Does Anyone Remember the Michael Vick Victory Dogs?

 Back in 2007, Michael Vick was exposed as an owner of the Bad Newz  Kennels in Virginia.  It was a place of unbelievable horror for the dogs residing in those cages.  Mr. Vick and his crew routinely tortured and killed those dogs when they would not fight with each other.  They provided dogs for illegal dog fighting venues, so if a dog would not become vicious enough, even with torture, they would kill them for sport.

When this cam to light, the Feds raided the kennels and rescued 48 Pitbull dogs from the confines of the kennels.  Mr. Vick was charged with numerous crimes and spent 18 months in prison, which ended his NFL career as a quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons.

The site was purchased in 2011 and turned into the Good News Rehab Center.

This case was the first time that the animals were not summarily destroyed, but rather they were sent to Utah and other rescues to rehabilitate them.  This had never been done before and happened in a large part because of the uproar of normal citizens and the intervention of the Best Friends Animal Rescue in Utah.

It seems that we, as a group, have a very short memory, because Mr. Vick returned to football upon his release and now is into sportscasting.  He claims to be sorry for the events in his past, but mostly it seems, he is sorry he was caught and caused his career to implode.  He has never one time expressed any concern or regret for his actions that caused such harm and injury to those dogs.  

Unfortunately, despite a large outcry by the public, he has also been allowed to own a dog again.  He now owns a Belgian Malinois despite his past crimes against dogs.

His response in an interview was as follows:

In 2019, Vick told The Washington Post that his animal rights crimes are merely a thing of the past. Water under the bridge.

“I think people have moved on. I think they’ve moved past it. It’s been 12-plus years since it all happened, so I don’t get any questions about it anymore. People don’t talk about it. They don’t ask me about it. Life is kind of normal. But I still have a responsibility, and that will never change.”

In a follow-up interview, he told the news site in 2021 he regrets it all — mainly because the case affected his chances of getting into the Hall of Fame.

'S--t, it hurt [my chances of] going in the Hall of Fame. It's going to impact everything. But it was all self-inflicted. I was young. I didn't have no guidance. I don't use this as no excuse. I could've said, 'No.' I could've made those right decisions, like, 'This ain't for me.' That's a blemish that I will never be able to erase." (https://www.greenmatters.com/p/michael-vick-dogfighting-ring).

Upon rescue, many of the dogs were able to be adopted because they showed no damage to their ability to bond with people (possible they were new recruits to the kennels).  However many of them were judged too damaged to be adopted and went to live at the Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah for the rest of their lives.  

Once there, they received constant supervision, positive reinforcement, love and affection from staff and even spent the night at various employee's homes to give them a feeling of family.  They lived a very good life while at the Sanctuary and many were able to be deemed fit for adoption, which is what many people were waiting for.

There is a book on Amazon that discusses this event in detail and is a quick read.  I highly recommend it.  Here is the link to pick it up if you are of a mind to. (I am an affiliate, so I might get a few pennies if you buy through my link)

I also recommend you read several of the posts here and here on this blog about the struggles made by the Vick dogs to be rehabilitated.

Here is a link to an article by the Best Friends Sanctuary about the dogs if you would like to see how they did.  They had the best life possible after they were rescued and they proved the resilience and the heart that these dogs possessed.

Unfortunately, all of the Vick Dogs have gone over the Rainbow Bridge and are all now together again.  What bothers me though, is that there are so many people who choose to forget Vick's crimes, choose to minimize his crimes, simply don't know anything about his crimes, or were born after the fact and no one educated them on this issue.

Cruelty to animals is a crime, period.  It is a legal crime, it is a social crime, it is a personal crime, it is an emotional crime.  When will we start teaching our children how to behave with animals so as to prevent such things from every happening again.

Unfortunately, the Vick event did nothing to stop the abuse of animals for fighting rings.  It just makes me sick.

Here is a link to read the legal charges filed against Vick and his crew.

Michael Vick's meanest dog doing great in Kanab

Here's another follow up of the Vick dogs and their remarkable recovery after receiving so much neglect and abuse at the hands of this football icon and role model for our children.

