Son of Lassie's Trainer: Give the Dog Back!

16. The breed of dog matters, like it or not. One breed is not the same as another...Collies are not Brussels Griffons, Golden Retrievers are not Borzois, Beagles are not Italian Greyhounds and so on. You have to match the breed to your wants, needs, lifestyle and family situation. Unless, of course, you'll just dump the dog on another when it doesn't work out. That's how they end up in shelters and rescues, adopting or buying because they're simply "cute". The breed I own is attractive, but they're not suitable for all, very few.

Posted at 6:59PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Me

17. I am very familiar with these types of organizations and I'm all for them. No I don't work for one of these pet adoption agencies but I have seen the good they do. Should Ellen be given special exception because she is a celebrity? Absolutely not. There was a contract signed. These contracts are established for the benefit of the animals. Many times checkups are done on the animal to make sure it's being well taken care of. Ellen giving the dog away and not notifying the organization was breach of contract. Ruby's family and Ellen should have approached the organization maturely and immediately requested that Ruby's family adopt the dog legally.

Posted at 6:59PM on Oct 17th 2007 by addy

18. CJ! LOL! Great point!

Yes indeed these rescue witches have a short shelf life after this fiasco! People love dogs and these witches give rescuers a bad name!

Posted at 7:02PM on Oct 17th 2007 by monika

19. Ellen is acting like a spoil brat - it didn't have to get escalated out of proportion - it was a civil matter - not a media matter.

Posted at 7:05PM on Oct 17th 2007 by spoiledinla

20. I must take a stand for the rescue organization. With their strict rules they prevent abuse and they contribute tremendously to animal protection. Ellen has signed a contract and she broke it. There is nothing more to say about it. I am convinced that if she would have gone to the recue and told them that she could not keep the dog but has found him a loving family instead that the rescue would have adopted the dog out to this family. That the story developed the way it did is the consequence of Ellen's action. She had a choice of handling the issue according to the contract she signed. If the rescue makes an exception more people will break the contracts - and then it is difficult to draw the line. It would not be fair to make an exception because Ellen is famous and has a lot of emotional public support.

Posted at 7:09PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Brigid

21. He DID NOT get put to sleep and I would be careful making that FALSE statement.

Posted at 7:05PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Me

22. Ellen stop using your show to get your way - they are never going to give you or the family the dog. Maybe if you had talked to them instead of your publicist things would be different. You blew it!

Posted at 7:12PM on Oct 17th 2007 by an agenda

23. HOw do any of us know if it's true that he got killed? I bet it is true. If not WHERE IS THE DOG? They can't give back what they have killed. THIS IS TRULY HORRENDOUS!

Posted at 7:15PM on Oct 17th 2007 by how do you know?

24. This guy knows how it's done.

Posted at 7:11PM on Oct 17th 2007 by classy

25. How do any of us know Iggy is Safe?

True, the way to ensure they never have to give him back, is to put him to sleep.

This is awful if it's true, I'm heart broken.

Posted at 7:14PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Is Iggy Safe?

26. They did make an exception...they never investigated Ellen's home...one of their MOST important rules, supposedly.

Posted at 7:12PM on Oct 17th 2007 by CJ

27. Go away, Mutt Nuts, we know you're both posting under a bunch of assumed names to try to defend yourselves. You're not fooling anybody.

You're dog Nazis and you suck. The end.

Posted at 7:13PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Anti-Dog-Nazi

28. God Bless Bob! Finally someone with something intelligent to say. I am sorry Ellen. I am sure to give the dog away to begin with was a had enough choice, but a good one. Dogs with kids, it is just the American way!
Amc

Posted at 7:18PM on Oct 17th 2007 by ann mclaughlin

29. Mutts & Moms seems to have made exceptions in its policy regarding home inspections since it didn't inspect Ellen's home. These star-struck dog rescuers seem to be proponents of the ubiquitous celebrity double-standard. Any jo-blow off the street would have had to fill out an application, wait to have somebody come to their house to make sure it is a fit environment, and then await decision on adoption, pay the fees and take the animal home. They clearly made exceptions to their procedural policy when they had hopes of free celebrity-support and publicity! I bet they even took pictures of Ellen and Iggy and posted them on their lobby wall. Hypocrites!

Posted at 7:26PM on Oct 17th 2007 by MissVee

30. A fenced yard isn't just about exercise, which can be provided in many other ways. Individual dogs or breeds that are escape artists require fencing. Although, some shelters, rescues and responsible breeders won't take the risk with any dog or breed. You can't blame them for a safety requirement either. It's not to punish you, only protect the dog. The best owners in the world are not immune to accidents. All you can do is lessen the risk, and most chose to do so.

Posted at 7:14PM on Oct 17th 2007 by Me