Update on Michael Vick's pit bulls. Most were not euthanized.

[woo me with science]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070602351.html?hpid=artslot

Some pictures in the article, but they won't post here.



Saving Michael Vick's Dogs
Pit Bulls Rescued From the Football Player's Fighting Ring Show Progress in an Unprecedented Rehabilitation Effort



When football superstar Michael Vick pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to run a dogfighting operation, we knew he had kept about 50 pit bulls on his 15-acre property in rural Surry County, Va., on a road named Moonlight. We knew the dogs were chained to car axles near wooden hovels for shelter. And we knew the dogs that didn't fight were beaten, shot, hanged, electrocuted or drowned.

But we didn't know their names. Headlines described the nameless dogs as "menacing." Some animal rights groups called for the "ticking time bombs" to be euthanized as soon as Vick's case was closed and they were no longer valuable as evidence. That's what typically happens after a dogfighting bust.

Instead, the court gave Vick's dogs a second chance. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered each dog to be evaluated individually, not judged by the stereotype of the breed. And he ordered Vick to pony up close to $1 million to pay for the lifelong care of those that could be saved.

Of the 49 pit bulls animal behavior experts evaluated in the fall, only one was deemed too vicious to warrant saving and was euthanized. (Another was euthanized because it was sick and in pain.)

More than a year after being confiscated from Vick's property, Leo, a tan, muscular pit bull, dons a colorful clown collar and visits cancer patients as a certified therapy dog in California. Hector, who bears deep scars on his chest and legs, recently was adopted and is about to start training for national flying disc competitions in Minnesota. Teddles takes orders from a 2-year-old. Gracie is a couch potato in Richmond who lives with cats and sleeps with four other dogs....

[Midlodemocrat]

1. One of my neighbors has one of those dogs.

Seems sweet enough to me.

[LanternWaste]

2. I'm glad to hear that...

I'm glad these dogs are getting a new leash on life (bad pun intended), and I'm glad they're getting owners who actually care about them as dogs rather than as a money-making enterprise to be discarded after use as that stupid son of bitch Vick did.

I swear to God-- if Vick ever manages to weasel his way back into to the NFL, I'll personally hand out dog collars at the stadium gates.

Edited: Monday morning homonym screw-up. :eyes:

[Tyler Durden]

3. Here's a chance to do some REAL good:

Donate to these people:

http://www.bestfriends.org/vickdogs/



Best Friends is rehabbing these dogs: this is one of the places where that money from Vick is going.

[bookman]

5. Thanks

Thanks for posting the link. I was having trouble finding it.

It is a great organization. My wife and I were so impressed we have become official Best Friends Ambassadors.

[bookman]

4. Best Friends Animal Society

Many of the Vick dogs are currently at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. It is a wonderful place. Go to www.bestfriends.org to see an update on the progress with the Vick dogs.

Best Friends is featured in the National Geographic series, Dogtown.

My wife and I were there last month and volunteered for a day. It was our second visit. The staff is amazing. They do good work with a variety of animals.

[LWolf]

6. A judge with a conscience.

I'm glad to see the dogs getting the care and treatment that every dog deserves.

[auburngrad82]

7. There's a great story in this month's Bark magazine

complete with photos and interviews with the rescue groups. If you've never read Bark you need to check it out. By far the best dog magazine around.

http://www.thebark.com/

NFI, but I've been a subscriber for about 3 years now.

[B3Nut]

8. This makes me happy

every paw deserves a fair shake. I've seen Pit Bulls come out of absolutely horrific environments and blossom. One of my own is a "basket case" pibble...he had never known furniture, treats, or even stairs. He would chase his tail quite often. He's much better now, though he's still a medical disaster...poor dog costs a fortune to keep medicated... :-\ We love the silly oaf anyway... ;)

edit: i kant tipe