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Nicole728
My Happy Girl
Member since 7/06 8198 total posts
Name:
Me
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Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
DeGeneres' Former Dog Stays With Agency
Oct. 17, 2007, 1:00 AM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ellen DeGeneres' doggy drama intensified Tuesday after her tearful plea on her talk show led to death threats against the rescue group that took back her adopted dog for violating the contract, according to a spokesman for the agency's owners.
DeGeneres explained on her show that the Brussels Griffon terrier mix didn't get along with her cats, so she gave it to her hairstylist's family. The owners of Mutts and Moms claimed that DeGeneres violated the adoption agreement by not informing them that she was giving the dog away and removed Iggy from the hairstylist's home Sunday.
As a result of the publicity, Marina Batkis and Vanessa Chekroun received voice mail and e-mail threats of death and arson and were besieged by the media, disrupting business at Paws Boutique store in Pasadena, where they handle the volunteer, nonprofit rescue agency, attorney Keith A. Fink said.
Batkis rejected DeGeneres' plea to give the dog back to her hairstylist's family.
"She (Batkis) doesn't think this is the type of family that should have the dog," said Fink, who is not legally representing the owners but is authorized to speak for them. "She is adamant that she is not going to be bullied around by the Ellen DeGenereses of the world ... They are using their power, position and wealth to try to get what it is they want."
DeGeneres' attorney, Kevin Yorn, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
"It's very upsetting to hear that someone is getting those kind of calls," DeGeneres' publicist Kelly Bush said. "Ellen just wants the dog reunited with the family."
On her talk show taped Tuesday and airing Wednesday, a serious DeGeneres reiterated to her audience that "the dog needs to go to the family."
It "just needs to be in a good home," she continued, according to a transcript given to The Associated Press.
All that you're supposed to do is put a dog in a loving home."
DeGeneres had said her hairdresser's daughters, ages 11 and 12, had bonded with Iggy and were heartbroken when the dog was taken away.
Fink said Moms and Mutts has a rule that families with children under 14 are not allowed to adopt small dogs.
"It's for the protection of the dog," he said.
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Posted 10/17/07 11:08 AM  |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Ya - there was another post about this. Absolutely horrible!
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| Posted 10/17/07 11:10 AM |
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june262004
But I love the Snow!
Member since 5/05 15379 total posts
Name:
Kristin
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I posted this early. IM DISGUSTED
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| Posted 10/17/07 11:20 AM |
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Gertyrae
Peace out Homies!
Member since 5/05 20046 total posts
Name:
Gerty ®
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I wonder why they won't let small dogs go to families with children under 14?
What is the reasoning for that?
Very bizarre, if you ask me - on both sides.....
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| Posted 10/17/07 12:07 PM |
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june262004
But I love the Snow!
Member since 5/05 15379 total posts
Name:
Kristin
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Gertyrae
I wonder why they won't let small dogs go to families with children under 14?
What is the reasoning for that?
Very bizarre, if you ask me - on both sides.....
I would understand maybe breeds that have a rep (not that I agree with the rep but it would make more sense) like pits or something but a little dog 
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| Posted 10/17/07 1:44 PM |
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honeywolf73
LIF Toddler
Member since 8/06 384 total posts
Name:
Christine
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I think there trying to say it's for the dogs well being that small children would acidentally hurt a small dog. But these kids are only a few years younger than there cutoff date.
I think its horrible when things like this happens. I rember seeing a little girl hysterical at NSAL because they wouldn't let her adopt a kitten because her last cat got hit by a car. I understand they want to promote inside as opposed to outside but apprently the mother and little girl where almost through the adoption when they were denied.
It just broke my heart to see that little girl so upset. They could of lied about what happen to there previous cat.
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| Posted 10/17/07 2:32 PM |
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MsSissy
xoxoxo
Member since 3/07 39159 total posts
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I may get heat for this.
But, as much as this stinks for the 2 girls, I have to agree with the agency.
If they have rules, they need to be respected. And if they give the dog back to this family, what would stop anyone else from going in there, adopting a dog and giving it away to a family with young kids. That wouldn't be approved from the agency themselves.
Like I said it really stinks for the girls, but I believe Ellen was wrong and to use her TV show to make a plea to get the agency to give in, was even worse.
JMHO.
