Do people have notting better to do than this? This is so blown out of proportion, and turning into something ugly, where neither parties will be the first to crawl back and give in to the other.
And I do believe Mrs Degeneres has (mis)used her position. It's a talkshow, that she talks about her personal life is her choice, but to break down in tears on national television over a dog? This whole thing is just ridiculous.
And I don't know how long the dog was with those kids, but they'll get over it. They'll get screwed over a lot more when they're older, they might as well get used to it. I don't want to sound harsh, but that's the way it is.

It's just sad that some people sometimes let their emotion override their reason. I think it's perfectly fine to feel against the agency in being (partly) sympathetic with Ellen. But 'making calls threatening bodily harm and arson'?

It's just sad :-S

"I'm so sorry for the things that they've done
I'm so sorry about what we've all become."
[Editors - Well worn hands]

She could have seen that one coming no?? Crying on national television, naming the agency involved, millions of people watching, what did she expect? Or maybe thats exactly what she expected..
It's really stupid, sad, immature of some people to threaten this agency, especially cause they're just doing their job.. If it had been anyone other than Ellen, no one would have made a big deal out of it.

They just showed Ellen on German TV. They told the story about Iggy, but were mostly making fun of it, showing clips of Ellen crying. I can't understand why everyone is making so much drama out of that thing. I think it was a wrong move to talk about it on TV, she should have done that in private. Now the agency is probably more pissed than before.

Interesting. I’ve had problems with Ellen for the last few years since she started being so closed off about her personal life but she’s really got me in her corner for this one. Perhaps you need to be a dog lover to understand but if you see a dog get taken away from a loving home (especially one with young children) and put back into the shelter that may not be able to place it, you’ll do everything in your power to get it back home. I don’t think she did anything wrong.

Ellen has always been a huge supporter of animals and I’m sure this is tearing her up inside. Whether famous or not, it’s a stupid rule that this shelter has. So fine, they have an agreement that you inform them when moving an animal. They didn’t. And that needs to be rectified. BY APPROVING THE FAMILY. Not taking the dog away for good. Screen them and if they pass, they keep the dog. A rescue shelter should be about placing the dogs, not enforcing administrative rules.

I can understand why she was so upset. She clearly blames herself for the dog being moved around so much. If she’d understood the proper channels then presumably the dog would be sitting in a happy home right now instead of going from a shelter, to one home, to another home and back to the shelter. She feels responsible and she’s devastated about it.

We got mad that Ellen wasn’t being personal on her tv show, now she is and we say she crossed a line? We really do eat our own sometimes.

it was the people that ran the rescue.  Calling the police to take the dog away and refusing to consider giving the dog to the hairdresser just to spite Ellen is power-tripping. 

Of course, the stipulation that a family can't have a small dog if they have a child under 14 should be a loud warning.   All of my pets being rescue animals, I really respect and believe in the cause.  However, I have noticed that the more numerous and ridiculous the rules, the more that the rescue shelter is run by egomaniacs who are not focused on the welfare of the animals.  There are reasonable rescue shelters out there run by caring people.  These are the ones who should be supported.

I was a bit shocked that Ellen would go on national television and apologize like she did.  I understand she's hurt, and the other family is hurt, but was that the least rational way to handle it? Yes.  What happens now is what is happening now.  She could have talked to the family and the adoption agency on her own terms, so this wouldn't have been thrown out there in a whirlwind.  She should have read the contract, but unfortunately they didn't read the contract, so they have to follow the rules.  Yes, people tend to break the rules for special situations, but why?  Why should they be broken for someone who didn't even read the contract?  I'm not against Ellen, or her wanting to give the dog a good home.  I love the fact that she cares for animals more than anything, but.. that does not give her the right to make this whole issue a personal vendetta, which it seemed to be.  You don't see the family that the dog was taken away from on T.v.?  Why?  Because maybe for them, the pain doesn't need to be projected to the world, but dealt with in their own way. 

