This week, Ellen Degeneres shocked the nation as she broke down on national television. Instead of letting sleeping dogs lie, Ellen told the sorrowful tale of how she mistakenly gave away a pet pooch, Iggy to her hairdresser, only to have the dog taken away from its new owners.
The story begins when Ellen Degeneres’ partner, Portia De Rossi adopted a dog from Mutts and Moms, a rescue organization in Pasadena, California. In the contract it was stated that if Ellen and Portia could not keep Iggy, they would return him to the shelter. Here is where the trouble begins. Apparently, neither Ellen nor Portia understood this part of the contract. They shelled out $3,000 in Iggy’s care only to discover that they could not keep up with Iggy’s incredible energy level. Ellen’s hairdresser agreed to keep the dog and her two daughters fell in love with the pup. When Mutts and Moms later contacted Portia through email, to check up on little Iggy’s status, Portia responded with the truth that Iggy was living with the hairdresser and was very happy. Mutts and Moms was on the hunt! This was against the contract they had signed and violated the adoption agreement. What else was there to do then to hound the hairdresser and her family and take possession of little Iggy?
It’s a dog eat dog world, as the hairdresser’s daughters (aged 11 and 12) were soon to find out. Mutts and Moms showed up at the house, removed Iggy’s collar, and proceeded to take Iggy from his new home. A three-hour stand off ensued and the police were called to the scene. Ultimately, they departed with Iggy and left two little girls traumatized over the loss of their pet.
To some, this may be nothing more than a story regarding a celebrity who refused to be quiet when she felt that an injustice had occurred. To others it may be justified that a written contract is the supreme form of law in the land and nothing else matters. However, it seems that maybe the interest of Iggy, the hairdresser’s family, and Ellen Degeneres were completely overlooked.
Would it have been too difficult to spend the three hours at the home, working on a more pleasant solution? Was Mutts and Moms bound by law to remove Iggy and place him in another home? Couldn’t the contract have been revised? Three hours is plenty of time to observe a dog playing in his or her environment. Surely, they could have observed the interaction between Iggy and his new family and decided whether or not they were fit to keep the dog before whisking Iggy away.
If it were a matter of breaking the clause, why not have Ellen and Portia pay a fine? If they had already paid $3,000 for the dog (and that’s not a small lump of change) certainly they would have been willing to pay a fine so that the hairdresser could keep the dog.
Iggy has been placed with a new family and the situation has stirred incredible debate, anger, and emotional stress. Ellen Degeneres cancelled her show on October 19th and issued a plea that the public ceases to issue death threats towards Mutts and Moms and Iggy’s new owners. The issue has gripped the nation at large and the general consensus is that Mutts and Moms made a big mistake. Whether there was an agreement or not, taking Iggy away from his home was not the best way to handle the situation. It is unlikely that Iggy will be returned to the hairdresser’s little girls and it is very possible that Mutts and Moms will meet their demise due to this fiasco while two little girls are heartbroken that their dog is gone. It truly is a dog eat dog world, when it comes to the Mutts and Moms rescue mission.
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