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| Posted 10/17/07 2:35 PM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Gertyrae
I wonder why they won't let small dogs go to families with children under 14?
What is the reasoning for that?
Very bizarre, if you ask me - on both sides.....
Maybe they feel that if a family has young children, they will not have time for the dog, you know, heading to children's sports/school work/functions, etc. Too many times people have children or a baby then do not have "time" for the dog. So since these dogs have already had a hard life, why chance it again?
That is what I think, I can't say that I knwo for a fact what their reasons are.
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| Posted 10/17/07 3:39 PM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Mssissy
I may get heat for this.
But, as much as this stinks for the 2 girls, I have to agree with the agency.
If they have rules, they need to be respected. And if they give the dog back to this family, what would stop anyone else from going in there, adopting a dog and giving it away to a family with young kids. That wouldn't be approved from the agency themselves.
Like I said it really stinks for the girls, but I believe Ellen was wrong and to use her TV show to make a plea to get the agency to give in, was even worse.
JMHO.
I agree. If my dog didn't work out, I planned to give him right back to the person I got him from. Ellen HAD to know their rules. I highly doubt they did not tell her this and she really should not be bashing them.
Message edited 10/17/2007 3:40:59 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/07 3:40 PM |
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SweetTooth
I'm a tired mommy!
Member since 12/05 20105 total posts
Name:
Lauren
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Goobster
Posted by Gertyrae
I wonder why they won't let small dogs go to families with children under 14?
What is the reasoning for that?
Very bizarre, if you ask me - on both sides.....
Maybe they feel that if a family has young children, they will not have time for the dog, you know, heading to children's sports/school work/functions, etc. Too many times people have children or a baby then do not have "time" for the dog. So since these dogs have already had a hard life, why chance it again?
That is what I think, I can't say that I knwo for a fact what their reasons are.
But that wouldn't make sense because their rule is for "small dogs." I don't understand why a family with children could not have a small dog? Maybe a small dog fits better in their lifestyle. How about cats? Families with children have cats, so it can't be about the size.
It seems this organization needs to rethink its policies. Its not going to matter anyway because of this negative publicity no one will ever want to adopt from there again. Those poor animals.
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| Posted 10/17/07 4:22 PM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by SweetTooth
But that wouldn't make sense because their rule is for "small dogs." I don't understand why a family with children could not have a small dog? Maybe a small dog fits better in their lifestyle. How about cats? Families with children have cats, so it can't be about the size.
It seems this organization needs to rethink its policies. Its not going to matter anyway because of this negative publicity no one will ever want to adopt from there again. Those poor animals.
Oh, I didn't know it was just for small dogs. I guess they feel the small dog could get injured by a child? Or maybe they feel children/people treat small dogs like toys. In my vets office, I have seen little dogs break their legs due to being mishandled or not treated gently enough. Either way though....
I am not saying I agree with the rules, but...whatever their rules or no matter how strict, I find it hard to believe Ellen did not know the rules\. This mess would not have started had she stuck to the rules, like em or not.
And btw, I am a HUGE fan of Ellen. I just don't think this organization deserves this kind of heat for following rules they already had in place.
Message edited 10/17/2007 5:28:11 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/07 5:25 PM |
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Gertyrae
Peace out Homies!
Member since 5/05 20046 total posts
Name:
Gerty ®
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I have to agree with Msissy and Goobster...the agency told Ellen the rules and she blatantly disregarded them. Then she used her power to bash the agency and try to make them change their policy for her.
If you read about this company on Google, they were very highly recommended before this incident. And apparently, Ellen thought enough of them to adopt from them. Then when they enforced their rules she made a stink on TV.....
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| Posted 10/17/07 6:56 PM |
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HarleyGirlFLA
Come on in
Member since 5/05 9674 total posts
Name:
Mel
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I think it was handled badly on both sides.
If Ellen signed a contract then she should have read it before signing it. If she had read it then she would have seen the clause about giving the dog away.
If Ellen had contacted the agency then maybe she could have worked something out with them.
Since that did not happen, the agency should have gone to the house and made a decision based on interviewing and investigating the family.
I just think it's heartbreaking to take away the dog from the kids. They were completely innocent in all of this.
So much heartache could have seriously been avoided if the situation was kept private and handled differently. I dont think it's right ellen used her show as a platform.
