Michael Vick Has A New Dog

October 15, 2012June 5, 2013

Michael Vick Has A New Dog

I don’t quite no what to say. Michael Vick confirmed he is again a dog owner. I find it unreal he is allowed to have any pets. He was banned from having dogs only while he was on probation. I always want to be sure I know what I’m talking about, so I read over the Summary of Facts from the plea bargains of Michael Vick and his co-defendants, Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips, and Tony Taylor. That made for some pretty sickening reading. Gut-wrenching.

I also came across the USDA Inspector General’s Office report on their investigation. This is what would have come out in court if these men hadn’t plead guilty and I don’t remember ever seeing this in the news coverage. It’s particularly applicable to his suitability for having a pet dog. This section describing his use of to known family pets as bait dogs is particularly chilling:

Unfamiliar with the horrors of bait dogs? Do a google image search on “bait dog”. Warning, it’s graphic . Imagine the worst wounds possible—the reality is even worse.

The report goes on to detail dogs being killed by hanging, shooting, drowning, electrocuting, and slamming on the ground until the dog’s neck & spine were broken.

This barbaric shit went on for 5 years. And now he has another dog. I don’t care how much speaking he does on animal welfare, someone who does these sorts of things, hears the sounds these poor dogs made, is broken.

January 20, 2012

Alex Off The Chain

Instead of a a Friday Fun video, I’m sharing a remarkable video of a dog being freed from being chained to a fence for his entire life.

The guy rescuing Alex is Steve Markwell, founder and executive director of Olympic Animal Sanctuary. Olympic Animal Sanctuary is a unique organization that takes dogs who have been deemed dangerous, that won’t be accepted by any animal shelters, and/or that are going to be destroyed because of behavior. Steve is giving these dogs a home for the rest of their life and working on their fears & reactivity to make that life as good as possible. (note: Steve is also my cousin)

Please don’t chain your dog and do something about dogs you see that are chained—contact animal control, animal welfare groups, or anti-chaining groups. Support legislation banning the chaining or tethering of dogs.

July 18, 2011

1st Time Missouri Anti-Puppy Mill Law Enforced

Missouri has been known as the puppy mill capitol of the US, but they’re working to change that. The Canine Cruelty Prevention Act was signed into law in April and has been used to seize 73 dogs (Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, American Eskimos, Poodles, Beagles, Papillons & Brussels Griffons) from Linda Brisco of Monett, Missouri. She can’t legally operate a dog breeding facility for six years. Go Missouri!

May 3, 2011

Sled Dogs To Be Exhumed

The 100 or more sled dogs slaughtered last year by a sled dog company in British Columbia are being exhumed now that the ground has thawed. Forensic scientist, including one on the Picton serial killer case, are handling the exhumation. The RSPCA has been criticized for their handling of this case. Hopefully it will lead to more stringent standards in animal welfare for sled dogs and other animals used by businesses.

September 20, 2010

New Book On Michael Vick’s Dogs

Jim Gorant from Sports Illustrated has a new book that follows 49 surviving dogs seized from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennel. (You can read about the history of this case on the Michael Vick archive page.) Gorant says:

As odd as it may seem, Michael Vick may be the best thing that ever happened to the pit bull. He gave the forum to discuss this and make it possible to get the message out there that these dogs are not what they’ve been made out to be in the headlines, that they really are just sort of dogs. And a lot varies from each one to another and then how they’re raised and socialized and all of these issues that go around them. You can find the sweetest, most loving pitbulls in the world and you can find other dogs that are as mean as you want.

Listen to the interview with the author. It was first thought that most of the dogs seized would be euthanized, happily this hasn’t been the case. Four dogs have even become therapy dogs.

The Michigan State University College of Law has a very informative page on dog fighting that covers the history, the training, the culture, the societal cost, the criminal links, laws and legal issues, and evidence, including less obvious things such as the drugs/vitamins/medical supplies used. You can also find out about the signs of dog fighting. And the Humane Society of the United States has a FAQ on dog fighting. (Note: None of the these pages have gruesome photos of dogs showing the barbarism of dog fighting. They do have a wealth of information.)