These dogs are themselves remarkable in that they continue to trust humans despite the abuse.  I love reading about their recovery, it gives me hope for this world gone mad we live in.

Please read this entire article and leave them a comment about how wonderful the work they are doing is.

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KANAB — He came to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary four years ago under court order and with a reputation as one mean hombre.

Of all the pit bulls in Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels, Lucas was the baddest of them all — Mike Tyson, Hulk Hogan and a little Ray Lewis rolled into one, the grand champion, the most vicious of the vicious Vick dogs.

When his dog-fighting operation was busted, Vick was sent to prison and so, in a sense, was Lucas. The court shipped him and 21 of his fighting mates from Virginia to this sprawling, 3,800-acre animal sanctuary outside Kanab, with the stipulation that Lucas spend the rest of his days here. It was your basic life sentence.
That was in January 2008.

Nearly four years later, or 28 by his reckoning, Lucas is running the place.

Open the door to the executive offices, and there he is, a smile on his face, a lick on his lips, and eager anticipation of either a pet or a treat written all over his eyes.

See all 6 photos | Click to enlarge

Lee Benson, Deseret News

In the administration offices at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Judah Battista enjoys a respite with Lucas, formerly a "vicious Vick dog."

From the archive

• Animal group buys former Vick dogfighting compound – May 27, 2011
• Vick pit bulls on the slow road to recovery – Jan. 30, 2011
• Kanab organization that cared for Vick dogs wants call from Obama – Dec. 30, 2010

Only the fading scars on his neck and face suggest that he was once the toughest, scariest and most-abused dog in Virginia.

On the day I made Lucas's acquaintance, Judah Battista, the director of animal care at Best Friends, dropped by to talk about how life has gone for Lucas and the rest of the Vick dogs who were relocated to Utah.

While their rate of rehabilitation has varied, he reports that, to a dog, their progress has been consistent and resoundingly successful.

Six of the 21 fighters — Oliver, Mel, Cherry, Halle, Shadow and Handsome Dan — have been adopted and left Best Friends entirely. A seventh, Little Red, is in a foster home about to be adopted.
The rest are alive, well and thriving in Dogtown Heights, the Best Friends suburb that is home to about 400 dogs. (In all, some 1,700 animals, ranging from house cats to horses, are housed in the entire Best Friends Sanctuary at any given time).

That includes Lucas, who has become such a hit they bring him to the administration offices at least two days a week to keep the humans company.

To Judah, Lucas is Exhibit A in the argument that all dogs are good dogs if they're treated well.
He grimaces when he thinks about what could have happened to Lucas and the rest of Vick's pit bulls purely due to reputation.

Many people in authority wanted to euthanize all 49 dogs that were found in various states of neglect and abuse in the Bad Newz Kennels when it was first discovered that in addition to being a star quarterback in the National Football League, Michael Vick was also an illegal-dog-fighting promoter.

The conventional wisdom was that the dogs would never be able to recover. Putting them down was the most compassionate thing to do....(read more)

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• Michael Vick's Former Property to Become Dog Sanctuary (newsfeed.time.com)
• Our Pack to Transform Missouri Fight Bust Victim into Therapy Dog (prweb.com)
• So who's up for saving some pit bulls? (apitome.wordpress.com)

Here's the PBS video--The Dogs are alright--about the Vick dogs

This video is posted here for those who don't know about or realize what went into saving the Vick fighting dogs.  This video shows the hope and help these dogs were given by just a few people; those who were supposed to be looking out for their welfare seemed to give up on them.

Cover via Amazon I'm currently reading the book, The Lost Dogs, about the Michael Vick fighting dogs and the efforts that went into saving them from destruction.  I had previously watched all the news about the fighting dog bust and I saw the DogTown special about the arrival and treatment of these dogs on television.

This book is difficult to read, especially the part where they describe the destruction of those dogs that either lost fights or wouldn't fight by the Bad News crew.  Michael Vick did personally participate in the torture and killing of many of those dogs, despite what his PR reps say. 