Message edited 10/17/2007 7:30:25 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/07 7:29 PM |
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Shanti
True love
Member since 6/05 12653 total posts
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I think it's wrong of Ellen to use her show and make this very private issue a public one. Howard Stern said something interesting today - apparantly, Ellen Degeneres has adopted several dogs over the years only to "rehome" them. I know that Howard's fiancee is huge into animal rescue so it sheds new light on the whole Ellen/dog fiasco...
Message edited 10/17/2007 9:08:50 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/07 8:57 PM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Shanti
I think it's wrong of Ellen to use her show and make this very private issue a public one. Howard Stern said something interesting today - apparantly, Ellen Degeneres has adopted several dogs over the years only to "rehome" them. I know that Howard's fiancee is huge into animal rescue so it sheds new light on the whole Ellen/dog fiasco...
OH REALLY????
I agree with you. I think she and the agency should have talked it out. I don't think she should have involved her nation of viewers and I feel terrible for this rescue shelter owner who is simply following the rules she feels fit and that her customers signed on.
I think Ellen needs to come on tv apolgizing to this shelter/org, this way people will get off their backs. Ellen was 1oo% wrong in this!!!
I too was a bit disturbed that she tried for "2 weeks" then rehomed it. Like, she doesn't have a clue by now that her cats won't be happy with a new dog in the house?
Message edited 10/17/2007 11:58:53 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/07 11:56 PM |
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Diane
Hope is Contagious....catch it
Member since 5/05 30683 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
They were saying on the news this morning that Ellen called the Agency and is now going to sue them, and she is NOT the one who signed the contract it was Portia...is that h er significant other??
Also, now that Agency is getting many death threats due to this.
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| Posted 10/18/07 9:04 AM |
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Kara
Now Zagat Rated!
Member since 3/07 13217 total posts
Name:
They call me "Tater Salad"
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
All Ellen had to do was contact the agency. I have a good feeling, they'd just have had the new family fill out an adoption form / agreement, taken their contact information, and transferred the adoption and all its policies that comes with it to the new family.
Really, would that have been so hard?
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| Posted 10/18/07 9:55 AM |
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Kara
Now Zagat Rated!
Member since 3/07 13217 total posts
Name:
They call me "Tater Salad"
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Diane
They were saying on the news this morning that Ellen called the Agency and is now going to sue them, and she is NOT the one who signed the contract it was Portia...is that h er significant other??
Also, now that Agency is getting many death threats due to this.
That's ridiculous. Ellen needs to get over herself.
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| Posted 10/18/07 9:55 AM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Kara
Posted by Diane
They were saying on the news this morning that Ellen called the Agency and is now going to sue them, and she is NOT the one who signed the contract it was Portia...is that h er significant other??
Also, now that Agency is getting many death threats due to this.
That's ridiculous. Ellen needs to get over herself.
ITA!
She keeps saying the animal just needs a "good home". Who is she to decide what a good home is? That is what the organization is for. Ellen does not have a leg to stand on. And if she didn't sign the contract, then legally it is not her dog, and she should keep her mouth shut on national tv and stop causing trouble for this shelter who is just trying to do a good job for the animals. I see the shelther having been the one who is wronged here. And the shelter owner said on tv that PORTIA was TOLD that she had to return the dog if they did not want it, and she agreed. And i believe that.
I adopted a kitten once froma little store front rescue home. EVEN I was told....and I would have done that.
This is Petfinder's explanation...and I agree with it.
Return Policies
Many shelters and rescue groups insist, through their adoption agreements, that if a pet cannot stay with his adoptive family, the adopters must return him to the group. Why do they do this?
Between 500,000 and 1 million pets adopted from shelters and rescue groups find themselves homeless and in the shelter once again.
One foster mom said it best, "I found the dog on the street, starving. I nursed her back to health. She slept in my bed. I sang her back to sleep when she had nightmares when she first came to me. Then I adopted her to a wonderful family. A year later, I got a call from animal control because she was at the shelter and she was going to be euthanized. The family had gotten divorced and she ended up on death row!"
This too-common experience leads rescue groups and shelter to put strict policies in place governing what happens if the adoption doesn't work out. In effect, the rescue group and shelters are promising to always be there as a safety net for the pets. This can be very comforting to adopters.
