This week there was a large brouhaha with Ellen DeGeneres and her inability to read. To keep it short, she and her ‘partner’ adopted a dog from a rescue organization. They signed a contract at that time which stated if they could not keep the dog, they must return it to the rescue. Period. Ellen chose not to do this. When the dog proved to be more than they could handle, she gave it to someone else. This was not her right, it was not her option to do so, and she clearly and blatantly broke the contract she signed.

            So then I see her on TV crying, claiming she was “trying to do the right thing”. So Ms. DeGeneres, you are now an expert on dogs and feel you can break contracts and re-home animals as you see fit? It really yanks my chain that she can sit there on national television and make the rescue out to be the bad guys. They went and took the dog from the unapproved home that Ellen had chosen. The rescue will then be able to choose another appropriate and approved home for the dog. Bully for them for sticking to their guns. I know they did the right thing. They are operating in the best interests of the animal, plain and simple. They have rules about placing dogs. All their hard work for the animals is being repaid with death threats and threats of arson. There are just too many people on the planet that shouldn’t even be allowed to own a goldfish, let alone a dog or cat.

            This is not unusual. In fact, it’s fairly common. People get a dog because they think they should. They don’t bother to check on the breed, they get it because they “like” it. Only after they bring the dog home do they discover the dog isn’t “what they wanted” or “what they thought it would be”. Then they neglect, abuse, or dump the dog at a shelter. I have three adopted dogs, each contract I signed has the same clause that Ellen’s did. I volunteer for breed rescue. I know, I’ve seen a lot. I won’t say I’ve heard and seen it all, because there are too many stupid people on the planet, but I have been disgusted, offended, angered and pissed off by people like Ellen before. I’ve seen the results in the emotional and physical damage to dogs when people decide to re-home a dog. People who were rejected as adopters have threatened our rescue. Just so happens that Ellen was kind enough to make hers public and drag the name of rescue through the mud. Mind you, I never had any love for Ms. DeGeneres to begin with. Now I can only hope she develops the guts to apologize, for real, to the rescue and truly accept responsibility for her wrong and for the sake of all the animals in rescue.