Save Vick's Dogs

Latest News as of December 10, 2007

2007-12-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

1- Michael Vick sentenced to 23 months in prison (Washington Post)
This was a light sentenced considering the heinous nature of his crime and that he never once apologized for the pain and suffering he caused the dogs and animal lovers everywhere. He, of course, still faces a trial in Va. for the dogfighting crimes he committed.
Blogger's Comment: Blogger says that despite his sentence, Vick should be given a second chance, that is, after he serves his 23 months in jail and three years probation, and after he serves whatever sentence the state of Virgina doles out to him in April for dogfighting charges. Michael Vick is an absolutely despicable human being. But Blogger, being a student of history, believes that despicable people have reformed themselves, and Blogger agrees that Vick should be given an opportunity to reform himself ( in jail) and then be allowed a second chance. It's too bad Vick didn't role model himself after Sean Taylor, a true football hero, who will go down as one of the greats of football for demonstrating what a football hero can become on and off the field.

2- See below posting for ASPCA's conclusions that 48 or the 49 dogs rescued from Vick's property have been certified as adoptable. Not only is that a victory for those dogs fortunate to have been rescued, but it should be good news for all the other pit bulls taken off the streets all over America, puppies and pregnant females alike, and killed immediately by the so-called humane societies entrust with their welfare (including the Washington Humane Society, the contractor for the the Washington DC Animal Control) .

3- Michael Vick was order to pay more than $900,000 for the upkeep of the dogs taken from his property.

4- Mick Vick was indicted on dog-fighting charge in Virginia and is to stand trial in April of next year. His lawyer is arguing double jeopardy, but he forgets that Vick was tried on dog-fighting conspiracy charges and not dog-fighting charges.

5- Vick's codefendants were sentenced in December.

Good News for 48 of the 49 Vick Pit Bulls

2007-10-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

This article is just in from DAVE FORSTER of The Virginian-Pilot (October 2, 2007 ). See also the ASPCA's web site posting (click here).

All but one of the 49 dogs still in custody after the prosecution of Michael Vick on a dogfighting charge have the potential for placement, the office of U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg announced Monday.

A team of certified animal behavior experts evaluated the dogs and deemed only one an immediate candidate for euthanasia, according to a document filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond . That dog has a history of biting people and showed intense aggression to humans to the point where the evaluation could not safely be completed, the document said.

At the prosecutors' request, District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered that the aggressive dog be euthanized.

The 48 remaining dogs appear to have some potential for possible placement with specific conditions, according to Rosenberg's motion. The prosecutors plan to ask Hudson to appoint a guardian to oversee the disposition and placement of the rest of the dogs.

Some of the dogs might be used to fight crime one day. A future in law enforcement was among the four categories of placement considered for each dog, according to the motion, made by Rosenberg's office.

John Goodwin , deputy manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, said he was surprised to learn that some of the dogs may eventually be considered for adoption. He had said early in the investigation that dogs in such situations are almost always euthanized .

Vick, an NFL quarterback whose last contract with the Atlanta Falcons was worth $130 million, could be held liable for any costs incurred by the federal government over the dogs. His plea agreement to a federal conspiracy charge requires him to reimburse the United States for expenses related to the dogs.

The team of evaluators, selected by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, identified four categories into which the surviving dogs may be placed.

Dogs that showed no aggression to people or dogs could be placed in an experienced foster care home for observation and rehabilitation, possibly for six months to a year, according to the motion. Those animals might eventually be placed in appropriately screened homes, the document said.

The more energetic and motivated dogs could be trained for law enforcement duty, the document said. The other two options include sanctuaries, for dogs that show fear or high arousal toward people.

The document does not say how many of the dogs were placed in each category .

The animals were among those seized in April from Vick's property on Moonlight Road in Surry County . The dogs have been in local shelters since their removal. Two died in custody, and one was returned to an undisclosed owner, according to a memo filed in court .
Vick and three co-defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to run an interstate dogfighting venture from 2001 to 2007 . Their sentencing dates are set for November and December.

Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563, dave.forster@pilotonline.com

Blogger's note: This does raise some very serious issues about the adequacy of testing and policies in our many well-intentioned Humane Societies across the country, many of which are simply carrying out the instructions of the jurisdiction for whom they work. In DC for instance, the policy is to adopt out all dogs tested successfully for adoptability. That's the policy they publish. But the unpublished policy is to not test any Pit Bulls, which means none get adopted out and all are euthanized within days of their arrival. This is outrageous. Of course, the policy is set by those who are concerned about public safety and not animal welfare, so it is not surprising. It just means that those of us who are concerned about animal welfare have a lot on our hands to change.

