My friend had a chihuahua/jack russell mix puppy. She let the dog run around while she worked and her kids were in school. I knew I should have taken this little puppy - he was the best. Anyway he is gone. So when I say the show and Ellen cried for Iggy - I cried for this dog - Fassy. I have two dogs and two cats and just love them to pieces. They are better than most people. I hope this little girl get this dog back.

De Generes's public break down looked fake. It takes time for a new cat & dog friendship to develop. Grow up De Generes. You seem spiteful.

People really need to know the WHOLE story before forming opinions.

Does everyone know that:

1) This is the THIRD dog Ellen has adopted and given away in less than two years?

2) Ellen had adopted another dog from the same Boutique a week earlier and brought it back... then adopted Iggy? That makes FOUR. A week is not long enough to let a puppy and a household adjust together.

3) Ellen had the dog a couple of weeks - how the hell did she spend $3000 on it? It simply didn't happen. Iggy was fixed when she adopted him. The fact that she talks about her financial investment in Iggy yet nobody mentions the fact that the rescue has both a financial and an emotional investment in the dog. For all we know Marina could have bottle-fed that puppy every two hours for weeks to save it's little life. She has every right to decide what is best for the puppy - she's spent FAR more time with that pup than Ellen or the hairdresser did.

4) Did you see the hairdresser's dog? Filthy and matted. Probably outdoors all day while mommy is is a set hairdresser for 12 hours a day. Not even close to a good environment for a puppy.

5) Did you also notice the balls hanging off the back of the hairdresser's dog? The hairdresser's little white mess of a dog is unaltered... rescues don't place pets into homes that have other unaltered pets for good reason. Unaltered dogs are more aggressive - again, not a good environment for a puppy. The fact that he's unaltered is probably why he's not allowed in the house.

6) There was a bag of Kibbles and Bits by the back door. Talk about crap. Might as well feed a dog Taco Bell. Not good for a puppy either. These are the type of people who carry Prada purses and have leather couches and feed their dogs K&B? Lovely.

On top of all that - how do we know that this family hasn't had a crappy pet history? Maybe they have dumped a dog at a shelter... maybe they've had a dog hit by a car (or more than one)... maybe they have de-barked a dog at some point... there are lots of other reasons that even though they may seem like good people, they are not good pet guardians. Period.

So many of these news stories have been skewed. "Mean, bitch of a rescuer steals dog from the arms of crying children"... you BET YOUR ASS SHE DID. Rescue isn't about PEOPLE - it's about ANIMAL WELFARE.

So - Marina - you GO girl. You did right by that puppy no matter what anyone says. The rescue community is behind you 100%.

Considering all that Ellen has done to further animal welfare, please put some trust in here as being a caring, intellegent person. As a person very involved in animal rescue, I realize that many organizations become too caught up in the 'rules and red tape' to really address the HUGE problem of neglected, homeless and abused animals. There has to be some give and take within reason. The rescue group in question is doing an injustice to rescue groups by their actions. I applaude Ellen for her actions in caring for animals. Thank you Ellen.

this is ridiculous.
the dog is happy where it is.
just leave it alone

SB said, "3) Ellen had the dog a couple of weeks - how the hell did she spend $3000 on it? It simply didn't happen. Iggy was fixed when she adopted him. The fact that she talks about her financial investment in Iggy yet nobody mentions the fact that the rescue has both a financial and an emotional investment in the dog. For all we know Marina could have bottle-fed that puppy every two hours for weeks to save it's little life. She has every right to decide what is best for the puppy - she's spent FAR more time with that pup than Ellen or the hairdresser did."

Actually:

1.) The "rescue" in question has been suspended by the state for over a year. Why? They didn't follow the rules and file the proper paperwork. (Can you say "hypocrites"?)

2.) The "rescue" broke the law by adopting out this unaltered animal. It was verified by the vet that Ellen paid to have the dog neutered AFTER the adoption.

3.) The "rescue" didn't require Ellen to fill out a screening application, to determine what animal would be a good fit in the home. ALL LEGITIMATE RESCUES DO THIS! Perhaps if they had done this, the first dog (that wasn't a good fit) wouldn't have been sent home with them.

4.) This dog was adopted over a month ago. It spent a few weeks going through training to be better with the cats, which has also been verified by the animal trainer.

5.) The "rescue" sent a dog home with someone who hadn't filled out an application, had not had a home inspection done, and there was no prior meet with the cats (also something most rescues do.) to see how they got along with the dog. They adopted out an unaltered pet, which is illegal in California.

6.) This "rescue" is right next door to a shelter, which is where most of their dogs come from. They go over, and take the dogs that are getting close to their time, walk right next door, and stick them in cages in the back of their store. Big financial and emotional investment there.

It seems like the rescue was perfectly happy to bend or break every single one of their "rules" when they were getting $600.00 from a celebrity that they could then claim as a client.

Wonder how much they got the second time they sold him?