I like pit bulls.  I have had opportunities to be around them on and off all of my life.  I knew these dogs before they were given such a viscious reputation.  I used to watch the Little Rascals, whose dog was a pit bull.  I believe that some of what is said about these dogs is true, but I also believe that breeding and training are what have given us the really "bad" examples we often hear about.  The bottom line is that this breed of dog is just that, a dog.  They share the same tendencies and needs of every other breed of dog.  It's a shame that we humans have decided to "demonize" the breed by treating them badly and by encouraging them to bastardize their normal instincts.

Below is a follow up video about the Vick dogs.  I hope they have not been forgotten by the fickle public, especially with Michael Vick back in football.  He is not a nice person and does not ever need to have any contact with dogs for the rest of his life, unless we can treat him just as he treated these dogs.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Related articles

• Pit Bulls: Vicious Killers or Much-Maligned Breed? (blogcritics.org)
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Tuesday True Stories -- Michael Vick's dogs

 Remember these dogs?  Whatever  became of them after all the hubbub died down?  There is a new book out called The Lost Dogs that I just purchased to read.  This started me wondering about the dogs I had watched on television being rescued--so pitiful and scared.  I decided to search and see what I could find out.  Below is just some of the sites I found.
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Happy ending for most of Vick’s dogs

 By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports Sep 21, 12:21 pm ED
The resurrection of Michael Vick(notes) took another swift step forward Sunday when he led the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in his first start in more than three NFL seasons. Now he’s in the middle of a debate about who should be the team’s regular starter. It’s a welcomed type of argument for a man who spent 21 months in federal prison, lost a $100 million contract and became a national pariah for his role in a vicious interstate dogfighting ring.
Jim Gorant was less concerned about Vick’s future than that of Vick’s victims – the 51 dogs authorities recovered on Vick’s property in rural Virginia, 22 of which went to Best Friends animal sanctuary in Utah. If Vick paid his debt to society (as he did, even becoming a Humane Society lecturer), he’d no doubt get a second chance (as he should).

One of the rescued dogs hides in its shelter at Best Friends animal sanctuary, north of Kanab, Utah.
(Douglas C. Pizac/AP Photo)

But what of Michael Vick’s dogs? It turns out there’s a redemption story there as well, one that Gorant, a writer for Sports Illustrated, details in the just-released book “The Lost Dogs”.
It starts with the decision by authorities to raid Vick’s property in April 2007 and carries through the rescue of the animals, the Vick legal proceedings, the groundbreaking decision to not destroy the mostly pit bulls and eventually a series of success stories for many of the dogs.
It’s a book that’s equal parts horrifying and hopeful. And while every person and dog involved would’ve been better served if Bad Newz Kennels never existed, there are plenty of positives coming out of a story that at first seemed to contain only misery.
Forty-seven of the 51 dogs survived. While not all have fully rehabbed, a good number of them live with families. Their new owners view the dogs’ scarred bodies as loveable and marvel at the ability to put years of aggressive training and systematic torture behind them. Four even work in therapy roles – including one in California which is so gentle and peaceful he’s used as a “listener” for self-conscious children trying to work on their reading skills.
Perhaps most remarkably, if it wasn’t for the high-profile nature of the Vick case and the quarterback’s ability to pay for their postrescue care (Vick reportedly spent a court-mandated $1 million on it), each of the dogs would’ve been destroyed. Dogs which came from fighting busts had previously been considered so far gone that trying to retrain them would take a disproportionate amount of already limited resources.
“Ninety percent of the time, they would’ve been put down,” Gorant said. “Even PETA and the Humane Society recommended it. [The theory was] there are already good dogs out there who need care. Why invest time, effort and money to save these few when so many dogs are out there that need help?”
The public outcry over the Vick dogs helped change that. An attempt was made to retrain them, and the success rate was so high that “the Humane Society changed its official policy,” Gorant said.
The major change, according to Gorant, is to evaluate each dog as an individual case rather than make a sweeping ruling on all animals which come from a fighting ring.
“It’s definitely a positive,” he said.
There’s more. The Vick case drew so much public outrage that police across the country have reportedly stepped up efforts to break fighting rings. Where the crime was considered a lower priority in the past, now resources are offered – if only because it often leads to the discovery of other criminal behavior. It’s not cub scouts who operate these things.
“Law enforcement realized that this is something worth their time,” Gorant said.
The book also delves deeply into a look at the pit bull breed, making the case that it is inherently a calm, friendly dog. It was originally bred as a family farm dog. It’s the fighting rings which have ruined the pit bulls’ rep – something that surprised even Gorant.
“All I knew about pit bulls was from the headlines,” he said.