Thanks to NY'ers

2007-10-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the NY'ers who posted these all over the city. Every little bit helped.

Some updates (updated 9/1/07)

2007-08-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Please visit the following sites for additional information about Vick's dog:

NY Times article of 9/13/07 concerning brief filed with Judge Hudson pleading him to sentence Vick to 57 months in prison.

See IDA's "Give Vick's Dogs a Fighting Chance" report of 9/05/07 for something you can do now to help the dogs live.

New York Times article from 8/31/07 "Menacing Dogs from Vick Case Await Their Fate"

New York Times article from 8/29/07 "Dogs From Vick’s Kennel Have to Pass a Behavior Test" reporting that ASPCA will test each dog but expects only 10-20 percent to pass.

Elizabeth Merrill's report for ESPN about efforts underway to spare the Vick's dogs lives

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah (which has volunteered to take some of the dogs). Apparently, the federal government has asked the ASPCA in NY to evaluate the dogs.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Santa Cruz Sentinel

See also PETA's blog for why they believe the animals taken from the Vick property must be euthanized.

PLEASE NOTE: This site was not set up to discuss the Michael Vick case or dogfighting in general. It was set up solely for the purposes of bringing awareness to the 53 individual dogs who were the victims who helped bring the Vick case to light. Please see other sites if you wish to weigh in on the Michale Vick case itself. For instance, please visit, among many others www.TitanicBugle.blogspot.com

Please circulate this blog to others. Time is running out for the Vick dogs.

2007-08-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

In the plea agreement that Vick signed he agreed "to pay restitution for the costs of the long-term care and/or human euthanasia of some or all of the 53 pit bulls as may be directed by the court in this case." This means that there is a possibility that some or all of the animals will not be killed. It also means that Judge Henry E. Hudson will be the one to decide on Monday. Please call or fax Judge Hudson's office as soon as possible to plead with him to direct that serious consideration be given to providing long-term care for the animals. (See posting #2 below for Judge Hudson's phone and fax number.) Tell him that the reason Vick's dogs fought so hard was that they showed a desire to live.

Please Help Save Vick's Dogs

2007-08-23T17:38:00.001-07:00

Everyone seems to think that it is inevitable that Vick's dogs must be put to death after they are no longer needed as evidence to convict Michael Vick. Why is it that Vick will get off with maybe 18 months in prison when he is far more dangerous than any of the dogs he brutalized, and they will all get death as their punishment, when they did nothing wrong.

Please do what you can do to stop the government from killing those poor pit bulls. Surely someone can come up with a solution. Here are several suggestions of things you can do NOW to save the dogs from being killed after Vick pleads guilty on Monday, August 27th (see following posts for details).

(1) Write to Last Chance for Animals and plead with them to help find a solution.

(2) Write to Judge Henry E. Hudson and plead with him not to authorize killing the dogs until after a sufficient time has passed for responsible parties to an alternative to killing them.

(3) Write to the other animal welfare/protection organizations and plead with them to stop saying that the dogs must be killed because they are too dangerous and to help find a solution.

(4) Write to the state prosecutor (who has yet to files charges against Vick and his companions) regarding Vick's dogs.

(5) Other suggestions. If anyone has any other suggestions, please post a comment here.

If anyone sees something in this Blog that is not correct, please let us know in a comment.

Thank you for your help and for recognizing that all life is valuable.

By the way, if anyone needs to be convinced that dogs deemed dangerous can go on to lead peaceful lives, please read Vicki Hearne's "Bandit: The Dossier of a Dangerous Dog."

(1) Send e-mail or fax to Last Chance for Animals

2007-08-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

Chris DeRose at LCA (Last Chance for Animals) apparently was the sole advisor to the government on the dogs in the Vick case. His record at saving animals is unmatched. Write to him or his agent (Eileen Koch) to plead with them to lead an effort to spare the dogs. Those dogs do not deserve to die. Surely, there is a solution for this problem that would let them life a life better than what they ever had before.

Here is the contact information of LCA.
Chris De Rose
Last Chance For Animals
8033 Sunset Blvd. #835
Los Angeles, CA 90046
PH: 310-271-6096
FX: 310-271-1890
www.LCAnimal.org

Here is LCA's agent's press release on LCA's role in the Vick case and web site where you can leave a message.
Eileen Koch
Eileen Koch & Company
1830 Pelham Avenue, Ste 302
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: 310-441-1000
Fax: 310-441-3030
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=762856

Here is a letter we just sent to both places.