 Some things cannot be handled emotionally.  If your going to go up against the president of this agency, emotional will not cut it.  This goes back to the fact that, celebrities are still human, and they will make mistakes, but... should get no special treatment for anything.  As a society who looks up to these people, we have a hard time keeping them down a pedestal anytime something happens we wouldn't deem appropriate.  Now the adoption agency is receiving threats, because of this public broadcast of pure emotion, it has reached other people, that are emotional as well, and that is what is driving this.  Ellen, we know your sorry, but it did not help for you to broadcast it.  You did use your power, on t.v. to ask the agency(instead of talking to them personall in your own way), to give the dog back to the family, not only did you jeapordize, the agency's policies and probably 100's of other dogs that the agency protects and have protected, but your have also made it unsafe for people working there, because you thought it would be a good idea to do it this way. 

 Many other people would have handled it differently. I'm just one of them.  I still love you Ellen, but next time, go to the person you have a problem with, and deal with it that way.  It's just politics this way.

"No one in this world is a virgin, the world screws us all!"

While I was driving to work this morning, the station I was listening to mentioned the Ellen/Dog Rescue group too.  Only, they said something about how Ellen's publicist called the Rescue agency just before the show was taped and threatened to go public with it if they did not return the dog to the family.

Of course I do not know if this is true, but it adds an interesting twist.  I can totally see it being true though. 

_________

"If you go flying back through time, and you see somebody else flying forward into the future, it's probably best to avoid eye contact." - Jack Handey

While I think the whole misunderstanding was Ellen's fault (there's a reason why we have written contracts... so that it can be read!), I don't see why there's all this fuss. Ellen has never struck me as the type to be making political statements on her show, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say she only let her emotions get the better of her. What's so wrong about that? Are we not allowed to express emotions anymore? Does it always have to be a sign of weakness or manipulation? In fact, from the clip I saw, she never once blamed the organization. She repeatedly mentioned that it was her fault and not the little girls' and she was pleading to give the dogs back to them.

As for those who wrote in to the Mutts and Mom's agency, wow... just when I start thinking that sensibility is not extinct yet...

I'm constantly surprised at what makes news nowadays...

The *ONLY* reason why Ellen did this charade on TV was because she thought she could get her way with the agency by using her show as a platform. This is no way to resolve a dispute.

I am not talking about the whys and wherefores of the agency. They may be at fault too, and overly rigid, but Ellen using her show to put pressure on the agency is beyond stupid. And the death threats and harrassment that the  agency now faces was a result that could have been predicted.

Power's gone to Ellen's head. Sick. 

Why can't the family adopt the dog? She can pay for all the crap, but what's stopping them from adopting the dog themselves? Is it the principal of the thing or what? It seems like a simple answer.

www.myspace.com/emmahuntermusic

I, too, am surprised that we (and apparently a large chunk of the rest of the comfortable first world) is talking about this minor dispute -- which is really the point of the criticism leveled at Ellen for using her bully pulpit to air her personal grievances.

I am also surprised at how viciously some of the posters have attacked those with whom they disagree. (Yes, this is a reference to your post, Jules. Accusing Zee of being less than human for espousing a viewpoint different than yours? Really?) Reasonable people can disagree about whether the children ought to have the dog back, or whether the contract language could have been more clear, or a number of other things -- but reasonable people should allow others to express viewpoints with which they disagree without personal attacks.

And with that said, I'd like to ask Ellen politely to keep her personal squabbles to herself.

Have a nice day.

So, this story is on the front page of FoxNews.com now with a big picture of a crying Ellen.  According to the article, the Mutts and Moms agency will not place the dog back with the hairdresser's family.

Here's the article.

From reading, apparently the agency does not allow families with children under the age of 14 to adopt small dogs.  WTF!  Why?

Here's the link to Ellen's blog and her comments on the situation.

_________

"If you go flying back through time, and you see somebody else flying forward into the future, it's probably best to avoid eye contact." - Jack Handey

I was embarrassed for ED. Her ridiculous wailing over a pooch was waaaay over the top! The MM were just as bad for contacting the media -- they're the ones who went public with it first. They're both being completely obnoxious -- along with the rest of the media for turning into a circus.

I can't get away from it! Now the kids are on TV telling their sob story! [roll eyes]

The US sure loves the court of public opinion.

Lets see which side spins a better story.

And it all started with Ellen.

