Ethics Newsline®

LOS ANGELES
Ethics issues involving treatment of adopted pets rocketed to prominence in an unexpected and, some say, bizarre venue last week, as comedian Ellen DeGeneres broke down during her daily talk show after giving away her adopted dog to another family — a violation of the pet adoption agency’s policies.

The animal rescue agency said that for the protection of pets it does not allow adopted animals to be given away to other families, reports ABC News. It retrieved the dog from the hairstylist to whom DeGeneres had given it.

DeGeneres said she gave away the dog because if fought with her cats and she believed her hairstylist’s family would provide a better home for the animal.

In the aftermath, outrage over the incident swelled to the point where managers of the private animal rescue facility received death threats, according to NBC News.

On Thursday of last week, DeGeneres tearfully implored people to calm down, and while pleading that the dog be returned to her hairdresser’s family, she also took responsibility for the row, noting that she violated the terms of her original pet adoption even though she was unaware of the restrictions, according to a report from Sky News.

Los Angeles Times reporter Carla Hall notes that the incident, though unusual in its high visibility, “reveals something that pet lovers have known for years: Private rescue groups are legendary for their stringent requirements and hurdles for prospective adopters.”

“Long applications, home visits, and strict diet regimens are the hallmarks of some rescue groups’ adoption processes,” Hall writes. “To some, it can rival the complexity of adopting or fostering a child.”

The Times report quotes Betsy Saul, who runs an Internet-based service for pet seekers, as noting there are many legitimate reasons for restrictive policies, most of which center on the welfare of the animal and the psychological assurance offered to those who give pets up for adoption.

Saul told the Times she was perplexed by the right-versus-right nature of the dilemma. “I think in a case like this, it’s shocking how everybody can be so right, you know?”

As this issue of Newsline went to press, the dog remained with a new family at an undisclosed location.