Chris DeRose
Last Chance for Animals

I saw the press release for clarifying LCA's and Chris DeRose's role in the Vick case. Thank you for clarifying that as there was so much hype by other animal welfare/protection organizations, it was quite unclear who was doing what.

While I agree that it is important that we ask Judge Hudson to throw the book at Vick to send a clear message to others and to make sure he understands the gravity of what he did, I think all of the animal welfare organizations are missing the most important thing right now, which is to spare Vick's dogs. Everyone seems to feel that there is no alternative but to euthanize them when they are no longer need as evidence. To my way of thinking, that is so contrary to what the animal welfare/protection movement is all about. If someone cannot come up with a solution for keeping those dogs, we have all failed at what we are trying to accomplish. Think about what saving those dogs would do. Sure, they will not live the life of a free dog, but they will live. Please do what you can do to give these dogs one last chance at life. If LCA leads an effort to spare those dogs and succeeds, I will divert a major portion of my annual contributions for the next five years from my usual list to animal welfare organizations to LCA. Surely, you can find 250 or 500 others who would be willing to do the same.

I can think hundreds of tougher challenges in the animal welfare business today other than saving Vick's dogs. If someone cannot save them, why are we striving to do so much more. Think about the good this would do for all the other pit bulls send to their death each day because of their reputation. I would not be sending this message if I did not thinlk LCA could succeed at this. The truth is that I would have been more impressed if the press release addressed this challenge and not the one of advisor to the government during the investigation.

Please do not abandon Vick's dogs. They want to live. Please see what you can do to give them a chance to live for the first time.

(2) Send a Letter to Judge Henry E. Hudson

2007-08-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Federal judge in the Vick case, Henry E. Hudson, will decide when the dogs are no longer needed as evidence and he will then give permission to the government to destroy the evidence. Plead with the judge to spare the dogs. Tell him they are not evidence, they are LIFE. Plead with him to order the government to keep the dogs for as long as it takes for an effort to spare the dogs and give them a life that was better than what they had before. Tell him the dogs want to live, which is why they fought so hard for Vick in the first place.

Judge Hudson's contact information is:

Honorable Henry E. Hudson
United States District Court
1000 E Main St
Suite 305
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 916-2290
FAX: (804) 501-5505

Here is a letter that was sent to the Judge:

Honorable Henry E. Hudson

Judge, United States District Court

Easter Virginia (4th) District

1000 E Main St

Suite 305

Richmond, VA 23219

RE: Michael Vick's Dogs

Dear Judge Hudson:

My purpose in writing is not to plead with you to give Michael Vick his due once he pleads guilty, as I am sure many others have done. From all I have read about you, I am quite confident that whatever decision you make will be an appropriate one, given the facts as they have been reported in this horrific case. What I am writing about is something I do not even know is within your authority to do anything about, and that concerns the fate of Michael Vick's dogs, the victims of his alleged crimes.

As I understand it, once there is no longer a need to keep Vick's dogs as evidence, they will be destroyed because they are too dangerous to be kept around. What shocks me more than Vick's and his accomplices' alleged crimes is thet attitude that so many people (including the humane organizations I support) have that these poor dogs cannot be rehabilitated or, barring that, cannot live peaceful lives somewhere. The reason we have the laws on the books making cruelty to animals illegal is because we believe that their lives can be as meaningful to them as our lives are to us. If that is the case, why, then, will Vick get 18 months or so for brutally harming and killing 60 dogs or more, but these poor dogs get death for being his unwilling vicitms? That is at least unfair, if not plainly inconsistent ethically.

My purpose in writing is to do nothing more than ask you to not permit the destruction of Vick's dogs until every avenue has been explored to either rehabilitate these dogs or give them peaceful lives in their few remaining years. (I am sure Chris DeRose from Last Chance for Animals, who helped out during the investigation, can find a soltuion. I have already pledged my support to him if he does so.) Any life they will be able to have will be infinitely better than the lives they have had so far. They --- and not Vick and his accomplices --- should be the reminders of not only the animal cruelty that goes on in our country, but the fact that we can bring victims back from their hellish lives to the lives they deserve. So please, sir, show not only justice to Vick, but, more importantly, compassion to his victims. If it is within your authority to do so, please instruct the government to find a non-fatal solution for the dogs. Any justice to Vick will be empty and meaningless unless something is done for the victims while there is still time.

Thank you for reading this letter.

