Ellen DeGeneres didn’t exactly endear herself to the world’s dog lovers in 2007 when it emerged that she and future wife Portia de Rossi had given up their puppy Iggy just months after they adopted the pooch. And they didn’t do things the legal way, either.
The scandal that would become dubbed Iggy-gate began when the co-owner of Mutts and Moms, Marina Batkis, leaked emails to the press about DeGeneres and de Rossi’s doggy care. Per The Smoking Gun, the pair seemed happy with the pup initially, telling the agency that Iggy was “highly trainable, smart and enthusiastic.” But on asking for an update a month later, Batkis learned that their attitude had considerably changed.
De Rossi revealed that she and DeGeneres had decided to pass the canine on to the chat show’s hairdresser. “He was just too much energy and time for us in our brand new home,” de Rossi wrote. Only problem was that the temporary dog owners didn’t do the necessary paperwork. “I was deeply disturbed that you gave Iggy away without my knowledge or permission,” Batkis wrote, “and in violation of our legally binding contract.”
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