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T.R. Knight Speaks Out About Ellen DeGeneres Controversy
T.R. Knight knows what it’s like to be at the center of a media circus. The Grey’s Anatomy star, whose feud with former costar Isaiah Washington played out in the press, defended his beleaguered pal Ellen DeGeneres, currently embroiled in her own scandal. DeGeneres ignited a controversy last week after she sent her adopted dog Iggy to live with her hairdresser instead. After incurring the wrath of the adoption agency Mutts and Moms, the dog was placed with a new family.
"I heard that she was crying on her show," Knight said to TV Guide at the L.A. AIDS Walk about Degeneres’ infamous breakdown on her daytime show. "That breaks your heart."
Knight, who chose Degeneres’ show to talk about the incident where Washington called him a homophobic slur on the Grey's set, reasons, "Obviously something went wrong or else she wouldn’t cry."
Desperate Housewives regular Andrea Bowen also expressed her support for the talk-show host at the AIDS walk on Oct. 21. "I feel bad for Ellen because she was trying to do the right thing by placing the animal with a family who she thought would take really good care of it," says Bowen, who works with various animal-rescue charities. "I know that the whole point of the animal-rescue center is to find the dog a good loving safe home and I hope that that eventually happens." —Reporting by Amber Gideon
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Oct 22, 2007 3:25 PM
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"Obviously something went wrong or else she wouldn’t cry."
Gosh golly, gosh darn, he's so profound...
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Oct 22, 2007 4:33 PM
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On the other hand, zebop, at least he's not a jerk.
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Oct 22, 2007 5:28 PM
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This whole story STILL infuriates me.
But Ellen's situation isn't at all unusual. While there are a great many responsible, caring, careful animal rescues, there are ALSO some absolute goose-stepping Nazi ones. It's too bad for the puppy and the kids who were bonding with it that this Pasadena rescue falls into the Nazi category.
YES, Ellen and Portia should have called and told the rescue that they had screened a new home for the puppy. But the only reason they should have done it because they signed a contract to do so.
Let me just leave a bit of advice, based on sad experience.
Before anyone gets a dog from any rescue, YOU HAVE TO RESEARCH THE RESCUE. You can't just assume that these people are only interested in finding loving homes for unhomed pets. There are many shelters with "philosophies" and "value systems" that they expect you to adhere to more stringently than the Ten Commandments. A good indicator is whether the rescue requires you to feed a particular kind of diet, unless you get permission from them to change it. That's a bad sign.
You need to find out what percentage of the rescued animals are being pulled from city/county shelters. Unless it's a breed specific rescue that's associated with a breed club, that percentage should be over 50%, closer to 75%. Responsible rescues work hand in hand with governmental shelters and SPCA's!!
You have to ask what their percentage of adoptions fail--and then clarify how many adoptions that fail because the new owners brought their animal back, and how many animals the rescue "repossesses" and CALLS it a failure. A repossession rate of more than 1 in 10 is an indicator that you DON'T want to get involved with that rescue organization.
And DON'T sign anything that prevents you from rehoming the dog yourself, after a reasonable period--six months, maximum.
Responsible rescues generally get their animals--unless there's a major medical problem that the rescue is underwriting--into homes within 3 months. So once you've had a dog in your home for six months, you've got a lot more insight into that dog's personality, needs, and quirks than the rescue you got it from.
My family learned all this the hard way when a Nazi rescue group "repossessed" a great aunt's 7 year old chi/terrier mix after she passed away from cancer a few years ago. Her grandson, who had helped care for the dog for over a year while she was ill, took the dog home after she passed. The SAME DAY that the death notice appeared in the local paper, a woman from the rescue where my great aunt had gotten the dog 6 years earlier showed up with the cops, a copy of the contract, and a restraining order to prevent my cousin or any member of his family from 'harassing' her about stealing this beloved member of the family. She didn't even say, "Sorry to hear about your mother." Just brought the cops to take the dog--who incidentally, died less than a month later. His vet--who begged several people at the rescue to return the dog--said he grieved himself to death.