Sincerely,

(3) Send letters to HSUS, PETA, ASPCA, etc, to change their message and spare the dogs

2007-08-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American Humane Association (AHA) are all saying that Vick's dogs are too dangerous to keep around and they must be destroyed. write to them and tell them you do not want to hear that from them. They are supposed to believe and show that there is a solution for every problem. Acknowledge that the dogs are probably dangerous the way they are now, but they should be used as a symbol to prove that even animals made bad by man deserve a chance to prove themselves.

Here is the contact information for these organizations:

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS):
www.HSUS.org

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA):
www.aspca.org

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA):
www.peta.org

American Humane Association (AHA)
www.americanhumane.org/

(4) Write to the state prosecutor regarding Vick's dogs.

2007-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

In June 2007, a Richmond VA Circuit Court judge handed down a 4-year prison term to a convicted dogfighter Stacey Miller, whose dog fighting operation was "rinky-dink" compared to Vick's. So also, Vick and the 3 other defendants should be held accountable and punished for all heinous acts, regardless of plea deals, in Virginia. (Vick will plead guilty to Federal charges.)

On a state level, Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter claims he will pursue additional charges in Surry County, Virginia, where killing a companion animal is punishable by 5 years in prison. Please take a moment to e-mail Mr. Poindexter and urge him to prosecute Vick and his companions for killing companion animals, animal cruelty, and the other senseless acts of violence. But more important, please urge Mr. Poindexter to focus on the victims and urge him to do all he can to make sure they are not destroyed but sent to refuges where they can live out their lives and enjoy peace for the first time in their lives.

Mr. Poindexter's email is: gpoindexter@courts.state.va.us

A sample letter will be posted here soon.

(5) Other things you might do

2007-08-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

If anyone can think of anything else that might be done, please post a comment here. We will post the comment to this posting and the then include a similar suggestion here for others to follow.

Thank you.

Why the Vick Dogs Should be Saved

2007-08-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Why the Vick Dogs Should be saved.

The whole sordid Michael Vick affair came to light as the result of a drug bust that was made on his property in Surry County, Virginia, in April of this year,. During the course of that drug bust, the authorities discovered Vick's dog fighting operation and seized the 53 living dogs --- all pit bulls --- from the property. The dogs were not seized and kept alive out of humane concerns but because they were needed as evidence. From what I have read, since that time, those poor dogs have been living in cramped conditions in an undisclosed location, many not even being given an opportunity to be walked. The authorities gave the owners of those dogs until the week ending August 25th to come forward to claim those dogs, as they are required to do by law. No one did. (Why anyone would come forward to claim the dogs is beyond me, because if they did, they would be immediately charged with crimes similar to Vick and his accomplices. Perhaps the government was hoping that the real owners would be stupid enough to come forward thinking they would be given immunity from prosecution simply because they had the heart to claim the dogs.)

In recent weeks, the focus of the government authorities and the humane associations has been on getting Vick convicted for the heinous acts that he and others committed at that hellish place of his. Not once, though, did I read anywhere that anyone showed any concern for the seized animals. In fact it was just the opposite. From all that I read, government authorities (in this case, the federal government) and the animal welfare organizations (e.g., The Humane Society of the Untied States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, American Humane Association, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and others) were saying that, sadly, all the dogs might have to be euthanized because they were too dangerous to keep around, even though they have admitted that the dogs are not dangerous to their human handlers, only perhaps to other dogs. Not once did I read of any of any animal welfare organizations that was willing to step forward and say they the dogs should be given some chance to live.

Well, expressing only "sadness" about the inevitable fate of these dogs is not good enough for me. Although I admit that I am not an expert of the recovery and rehabilitation of dogs seized from dog fighting rings, I got tired of hearing that these dogs would have to put to death when they are no longer needed as evidence, and that's why I started this blog after being encouraged to do so by at least one compassionate soul who felt the way that I did.

After I started the blog, I read that as part of the plea agreement, Vick has agreed to pay for the long-term care or the humane euthanasia of the dogs. That told me that at least in the back of someone's mind in the government there is the chance that some or all of the dogs can be saved.

Without having had the time to put my thoughts into some philosophical essay form, here are the 14 reasons I believe the dogs ought to be spared, and I do not mean just some of them, I mean all of them.

1- A solution that favors LIFE is always preferable to one that favors DEATH, unless suffering would be involved,

2- These dogs were lucky enough to be seized, now they should be lucky enough to be allowed to live.

