Iggy’s former family still feels ‘devastated’

‘Iggy was first very happy in our home, too,’ says man who briefly had dog

Iggy, the adopted Brussels-Griffon terrier mix that was taken back after Ellen DeGeneres gave it to her hairdresser, has since been adopted, but former family is still "devastated."

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updated 8:40 p.m. ET Nov. 12, 2007

LOS ANGELES - The family who cared for Iggy the dog has reached out to “Access Hollywood,” following news that the puppy is being used for a public service announcement about animal adoption.

Ellen DeGeneres gave Iggy the dog to her hairdresser’s family after she said the dog, a Brussels-Griffon mix, didn’t assimilate into her household, which included cats. A short time later, the organization Mutts & Moms, which had placed the dog with DeGeneres, removed the dog from the hairdresser’s family, claiming DeGeneres broke the contract by not following proper procedure over the handoff.

Gordon, the father of Ruby, the girl who went on camera pleading for the return of Iggy last month, said in the new statement released to “Access,” that he has seen the new footage of the dog. While he said his family is pleased the puppy looks well, he wants people to remember the dog was happy with them.

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“Iggy appears well-groomed and cared for. But we would like people to remember that Iggy was first very happy in our home, too,” he wrote.

“Who could love and appreciate a puppy better than a child?! Helping to make sure that Iggy was properly fed and kept clean and healthy contributed to our daughters’ self-esteem and sense of responsibility,” he continued. “Plus they (Gordon has another daughter whose name has not been released) loved having a puppy to play with them and our other dog, and Iggy loved it, too. There was no logical reason why this dog was removed from our home, especially in the callous manner in which it was done.”

Gordon said his children are still crushed at having lost the dog.

“For us, this story does not have a happy ending. Our daughters are still devastated. They still ask us why those ladies took our Iggy away,” he concluded.

As previously reported on Access Hollywood.com, under the Mutts & Moms contract, anyone accepting a dog agrees to “NOT give or sell ADOPTEE to another person, company, organization, medical research, pound or animal shelter,” or “If ADOPTER fails to abide by the terms of this clause, ADOPTER will pay all costs, including any legal fees incurred, required to secure the return of ADOPTEE to RESCUE and will, in addition, be required to pay liquidated damages in the amount of $500.”