My first response when I saw Ellen?s genuine grief over the travels of her (formerly) adopted dog was to call some of my friends and ask them what in the world this cruel rescue had done to Ellen. And as I looked at the statements about Iggy something kept distracting me,,,,,she always calls Iggy *It*. I don?t know if she calls her cats *It* but calling a puppy by anything aside from something which implies a personal relationship bothered me.
Sometimes I call Bae and my parents’ Dog *Thing One* and *Thing Two* but this is because I love both of them and I?m trying to walk around them at the time or I?m greeting them as I pass through a room. Sometimes I?m lazy and I call them *One* and *Other One* but the point is that I love both Dogs and I also value them for their wonderful role in the world they live in.
I?ve made mistakes in my life but I know I?ve never called any Dog an *It*??ever.
I?ve pulled Dogs covered in mange and nursing Puppies from shelters over 1000 miles away from me and they?ve always had names and when I talk about without using their names I call them *He* or *She*. Even as she was welcoming him home and when she was thrilled to have him, Iggy was referred to as *It*.? I just don’t get it.
I adore Ellen Degeneres. I don?t think she?s a Dog person and I don?t think that Puppy was in her house long enough for her to know anything beyond the fact that *It* was not working out in her home. So she gave *It* away. I?ll watch her show and I still have total respect for the woman who she is and the path that she?s taken and the way she makes me laugh.
Since we will never know the true story behind what happened I?m leaving it there for now. I will say that I never would have adopted out a Dog to someone who couldn?t get beyond the point of calling any Dog *It*. I can also say that no Dog I adopted out was ever in as much flux as Iggy was within the first week of adoption. Like I said, we?ll never know what really happened but my guess is that Ellen didn?t understand Iggy and felt that she?d moved *It* onto a better place.
I can’t fathom referring to either of my dogs or my cat as an “it.” Heck, I don’t even call them pets; I call them my fur kids. Seems that some people just “get” animals and others don’t. Ellen seems like a nice person who meant well, but she doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who can connect to a dog.
I’m Emily’s cousin and haven’t ever posted on a blog so please be patient with me:). I agree with Emily’s comments on the “it” factor. Maybe this goes to the other extreme, but I remember when I had been looking everywhere for my wonderdog, I talked about “him” and I had a name picked out for Maverick the minute I saw him. All dogs have a personality of their own that one can’t miss–it seems a little crazy even in that short amount of time she didn’t pick up on Iggy’s. Even if the little baby wasn’t getting along with her cats…I would imagine that was one way Iggy could have become more than an “it” in her mind!