PITTSBURGH -- Ellen DeGeneres is making a public plea to a pet rescue agency to return a dog she gave to her hairdresser’s family.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is well-known for her compassion for animals. She won the "Founder's Award" from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It was that compassion that led to her recent breakdown on the set of her talk show. Ellen DeGeneres Breaks Down On Show About Dog

Ellen DeGeneres recently adopted a dog from a pet rescue agency. The dog is a 4-month-old Brussels Griffon terrier mix, named Iggy. Ellen DeGeneres gave the dog to her hairdresser's family because the dog did not get along with her other pets.

By doing so, though, Ellen DeGeneres violated an agreement with the California agency she adopted Iggy from. The agency has a policy that says small dogs cannot be adopted by families with small children. So the organization took the dog back.

On her show that aired Wednesday morning on Channel 11, Ellen DeGeneres asked for a second time that the agency reconsider.
“This has become so insane. The dog needs to go to the family. People rescue animals to put them in a good home. It just needs to be in a good home. That's all that you're supposed to do is put a dog in a loving home,” she said.

On Tuesday, Ellen DeGeneres broke down into tears when she first talked about the situation on her show.
“And I feel totally responsible for it and I'm so sorry... and I'm begging them to give that dog back to that family. I just want that family to have the dog. It's not their fault, it's my fault,” she said.

The rescue agency called Mutts and Moms said it has received arson threats since Ellen DeGeneres first made her case public yesterday. However, the agency said it is still not willing to return the dog.