I don't know what's stranger - the fact that Ellen and Portia seemed to expect the dog to bond with their cats (it's a DOG!), the fact that Ellen was sobbing (sobbing!) about it on TV (it's a DOG!), the fact that this is hitting news bulletins (it's a DOG!), the fact that people are sending death threats to the animal shelter (it's a DOG!), or the fact that the animal shelter seems to have legal power to decide where the dog lives once Ellen/Portia took it from them (it's a DOG!).

I'm guessing though that this dog is going to end up with more fame and riches than most of us could ever dream of, and probably its own blog. (A doggy blog? A dlog?)

I just want to know what the cats are thinking. Was this part of their dastardly plan - to make sure Ellen and Portia never brought another dog into their house? Can we get an interview, anyone?

Love Pussy xx

To Jules: It's got nothing to do with being a doglover, i have a dog, i love him to death. (love you Bill!!!) The point is: This agency does a lot of good! And now Ellen has publically criticized these people. And you know what will happen now! Well we've already heard it: (death)threats?! Are you kidding me??

I'm sure this agency will find a good home for the puppy, that's their job. And Ellen should just do hers..

So who'll issue the first law suit? The kids? Ellen? The shelter? or the dog? Are there any doggy-custody pundits appearing as experts on cable news yet?  

Ellen was funnier when she was a comedian. This is just embarassing. Portia, honey, it's time to come back downunder for a while for a dose of good old Aussie common sense. You know what I mean.

Not Only But Also

Ellen has a hairstylist? You're kidding me!!

Hey, has Rosie blogged about this yet? Now that would be worth seeing, especially in haiku.

Not Only But Also

Why are people behaving as if the family Ellen gave the dog to (in violation of her contract) only had a chance to adopt one dog? Are you not aware there are other dogs in this world. Lots and lots and lots of dogs that will eventually be put to sleep because no one wants to adopt them. If they only want to adopt that specific dog Ellen has enough money to buy one from any part of the world without making a dent in her pocketbook.

Ellen is making herself look terrible here. Manipulating her fan base into harassing some women trying to help animals and then turning up the heat going on radio shows and claiming "I only want what's right for this dog". So there you have it. Only one dog in the world that the family could adopt, and only one family that is right for the dog.

Ok, so what the heck folks.  Who doesnt love a puppy. I have adopted 2 dogs from rescues and have encountered many rescue people who are a bit nuts.  I know they are trying to help animals and must protect them but they act as though you are trying to adopt a child out to a known sex felon most of the time.   I have been treated very poorly but some of these people and I am a great pet owner.  I was once dragged out into the parking lot of a rescue and told off becuae I had to give a dog of mine to my best friend 10 years earlier becuase my living circumstances required it.  I was being told how horrible I was by this woman at a cat rescue.  I was asked if I would give my kids away too!

If the dog went to a good home with a good family in a safe and loving environment who cares?  Ellen may have not followed the rules but neither did the rescue by not nuetering the  dog, this is required by law by all rescue organizations, or putting the chip in her name.   When the woman went to the house of the people who had the dog why not find out if she felt it was a good home and then if so leave the dog there.  But she was hell bent on making a point, not looking at what was best, the dog had bonded with that family.  And the point about not adopting dogs out to familys with kids is crazy!  Kids need dogs and dogs need kids.  Insane!

 I respect and support animal rescue but lighten up already!!!  You have devestated these kids at no fault of theirs.  Give the dog back, the dog doesnt need the drama either has anyone thought about that?

Are those tears really for the doggy situation? I don't think Ellen had to go to the EXTREME and cry her eyes out on national tv... I mean come on... and I do love animals and I have cried for animals... (if the animal had died or something). Not because the animal was too rambunctious and couldn't get along with my other petssss... and giving it away..then taken from. I mean... it could've been strategic tears or... personal issues tears... And I do love Ellen...she's great and all but.... I don't buy it completely....and also I don't like Amanda Rogers a.k.a Portia de Rossi. I think she's with Ellen because Ellen is swimming in money, and has more tv claim than Portia does. Plus Ellen got weak in the knees when she noticed Portia had interest. I mean...leaving Alexandra Hedison for Portia... it was so obvious Ellen acted superficially and shallowly... Though to my taste Alexandra is prettier than Portia...  Portia is too skinny-bony and ugly nose... I used to like her more before she got with Ellen.. though she wasn't that famous at that time.