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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRE: Michael Vick and his new dog...
My husband's father was extremely abusive to his hunting dogs. Once, when my husband was three years old, his dad's dog disappointed him on a duck hunt, his dad shot his gun next to the dog's ear then, on the way home, tied the dog to the back fender and made him run behind the car until his feet were bloody hamburger. My husband and his four siblings were distraught. Staring out the back window with horror and many many tears but barely a whimper because crying was not allowed.
When they got home, his mom took the dog to the vet and the vet salved and bandaged up his feet and the dog came home. My husband, at age three, tripped on one of the dog's bandaged feett and fell on him. The dog yowled and bit him. My husband's dad took the dog out to the back yard and shot and killed him.
This is only one of several stories of animal abuse at the hands of his father that my husband witnessed while growing up.
My husband lived his life utterly cold to the idea of pets and the domestication of animals for pets. He was 28 when we moved in together. Me, a crazy cat lady (my friends call me the "cat whisperer" with one cat then two and then five; and, for 15 years, I only saw him pet any one of those cats one time. And it was the most awkward pat that I have ever seen a human being give an animal.
And then, we got ZigZag DeSkinny Funcoot. My husband was 43 years old and had yet in his life viewed an animal as anything but to be ignored. But this kitten wouldn't ignore him. My husband was working at home a lot at the time and every time he came out of the office, Ziggy would be so excited to see him and leap at him and roll around in front of him and follow him wherever he went. And my husband started reacting back though awkwardly.
Our daughter and I actually had to teach him how to play with Ziggy and he grew to love the interaction. He learned how to love a purring cat on his lap and the excitement of being greeted at the door when he came home and the joy of making a pet happy through play.
And his awakening to an animal's love, to see that he grasped and was willing play out a mutual devotion... was absolutely remarkable.
We have four cats now (Ziggy died - much too young and my husband still grieves), two of them shiny new kittens, one an old man, an another middle aged, and my husband loves playing with the little ones, and worries about the old man and frets when middle aged guy doesn't come in at night. He cleans their litter box, and buys them toys and kitty crack (bonito flakes).
People DO change.
Electric Monk
(13,869 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Your vignette does not parallel the Vick story.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)but from the point of view of a person who viewed animals as an non-entity and evolved to believe that they should be loved and respected.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Viewing animals as a non-entity is a far cry from animal abuse, and I was simply pointing out the disconnect in relation to the Vick story that you referenced in your title.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)then abuse is no big deal. The vast majority of people who eat meat accept severe animal abuse as part of their daily diet.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)You said as a child your husband was horrified witnessing the abuse proving he thought it was, in the words of Joe Biden, a big f*&^&ing deal. And it was. My father was a horrible man in that regard as well.
So, rather than beating around the bush here, I'll leave you with this. I don't think animal abusers are capable of a coming to jesus moment on their actions; they can only be punished and should be. And although I don't begrudge Vick starting his life over, I am adamant in my belief he should never, and I do mean never be allowed to own another living creature again.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)and subsequent abuse of other dogs, my husband grew to feel that animals don't matter.
The life of a cat or dog, their existence, their well being, was no more important to him than a life of a mosquito. When, early in our relationship, my cat Door Bell died, he had zero reference point to support my grief. When I spent 9 months twice a day cleansing and wrapping Daffodil Daisy Rose's exposed tumor, he couldn't understand why I didn't just give up put him down. Now, he is burdened with the prospect of making that kind of decision.
DiverDave
(4,886 posts)even Vick.
.99center
(1,237 posts)And he had 55 other dogs that would of ended in the same fate as those 17 and god knows how many, if not hundreds of other dogs he killed before he got caught. How many dog's does someone have to kill before you take away their right to own pets? Someone that mass murders that many dogs is lacking respect for dogs and has something a bit lose in his head. You're kidding yourself if you think he's not going to abuse the shit out of it when it acts like a dog and does something wrong.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts).99center
(1,237 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)DiverDave
(4,886 posts)and paid a fortune in fines.
People like you cannot see that he has done EVERYTHING that he was told to do.
OK we get it you cannot get over it.
Spare the rest of us your "pain"
Evergreen Emerald
(13,069 posts)It is not about punishment. For some crimes there are protections put in place for community safety. In this case, there should be a prohibition on possessing animals.
CheapShotArtist
(333 posts)Mike Vick definitely should get a 2nd chance. The brother already served his time in prison and had his reputation trashed, not to mention he did community outreach, so there shouldn't even be any reason for people to still hold a grudge over that incident. Holding a grudge is not going to bring those dogs back to life.
.99center
(1,237 posts)Of how the legal system is corrupt and favors those that have the most cash. If his reputation was truly trashed he wouldn't of a got a job with one of the most profitable company's to play in front of millions of people every week. When this guy http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Man-gets-4-year-prison-sentence-in-extreme-dog-abuse-case-172665551.html gets twice the sentence as someone who had more than 4 times the amount of dead dog's on his property along with 55 other attempted murders, it should be easy to under stand why people would still hold a grudge.
MadHound
(34,179 posts)Sorry, but having worked pit rescue before, I cannot trust Vick with a dog in his house, anymore than I would trust a pedophile to babysit for me. I'm happy that your husband changed, but he was not the abuser in that situation, simply a witness. Big difference.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)What I find wacky is those who act as if his offense is comparable to a major crime vs another human.