A canine rescue group became a favorite of Hollywood celebrities. But were the dogs really ‘rescues’?
LA TimesEllen DeGeneres skipped onstage for her talk show that day, beaming, proclaiming: “I can’t even tell you how excited I am.” The comedian and her wife had adopted a puppy, a chocolate-brown poodle named Mrs. Wallis Browning. “There is a lot of game playing with that word, ‘rescue.’” Rescue groups tend to get dogs from the streets, overcrowded shelters and owners who surrender pets they can no longer keep. “If people asked, would say they were owner surrenders.” Bacelar denies pressuring employees to buy high-value puppies, saying only that she occasionally paid $25 to $75 to remove dogs from inhumane conditions. “If a rescue group buys dogs and needs to place them, I’ll take them.” Bacelar offers a similar explanation for another issue involving her group. “I would love to see something like that in California,” says Judie Mancuso, a Laguna Beach activist whose Social Compassion in Legislation group championed California’s pet shop law.
History of this topic
Editorial: We’re running out of time to rescue the pets that survived the Palisades fire
LA Times
Heartbreaking moment adorable dog is dumped on steps of Colorado animal shelter
Daily Mail
Opinion: What the typical animal rescue narratives leave out
LA Times
Pet shelter notes increased demand for rescue dogs to be trained as assistance animals
ABC
Wisconsin animal shelter flooded by ‘hundreds’ of offers to adopt dogs who survived plane crash
The Independent
Celebrities pose with their dogs to raise money for charity
The Independent
Animals, people rescue each other in heartfelt docuseries
Associated Press
How Can You Tell If A Dog Rescue Group Is Legit?
Huff Post
Couple Takes Old Dog Hiking In The Most Ingenious, Adorable Way
Huff Post
Charity condemns journalist who claims she abandons dogs after they stop being cute puppies
The IndependentDiscover Related