The Dog Chicks

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.

On the Ellen Degeneres show today Ellen was clearly upset over Iggy a pup that she had recently adopted. Ellen comments were that even after training Iggy it was not working out so she gave the pup to her hairdresser. When Mutt & Mom?s did a follow up call and found the pup had been given away, they took the steps to get the dog back. Ellen signed a contract stating if the dog did not work out that he comes back to the rescue. Since that did not happen the Rescue Mutts & Moms did what they thought they should do, get the dog back. Most Rescues and Shelters have this policy to protect the animals they place, they want to make sure they don?t end up in bad homes. I recently fostered a 5 month old pup that was picked up as a stray and on the news tonight the the NHSPCA is trying to find out who dropped off a cocker spaniel in a rubber storage container, sadly the dog suffocated before a volunteer found the dog. People who would let a puppy roam the streets with out looking for it or leave a dog to die are why Rescues and Shelters screen homes.

Although Mutts & Moms took the dog back I hope that they will look at the situation more closely and if the home checks out let the family adopt the dog. Just because Ellen misunderstood the adoption policy Iggy and 2 little girls should not pay the price.

I enjoy watching the Ellen show and I’m sorry see how much pain this has caused her.

Somehow, learning that Michael Vick was being prosecuted yet again for his crimes should make me feel that justice is being done but it’s not. I am glad that this one person and his three fellow sadists are being held accountable for what they did and I also understand that this is bringing attention to the evil that is Dog fighting. And then I think of my Rescue friend in Virginia who has been trying to put a local Dog fighter out of business since 2003. She’s rescued Puppies from this family and bought Dogs from them to get those Dogs out of ‘the life’ and that home still has fighting Dogs chained up in their yard and the local law enforcement still doesn’t care.

I was talking with a good friend of mine when I found out Vick’s charges were being extended and the first thing she said was *How long is this bastard going to suffer in jail?* She is mortified by what Vick and his friends did and I totally agree with her. This indictment reminds me of the thousands of Dogs who are currently being prepared for the fights this weekend.

When I talked with Mary about this she reminded me that any progress is progress and I know that she’s 100% correct. But I find myself thinking about the Pit Bulls who are owned by Dog fighters who aren’t famous , who are chained up outside right now and I’m wondering if anyone will ever come to rescue them