Saturday, January 26, 2008

Michael Vick's Dogs: Happy Endings Foretold!

Butch relaxing 2

The expression,"There are no bad dogs, just problem owners" is one that easily can be attributed to any canine breed, but is particularly germane to the Pit Bull.

With a reputation hyped by the media for being vicious and dangerous, many people believe the myths surrounding this highly misunderstood and maligned breed.

Dispelling these myths, in reality with proper training,
Pit Bulls are famous for their intelligence, affectionate disposition and protective nature toward their human family. They make excellent and charming companions which is clearly illustrated by this fetching photograph taken by Laurentha of Butch, one of her Pit Bulls, as he relaxes in "his" recliner.

On December 10, 2007, Michael Vick, the former NFL quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his participation in Pit Bull dog fighting. The sentence, in my opinion was not sufficiently harsh, yet it served to raise public awareness about animal cruelty, a serious crime which can no longer be tolerated.

According to the
Dogtime Media's article published today, we can, for the first time meet some of the dogs taken from the fighting ring. Only one of the 49 dogs evaluated by the ASPCA led team was euthanized due to its highly aggressive behavior toward humans.

With the patient, compassionate evaluation, re-training and human affection the dogs are finally receiving, these former "fighters" are well on their way to becoming family pets in their new forever loving homes which they so richly deserve.

I was deeply touched and heartened by the poignant, informative video,"Michael Vick's Dogs: From Fighters to Family Pets" created by the
Dog Time team. I know that you will be too.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I so hope that these dogs can be re-habbed so they can be adopted.It's not their fault that they were in the ugly situation they were in. What wonderful work these people do.

Anonymous said...

It is SO wonderful to see these dogs rehabilitated. I have a dear friend that volunteers in a NY shelter that sees a lot of pit bulls. I know this story will bring a smile to her face. For now, I only have 6 cats (only???) But as I look forward to retirement, I may just add a doggie, you just never know.

Anonymous said...

It is people like Vick who give these wonderful dogs such a bad reputation. Thank goodness for these people who give their time and dedication to these dogs so that they can be adopted into loving homes.

Vicki

Anonymous said...

This made my day! I am so happy to see these dogs living the life they deserve. God Bless the dogs, and the people helping them and giving them all this love. Please, never stop petting and hugging them!

Sage Ravenwood said...

Thank you for this! When Michael Vicks indicment first came out, I did an elaborate entry in my journal about dog-fighting. I lost a few readers who were angry I put up a video showing what truly does happen in a dog fight. As far as I'm concerned, they lost out not realizing the truth.
I'm an outspoken advocate with a brand of everything, domestic violence, animal cruelty, child abuse as well as describing life in a silent world of deafness.
I've always had banners on my side bar condemning animal abuse. Thank you for telling me about the site with regards to Vicks dogs. I'm sure my readers would love to know the happy outcome. I will definitely be back for a future visit. If you want you may email me for a link to my journal. I'm located at AOL. My email is RdAutumnSage@aol.com

Anonymous said...

That was a great article and wonderful video!! I'm so glad these people are taking the time to re-socialize & rehabilitate those poor dogs--so sad!! I cringe when hear his name (Vick) since I'm a hard-core Animal Lover!! I do tend to agree with the statement about Bad Owners who don't take the time to Socialize and train their dogs.

Love,
Cheryl

Astaryth said...

I loved that video... I've always found pit bulls to be very loving dogs. That top picture is very representative of how these dogs are when they are not being abused.

Anonymous said...

I am SO happy to find out that these dogs weren't put down. Pit bulls are a wonderful breed but so mistreated and misunderstood. The media certainly does a lot to promote this misunderstanding.

Unfortunately I live in an area where dog fighting is common. My son has been asked on several occasions about fighting our pits. Besides goofy Butch who is pictured above, we have two females who were both rescues.

Anonymous said...

I love this article. we have a pit boxer who was bred for fighting. We rescused her at one year and she is the most rotten spoiled loving dog you could ever have. My78NovaTa@aol.com. Lori
Thanks for sharing this link when I asked about aols pet blog.

PerfectTosca said...

Personally, I think they should have fed Vick to them before they rescued them. I mean, the dogs can probably be rehabbed, I am not so sure about Vick.