Mom & Mutts - Terrible People They Are!

This is seriously wrong. By wrong I mean WRONG - Mom & Mutts (despite words on their contract to the contrary) have NO RIGHT to remove the puppy that Ellen brought to her very trusted friend. Ellen's comment regarding the purpose for the rescue organizations is correct - they are there to be certain that dogs and cats are found good homes. This particular story hits so close to home for me, I have adopted a dog and because of the contract I was forced to sign, my dog Matrix wasn't guaranteed. Because he wasn't guaranteed (replaced if he died within a year) I was free to give him to another good family when the time came for me to do so. That family let him out in the cold to fend for himself without calling me to retrieve him. I had no idea, not until a good man, a Captain in the Air Force, called me to say he had found my Matrix. He was willing to drive him back to me. Because I was still unable to take care of him I told the Captain that he could have Matrix, but before I did I questioned him, I prayed with him, and I explained to him all of the small eccentric behaviors that I remembered the dog had. He agreed to take care of my mutt, and I was pleased.

When the Captain was given orders to leave the states he took Matrix right back to the original adoption agency. (Oh, something I didn't tell you about the adoption agency is this: they made me pay for my dog, but wouldn't guarantee him. In essence they were saying if he dies he dies, but we still want our money. The only problem I had with this arrangement, is that I had paid for a dog earlier in the day, but it had been given away - to someone with a similar name. My money was not returned (credit card), no apology was offered, but I was encouraged to pick out another dog.) The dog I picked, though perfect to me, was unhealthy. I had to promise the adoption agency who actually threatened me a number of times, that I would take Matrix to their vet - she ended up being mine too, so that was cool. They made me swear on paper that I would have Matrix neutered, which I did. It was all about the agency and their rules - but I understood, they wanted a good family to adopt their dogs and cats. I was (at the time I adopted Matrix) in a home with a fence, we had a couple of cats, but the kids wanted a dog. We were perfect. When the woman that actually owned our house decided to sell, but not to us, we were forced to move immediately, and she wasn't interested in our pet problem, as she put it.

As I mentioned, the Captain took Matrix back to the adoption center. They looked up his papers from his tag registration - no doubt they saw that he had been paid for, but not guaranteed. The agency did what the agency did time and time again; resold my dog! What the agency didn't understand however, was that the dog, my dog, Matrix, could out-eccentric any dog out there. He was returned, replaced, and readopted more than 3 times...and every time he was brought right back to the agency with more complaints. NOT ONCE did the agency try to contact me. The Captain found me easily enough - I lived in the area! They just readopted him and never considered his feelings, his needs, or his behaviors, they just wanted to get rid of a dog without a guarantee...bad for business.

On July 27, 2001, I won custody of my daughters full time, permanently, forever - when I asked them what they wanted, they only wanted to walk dogs, bathe dogs, feed dogs, and just hug the kittens at the agency - I said yes. Can you imagine our surprise when we saw our dog? He was there! Our Matrix. Of course, we had no idea what all he had been through - not until one of the workers told us (after she had been fired for letting a family have a dog for free). Matrix came home with me that day - and no, I didn't pay for him again. It was soooo ugly. I had to threaten, force, yell, complain, and even drop my attorney's name before they finally let us have him. I made them prove that he was guaranteed, which they couldn't. Technically he was still MY dog, they weren't allowed to sell or adopt him over and over again.

My point is simple - the Mom & Mutt idiots need to do the right thing. The right thing! Not the contractual thing, not the "I'm so right I have the right" type thing. The right thing - every time! Give the dog back to the girls who Ellen chose. They come from a good home, from good and trusted people. Ellen (one of the premier dog lovers on the earth)made a good judgement - her dog, her right. If Mom & Mutts continues to make these types of negative and terrible decisions, they will give the rescue agencies that are good a bad reputation; and all because they had a piece of paper that said they could - shame on them! SHAME.

When Faith and I go around the country now to promote rescue organizations, humane societies and dog loving groups - we don't need to be associated with people like Moms & Mutts; we won't be - not until the real beasts are replaced: GUARANTEED!