This is a controversial point of view, even amongst shelters and rescue groups who may feel that they have more experience identifying pitfalls and risk factors when identifying new families. Research, however, suggests that there is no difference in the success rates of the adoptions between organizations that screen heavily versus those that have more open adoption policies.
It also bears noting that shelters and rescue groups, understandably, want to keep in contact with new families to be able to lend their support and continue to get updates about the pets they cared for. So we have two groups, the shelter and the pet parents, who both want what is best for the pet, but who may have very different points of view. The silver lining is that everyone really wants the best home possible for the pet. If we could ensure that same future for all the pets available on Petfinder.com, our job would be accomplished.
Message edited 10/18/2007 10:01:46 AM.
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| Posted 10/18/07 10:00 AM |
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Shellyfj
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/07 744 total posts
Name:
Shelly
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
I agree with the adoption agency. She knew the rules before hand.
My dog's name is Iggy! I did not know there was another doggie out there with such a name.
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| Posted 10/18/07 1:34 PM |
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funtime
LIF Infant
Member since 10/06 373 total posts
Name:
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Mssissy
I may get heat for this.
But, as much as this stinks for the 2 girls, I have to agree with the agency.
If they have rules, they need to be respected. And if they give the dog back to this family, what would stop anyone else from going in there, adopting a dog and giving it away to a family with young kids. That wouldn't be approved from the agency themselves.
Like I said it really stinks for the girls, but I believe Ellen was wrong and to use her TV show to make a plea to get the agency to give in, was even worse.
JMHO.
I agree...plus rumor has it she's done this before with a few different dogs...
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| Posted 10/18/07 4:28 PM |
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Mssissy
I may get heat for this.
But, as much as this stinks for the 2 girls, I have to agree with the agency.
If they have rules, they need to be respected. And if they give the dog back to this family, what would stop anyone else from going in there, adopting a dog and giving it away to a family with young kids. That wouldn't be approved from the agency themselves.
Like I said it really stinks for the girls, but I believe Ellen was wrong and to use her TV show to make a plea to get the agency to give in, was even worse.
JMHO.
ITA. Ellen admits that she was wrong, so the kids and everyone should be upset with HER for not following the rules. But to then make it a national issue on her show just made it worse, the agency shouldn't be receiving death threats for sticking to their own policies. If Ellen can get away with it, look at what that says about our society and the power that celebrities are given!!!!!!
As long as the dog goes to a happy home, whether it be back to the same family or a different one, that's ALL that matters. And hopefully Ellen has learned her lesson with re-homing animals that she adopts.
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| Posted 10/18/07 4:35 PM |
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Kate
*****
Member since 5/05 7557 total posts
Name:
Kate
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
The adoption agency's lawyer was just on the O'Reilly Factor. He said the agency told the family they could come fill out adoption papers to get the dog, and the family refused. He said he has the e-maills to prove it. They also played a voicemail from Ellen's people threatening a lawsuit and negative media attention.
If this is true, Ellen will come off looking really bad.
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| Posted 10/18/07 8:43 PM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by Kate
The adoption agency's lawyer was just on the O'Reilly Factor. He said the agency told the family they could come fill out adoption papers to get the dog, and the family refused. He said he has the e-maills to prove it. They also played a voicemail from Ellen's people threatening a lawsuit and negative media attention.
If this is true, Ellen will come off looking really bad.
I hope they prove this. What is wrong with her? Her power has gone to her big head!
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| Posted 10/18/07 11:15 PM |
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curliegirl
He's here!!!!
Member since 3/06 10128 total posts
Name:
Gina
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Re: Adoption agency won't give Ellens dog back!
Posted by HarleyGirlFLA
I think it was handled badly on both sides.
If Ellen signed a contract then she should have read it before signing it. If she had read it then she would have seen the clause about giving the dog away.
If Ellen had contacted the agency then maybe she could have worked something out with them.
Since that did not happen, the agency should have gone to the house and made a decision based on interviewing and investigating the family.
I just think it's heartbreaking to take away the dog from the kids. They were completely innocent in all of this.
So much heartache could have seriously been avoided if the situation was kept private and handled differently. I dont think it's right ellen used her show as a platform.
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| Posted 10/19/07 1:58 PM |
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