetts and I have to say Mutts and Moms are wrong here. This type of situation happens all the time and they could have simply done a home check and could have talked to or even interviewed the family if they needed to make sure Iggy was safe. This is inhumane to do to Iggy as well because he has now been bounced around from two homes and now back to the shelter.

My agency was not a “no-kill” shelter, and I don’t like the term “kill shelter” because we DO NOT euthanize animals for just any reason….but that is a whole other topic.
But because I have been put in the position to have to make life or death decisions because so many animals are surrendered or abused (because there are people out there who just don’t view an animals life as important) so when there is a situation such as ellen’s it’s shocking that ANY rescue agency would be so irresponsible to do this to the family and also Iggy. I’ve done this work for many years and have never heard of such a thing and I think it’s awful.

I am afraid that will happen anyway even if quietly. They sound like the cat and dog police and that isn’t a good image for a rescue organization.

They can yell about the ‘contract’ as much as they like but more people will care about the dog over the contract. Whisking a dog from one home to another and then to the shelter again and then to another home and maybe back to the shelter (it has some boisterous behavioral issues after all) will do wonders for its confidence in humans.

This will also make other people think twice about using a rescue organization. People do talk and this organization managed to make a well-loved celebrity with a national talk show cry on national tv.

Good going.

Please help voice your opinion to get this dog back to the family and these little girls:

http://www.petitiononline.com/FreeIggy/p...

You can also contact them directly to let them know your opinion on this matter(there website has currently been pulled):

Mutts and Moms
Paw Boutique
523 S Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
626.394.0946
Email: pawboutique@yahoo.com
http://www.muttsandmoms.org

Ellen never tried to hide the fact that she gave the dog away. IN fact s he was honest about what she did with the dog. The one that was dishonest was the organization who told the family they needed to come over and do a home visit. From there the lady picked up the dog and wouldn’t put it down. Grow some and be an adult like Ellen was about the situation. I am sure most of you posting on this site would have lied about the situation.Mutts and Moms are adopting “UNALTERED” dog. What kind of shitty rescue doesn’t fix a dog before adoption. Even shelters don’t allow unaltered dogs to be adopted.

An unaltered dog can be used for breeding and will add to the population problem. Seems fishy to me.