OBVIOUSLY, many rescues are NOT like that. But enough of them ARE that you need to check out a rescue organization very, very carefully before you adopt an animal from them.
And that's really where Ellen went wrong. Hopefully, her audience will learn from her mistake.
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Oct 22, 2007 8:25 PM
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At least he is not a jerk you say... Whatever please T.R. Knight seems like he would do anything to get some press, "let me insert myself into Ellen's dog drama because he has not been talked about in a couple of days..." The boy or girl whatever he prefers to be in his relationships needs to get a life... Next thing he will do is go out and buy a house in Malibu so it can burn down... He is one gay I wish would go back into a closet and perferrably a closet on the Titanic...
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Oct 22, 2007 9:17 PM
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I think Mutts and Moms should lose their license to place animals...this was obviously an issue of ego...and they also showed what they're really made of by placing the dog in another home...The animals are more important...
It was more important to them to 'get back at Ellen' by not returning the dog to the Hairdresser's family....How cruel...they don't care about the animals....
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Oct 22, 2007 9:38 PM
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Gay is an adjective, not a noun. But on behalf of all "the gays", let me assure you that the feeling is mutual. I think you should try something in steerage...
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Oct 22, 2007 10:51 PM
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While I feel bad for the hairdresser's family, this is all Ellen's fault. Rescue shelters tell those adopting the dogs that the pets should be returned if it doesn't work out. It's in the contract and it's mentioned verbally. Ellen may have had good intentions about finding another home, but I've been to shelters in which the return policy is clearly spelled out if things don't work out with a family and dog. Let that be a lesson for anyone: READ THE FRICKIN' CONTRACT BEFORE SIGNING IT!
Also, if the shelter's rules indicate the dogs can't be placed with children younger than 14, then the dogs SHOULD NOT be placed with kids younger than 10. Obviously before they sold their first rescue dog, they decided it's best for some dogs to be housed in homes with "older" children. Could they have made an exception? Maybe after a couple days if they talked to the family. But why should the shelter go out of its way when Ellen created a situation that resulted in the shelter getting death threats, etc?
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Oct 22, 2007 11:24 PM
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i may be wrong, but based on the coverage i've seen and read, it sounds like this organization does not place ANY dogs in families with children under 14 years of age. it's one thing if they evaluate dogs individually and determine that a certain dog is not to be trusted around youngsters, but it seems like this group is just instituting an asinine blanket policy out of laziness.
i also don't think there's anything wrong with T.R. supporting his friend. i don't know if he brought it up or was asked specifically about this situation with ellen, but since when are we all so cynical that we trash someone for being a good pal? you guys don't know him or his motives. even in hollywood, it's possible he's just a good person and wants to stand up publicly for his friend. until we learn otherwise, can't we please give him the benefit of the doubt?
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Oct 22, 2007 11:42 PM
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To thankulord13---exactly how did you choose your screen name? Your comment certainly doesn't sound very christian-like to me. Or was the name supposed to represent something else I don't understand? Just wondering...
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Oct 22, 2007 11:43 PM
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"let me insert myself into Ellen's dog drama because he has not been talked about in a couple of days..." -thankulord
Some people seem to keep inserting themselves into the lives of people who they protest they have heard enough from!!!
What is your obsession with T.R. Knight? He is ALL you ever talk about!
Let me let you in on a little secret-if you are tired of hearing his name-try NOT mentioning it!!
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Oct 23, 2007 2:21 AM
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lol Mr. Furley.
Spider Man in response to you, have you ever purchased or refinanced a home? If so, did YOU read every single line of every document you had to sign? I doubt it. NO ONE ever does. So for you or anyone to point the finger at Ellen and say it is all her fault, then you are, in my opinion, WRONG! Ellen was trying to do what she thought was right for the animal. Mutts & Moms were just looking for publicity, their 15 minutes of fame! I say shame on them, not Ellen!
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Oct 23, 2007 12:11 PM
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