You've probably heard about the soap opera surrounding Ellen DeGeneres, Portia deRossi and the poor little pooch they adopted. Um...well, TRIED to adopt! After bringing home a Brussels Griffon mix named Iggy, the ladies discovered that he didn't get along with their cats (didn't that possibility occur to them beforehand?!), so rather than take him back to the "Mutts & Moms" rescue agency, they handed him over to Ellen's hairdresser. It seemed like a happy ending for Iggy, finding a new home with other dogs...kids to play with...and a big back yard. But the agreement she signed legally forbade the funny lady from "re-gifting" the animal, so he was seized and returned to the kennel for re-adoption. (My source, close to the situation, contends that Mutts & Moms actually "stole" Iggy back, presumably to cash in on the publicity aspect of the celebrities involved.) Ellen, whose love for animals is well known, made a tearful plea on her talk show for Mutts & Moms to let the hairdresser's family keep Iggy permanently. Now this would seem like a cut and dry story, unless you know some of Ellen's prior history with pet adoption. This isn't the first time she's opted out of ownership after "rescuing" a homeless doggie. I knew of an abandoned dog she took in from a homeless man, which she gave away only days later. Does she have a fear of commitment? Or maybe those cats are just too much for any dog to take! Whatever the real story is behind this latest Doggie Drama, there's obviously more than is being let out in the press.
At least PETA ("People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals") hasn't weighed in. Yet! They're still too busy, I suppose, campaigning for Kevin Federline to "save" the poor little pups remaining in Britney Spears' clutches.
Wasn't it enough that she lost her two sons...do they have to take "Bit Bit" away from her, too!? Seeing them with their pets really humanizes stars for us. Ben Affleck's mother tried to teach him the responsibility of caring for a dog by making him tend to an imaginary one for an entire month. After he proved himself worthy, he went overboard and has been a "Friend of Fido" ever since...at times having up to five at one time! Jim Carrey became so besotted with the Great Dane he worked with in "Me, Myself & Irene," that he adopted one of his own, "George." (No word on if George could defecate on cue, like his on-screen counterpart!) When David Duchovny directed an episode of his series "X-Files," he cast his own collie mix, "Blue," in a featured role. And nothing makes the ladies swoon like seeing Jake Gyllenhall out for a walk with his adorable Puggle (a beagle/pug mix), "Boo Radley" and German Shepherd, "Atticus Finch." (Both named for characters from one of his favourite books, "To Kill A Mockingbird.") That should dispel the notion that dogs and their owners tend to look alike!
Since I'm a mild-mannered reporter, when I rescued my beloved Springer Spaniel 12 years ago, I had to name her "Lois Lane!" One of my big celebrity disappointments was when I told that to Kate Bosworth at our "Superman Returns" interview and she didn't get it. Oh, well. I think Kate was a pretty awful Lois Lane, anyway. But I digress...once I get started talking about Superman, I'm like Nic Cage-can't stop!
So the next time you see Paris Hilton posing for a photo op with her Chihuahuas "Tinkerbell" and "Bambi," remember that not all celebrities are so frivolous about dog ownership!
Tell me about the special furry friend in your life, who makes you feel like a star!
TMZ contacted PETA to get their expert opinion on the whole Ellen vs. Mutts and Moms ordeal, and the animal protection group is standing by Ellen! PETA said, "At a time when so many people in Hollywood, like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, are making impetuous "pet" purchases, PETA commends Ellen for adopting a homeless animal from a shelter rather than buying a dog. Every animal purchased from a pet store is a virtual death sentence for an animal desperately waiting i
This whole Ellen thing is ridiculous. I'm sure both parties could have come to a better agreement than this fiasco. It seems so petty--isn't the point that the dog found a good home? Why couldn't they just change the paperwork, yell at Ellen for it (or whatever), and let the doggie enjoy his new home/family?