When we adopted Hayle there was a similar clause in our adoption agreement. At first it alarmed me, because I felt that if I couldn't keep her for whatever reason, I would want to help her find a good home - and then I realized that is *exactly* what the rescue group was thinking too. They're invested in the wellbeing of these animals and they have every right to place these restrictions on people who adopt (and then don't keep) pets from them. The ideal situation would be for the organization to work with the hairdresser to make it an environment they would feel comfortable adopting to, but now things are blown so far out of proportion that who knows what'll happen to adorable little Iggy.

I think the Mom & Mutts should get their stories straight before they are interviewed by news stations. First there was an article that came out that family's who adopt small dogs cannot have children under the age of 14..then " Fink " goes on air to say that Ellens hairdresser family was told they could come in and sign adoption papers and keep him and they wouldn't....certainly two differnt stories on their end!

The ASPCA site requested Mutts and Moms reconsider their decision. If the entire statement from the Petfinder site was posted it would contain information that private and agency placements share similar success rates.

Not all rescuers or rescue organizations agree with how mutts and moms handled this. Speaking as a rescuer, the next step would have been an application from the family. Wait - that was completed. Then a home visit. Wait - that was the lie the Mutts and Moms lady used to get into the home, snatch the pup & hold it for 2 hours while waiting for the police, talking hysterically on her cell phone. The video is all over youtube.com. Check it out.

As a rescuer I can say that no way in heck did mutts and moms have enough time to fully screen another person to place Iggy with. Sorry, it just ain't happening. From the looks of it, they didn't check Ellen out either. Mutts and moms was suspended as a rescue for over a year - There are pictures posted online of their setup & it's nothing more than pets in cages.If these dogs are being fostered, I'd love to know where, the photos reminded me of the sad pups in the pet store. Then again, those cages were larger :(

The rule about no children under 14 is baloney. A good home often contains children, small children would usually be considered 8 and under. A 14 year old can babysit, give birth, even obtain birth control but is too young to share the same house with a pup from mutts and moms. Give me a break.

I like Ellen a lot but c'mon, this is crazy. She messed up. I wish that the agency would have given the dog back, but if I would have had to go through what the people at the agency are going through ( death threats, constant calls...) I would have said screw everyone too. Anyway to see what I really think go to

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZiKHXIH0WHw

There's some extra footage and my take on the whole deal. My blogs are kind of… different.

Whats with Hollywood culture? Britney thinks she can ram a car and get away with it. MJ dangles a baby from the railings when not molesting kids. OJ murders with impunity and publishes the details. Paris Hilton drives without license on probation and cries in jail and the warden returns her home. Ellen thinks she does not have to follow a contract, because she is a celebrity and can air her side of the story on TV. What are we discussing here, when there are soldiers getting blown up in Iraq.

Why must the agency give anything back to anyone? Ellen signed the contract that Iggy goes back to the Agency if Ellen cant keep him. The agency requested Ellen to have the hairdresser come in do the paperwork, and keep the dog. Ellen, the celebrity that she is, put her foot down, her publicist even emailed the agency that they 'will sue' the agency, and use the force of media on them! Blackmail doesnt work, Ellen.

And everytime we want to say "I am sorry, I know I am wrong" to someone, we dont pickup the phone and call the other person. We show up on TV and switch on the waterworks. Right?

Not all rescues are the same. In the rescue I volunteer for, we each foster one dog (or no more than 2) in our own homes. Sometimes a shelter calls us, sometimes an owner wants us to rehome a dog. We pay for the food our fosters eat out of our own pockets, but are reimbursed for medical expenses--including things like getting shots, spay/neuter, other surgery and tests (like heartworm). Whether we have a dog for a week or several months, we have a lot of love invested. Most importantly, we are volunteers, as are most rescue people, who check out prospective homes, evaluate prospective fosters for our rescue, follow up with help, advice and to see how the pet is doing, all while raising our own families, caring for our own dogs and earning a living in some other job. Ellen should be flattered that she did not have to have a home check--it is something rarely allowed by rescues and only skipped if the home is known to a member or for some reason of confidence in the adopter.

Folks, we all have friends or relatives who we love but who do not take good care of their pets. Though Ellen may like her hairdresser and family, she does not have experience evaluating a prospective home. Rescuers learn the myriad reasons that pet homes fail and try to avoid placing their dogs in the same situations. They also know that adoptions don't always work out, that's why we have clauses saying we will take the pet back in that situation, some of us even have periods of time in which we will return the adopter's money if they decide to return the dog.

I like Ellen, but it was way presumptuous for her to put herself in the role of placing a dog, and it was hurtful of her to put the rescuers, however imperfect they might be, on the public spot. It did them a real injustice and made a mockery of how much heart and caring rescuers put into their volunteer work. I hope she tries to learn more about rescue work and rethinks what she did and shares her newly found insight in public. She simply does not seem to understand that rescue work is not something to be taken lightly.

And for those I've heard criticize that rescuers are more intense than those who handle foster homes for children, my answer is: Rescues do a good job with volunteers. I expect paid Child Protective Services employees to do as good or BETTER a job checking out foster or adoptive homes for kids!