Photos: Michael Vick's Dogs and their tales of Rescue & Redemption

[hlthe2b]

For dog lovers... for those who appreciate a "good ending".... for those who simply need some good news this Friday... and especially for those who believe pit bulls are simply "killing machines" that should be banned or eliminated... One of these dogs has even been trained as a service dog!
Be sure and go to the link to see all 12 photos. :loveya:
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'The Lost Dogs': Michael Vick's Dogs And Their Tales Of Rescue And Redemption (PHOTOS)
On April 26th 2007 police raided a house at 1915 Moonlight Road in Surry County, VA, a home belonging to Michael Vick, who was then the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and one of the highest paid players in the NFL (10 years, $130 million). The officers found evidence of dog fighting and had soon taken 66 dogs off the property. Within four months Vick would plead guilty to charges related to the dog fighting operation known as Bad Newz Kennels. He served 18 months in a federal penitentiary, entered personal bankruptcy and upon his release was reinstated by the NFL, where he has just begun his second season as a back-up for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The dogs faced a bleaker future. The usual outcome for animals recovered from fight busts is euthanasia. But an unprecedented behind-the-scenes effort to spare them--supported by an enormous public outcry--was brewing. A dedicated mix of investigators, prosecutors, ASPCA officials and pit bull rescue groups came together to try to give some of those dogs another chance. They been saved from Bad Newz, but could they be saved from the government? An outpouring of dedication and compassion led to string decisions that set precedents, changed the way dog fighting and pit bulls are viewed and provided at least some of those lost dogs with a path home.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-gorant/the-lost-dogs-michael-vick_b_716468.html




Uba (black coat), like many of the dogs, now shares a home with another animal, with whom he has bonded.

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. Aww. So sweet.

:-)

[sinkingfeeling]

2. The 'Victory Dogs' is a great story about the remarkable dog, who can be so mistreated

and abused and then can learn to trust again.

[JonLP24]

3. I have a dog that looks just like Uba

Very cute! :)

[smokey nj]

4. According to the captions under the photos, three of the rescued pups are therapy dogs.

Thanks for this, you made my day!

[lunatica]

5. This brought tears to my eyes

Thanks for posting. I'm so glad they weren't destroyed.

[get the red out]

6. So glad they weren't all killed

So abused yet capable of still loving people. Amazing.

[shireen]

7. sweet little babies!

they're so forgiving. After a lifetime of abuse, they still have the capacity to love and even nurture (as in the service dog).

[Bryn]

8. Very sweet!

Those dogs are adorable!

[roguevalley]

10. 24 or so were taken in by that shelter in arizona and rehabbed.

cherry, a black pit was a bait dog and so traumatized that he wouldn't even walk, they had to carry him. He has a home now from what I heard. Dog is god spelled backwards for a reason. my dogs save me every day and they have made me a better person. God bless all these dogs and the people who helped them be who they truly are, loving and good and loyal friends of man.

[blondeatlast]

9. wonderful! Thanks so much for this story. nt

[Withywindle]

11. K & R

Beautiful, thank you.

[RamboLiberal]

12. New Book: The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption

From Publishers Weekly
Expanding on his Sports Illustrated cover story, Gorant (Fanatic) offers a chilling investigation into Michael Vick' s dog-fighting operation and the men and women who brought him to justice and rehabilitated the rescued dogs. Gorant outlines the rise of Bad Newz Kennels, describing in sometimes painful detail the abuse, torture, and execution of the animals--particularly disturbing is an episode in which Vick and a friend swing a failed fighting dog over their heads like a jump rope and kill it by repeatedly slamming it into the ground--and tracing the rescue of dozens of pit bulls seized from Vick' s property. Gorant outlines the efforts to save these animals from euthanasia, challenging the negative public perceptions of pit bulls and reporting back on the status of dogs like Sox (now a certified therapy dog), Zippy (adopted by a family of five), and Iggy (still shy but growing comfortable with his adopted circle of friends). At a time when Vick has returned to professional football and much of the public outcry about Bad Newz Kennels has been forgotten, this book provides a stark reminder about the horror and prevalence of dog fighting.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"The Lost Dogs takes an up close and personal look at society's ultimate underdogs, and the animal lovers who bucked the odds-- and the system--to save them. Gorant has crafted an insightful and uplifting tale about the way that nurture can sometimes triumph over nature, and how the remnants of cruelty can be transformed through the power of hope and love."
-Allen St. John, author of The Billion Dollar Game: Behind the Scenes at the Super Bowl

"Swinging between the sordid actions of Michael Vick and his dog-fighting cohorts and the stories of the animals rescued from their clutches, Jim Gorant provides a powerful narrative that is, at times, heartbreaking, but also illuminating and inspirational. You will come away from The Lost Dogs warmed by the knowledge that it wasn't only Vick who got a second chance."
-George Dohrmann

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Dogs-Michael-Rescue-Redemption/dp/1592405509/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284763820&sr=8-1

[hlthe2b]

13. Oh, my... I'll have to order that.

Good for some stocking stuffers too, I'd think. ;)

Just seeing those faces today makes me so happy. The story isn't Michael, it is these courageous and wonderful dogs.

[Lucky Luciano]

14. I have to admit that I watched the Eagles game on Sunday...

...hoping that some linebacker would break that piece of shir's neck and paralyze him(Vick).

[Ignis]

15. K&R

It's great to see such love come out of a story that started with so much tragedy.