3- These dogs can be used as reminders to us for at least several years of the cruelty that dog fighting doles out to the animals, Let them be as ambassadors for this purpose so that we do not forget.

4- The reason these dogs are alive is that they fought hard in order to live. Now is our chance to show them that they earned what they fought so hard for.

5- Vick is going to be the one to pay for their costs. If he does not spend it on these dogs, when he gets out fo prison, he will spend the money on comfort items for himself. This would be wrong to let him do that. He must have a living reminder of his wrongdoing.

6- The reason Vick is being convicted is because "we" have said it is wrong to inflict harm on animals. If we kill Vick's dogs and say there is nothing we can do about them , we are almost as bad as he is. How can we create laws because of our concern for dogs, but then after we punish the people who inflicted injury or death on those dogs, turn around and kill who were the victims supposedly protected under those laws. It does not make sense.

7- Sure these dogs will never live normal lives of dogs. For instance, they will probably never be able to be around another dogs. But any life they will lead will be infinitely better than the lives they would have led under Vick. Whatever life they have without suffering will be a life that has meaning to them. (And surely some ingenious person should be able to develop some kind of a muzzle that will allow these dogs to be around each other without inflicting harm. If ever there was the opportunity to invent something like this, this is it. And all at Vick's expense. Think how many other dogs will benefit in the long run.)

8- The dogs can used as models to show that dogs seized from fighting rings can be rehabilitated or lead otherwise pleasant lives.

9- If we cannot find a solution for this problem, how can we say that we can find solutions for the many other problems facing the animals, the planet or humans? How will we ever be able to find a solution for the problem of dogs being used for fighting, whether they be pit bulls or others? Surely that problem is harder than finding a home for Vick's dogs now.

10- Sure there are many other animals (not to mention people) that need our time, attention and money. But these dogs need it too.

11- Even if these dogs are declared dangerous dogs, the law provides means by which dangerous dogs can be kept. We should follow those laws ourselves.

12- If the dogs are kept, Michael Vick ought to be given the chance to tour the country with them showing that he is changed man, able to show compassion to his dogs (although this Blogger does not believe he is able to do that).

13- If the Vick dogs are killed, it is going to feed the paranoia and myth about the viciousness of pit bulls, and it will lead to thousands of more deaths of these poor dogs and then, when there are no more pit bulls around to kill, whatever breed succeeds them.

14- It is the right thing to do

To be continued. If anyone has any other ideas, please add them in a comment below.

An afterthought. While no one has suggested the following question yet, I have heard it so often before in other contexts that I will raise it here myself, and that is this: Why should we spend so much time, effort and money on trying to save these 53 pit bulls when there are so many pitbulls, dogs, animals, people or earth causes that could benefit from our resources? Of course, those readers who have already thought about that question know what the answer is. For the benefit of those who have not had the opportunity to raise it before, you would be absolutely right in asking it because there really are so many, many compassion opportunities at any one time that need all our attention. My guess is, though, that if you took the time to visit this blog you are one of those compassionate people who have been faced with this question many times already. There are, of course, many answers that I could give, and have given, but the one that keeps coming back to me time and time again is this. When I have learned of something going on in the world that I have concluded is wrong, and if I know there is something I can do about, I really have no choice but to act and do those things that are within my reach and means to do so. Time and time again I have proven myself correct in my assumption that one person can make a difference. But more importantly, time and time again when I have acted, regardless of the outcome of those actions and the similar actions of others, I have felt good about myself and the knowledge that I have reduced or tried to reduce suffering and opted for life. Beyond that, each opportunity I seize to do something like this strengthens me in my resolve and in my skills to do something even greater the next time. It will do the same for you. And more than just feeling good about yourself, you will actually reduce suffering. And that, in my estimation, is why we are all here.

WARNING - THE BELOW DISTURBING PHOTO DEPICTS A DOG SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A DOG FIGHT AND IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC

2007-08-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

The above Pit Bull dog (named Gypsy) , who was injured in a dog fighting situation, was not one of the dogs discovered at Michael Vick's property. This photograph was obtained from other web sources. While the photo is extremely difficult to look at, I decided to show it here because the truth must get out about dog fighting. This --- or worse, if you can believe that --- is the kind of damage that these poor dogs are made to inflict on each other. Dog fighting has got to be stopped. So when you think about what fate Michael Vick and others like him should face, think of Gypsy. She fought not because she wanted to, but because she was made to, and because she wanted to live. That's why all the Vick dogs should be allowed to live. And that's why cities and towns have got to stop killing pit bulls themselves. These dogs want to live as much as you and I do.