Vick missed all of the ‘2007 and ’08 NFL seasons.
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The book has its greatest impact in going past the headlines and detailing the recovery process of the individual dogs. The odds for success remained long, but the dogs took to the training at various levels. Seventeen have been deemed adequately adjusted. Seventeen are still in training facilities. The rest are in various spots in between.
The success stories will prove a winner for any dog lover. Consider Hector, a big, brown pit bull whose scarred chest and legs told of a veteran (and thereby successful and vicious) fighter. If there was ever a dog that at first glance would be considered too far gone to save, he was it.
Instead, the shelter found a pleasant demeanor and even a mischievous side (he loves hide-and-seek and is a klutz). He quickly passed his Canine Good Citizen tests and wound up in the Minnesota home of Roo Yori, who is known for training police dogs and flying-disc champions.
Hector now visits schools and nursing homes, offering comfort and entertainment and using his celebrity status as one of “Michael Vick’s dogs” to pound home an anti-fighting message.
Hector didn’t score any touchdowns Sunday. Yet, like Michael Vick, his life has moved forward in ways which few could’ve envisioned three and a half-year ago. Vick is back to being a football player, Hector a normal dog.

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Badrap.org

Never has a group of pit bulls received as much media attention as the dogs from former NFL player Michael Vick's yard. While it's certain nobody would've known about these victimized dogs had they not been part of a fallen sports figure's dog fighting venture, they earned celebrity in their own right by surviving two certain deaths, thanks to a large scale rescue effort led, in part, by the federal government - a first of its kind.
Public opinion fell strongly in favor of helping the dogs. In this landmark animal welfare case, federal prosecuting attorneys, federal agents, the USDA, six Virginia animal shelters, a court appointed animal law expert and several rescue organizations including BAD RAP all teamed together to reach the goal of evaluating 49 fight bust victims and then sending them to new and better lives with rescue organizations around the country.
In the past, shelters have been encouraged to put all fight bust dogs to their deaths because it was assumed that they were each going to be dangerous, uncontrollable animals. They’ve been called ‘Kennel Trash’ and accused of taking up space normally reserved for other dogs. Evaluating them as individuals revealed new information about dogs from fight busts and helped shatter old myths previously used to condemn them.



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If you visit this link http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dogtown/3684/Overview#tab-Overview,  , you can view videos from DogTown that show all the work that went into saving these horribly abused dogs.

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Tuesday's True Stories -- Lucas: Love Champion

Image via Wikipedia

Tuesday's will now be dedicated to telling true stories about dogs all over the world.  Rescues, strays, pets, etc.; you name it and I will post it.  As a true dog lover, I always enjoy good stories about man's best friend.  It seems that our world is getting meaner and meaner (people-wise) so to find balance I need to read about the unconditional love and loyalty freely given to us by our four-legged pets.

Here is an article I found on For Your Entertainment about the meanest of the Vick pit bulls.  This is a great story and it will make you smile.  Enjoy!  Please check out some of the other hilarious posts at that blog site and leave them a comment.
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In my time as a caregiver at Best Friends I've worked with all kinds of dogs with all sorts of temperaments, but I haven't had too much contact with the Vicktory dogs, the pit bulls that were formerly owned by Michael Vick. There are a few I say hello to that live in staff offices and whom I see fairly often, but just haven't had the opportunity to get to know any of them too well... until a few weeks ago!

I was helping out with a transport of two dogs that needed to see medical specialists in Las Vegas. When I got in the van along with ace BF Lead Dog Tech Sarah Kubacki I discovered that we'd be transporting two dogs: Jingles, an awesomely friendly little pit bull with a mysterious eye issue, and Lucas, one of the most legendary of the Vicktory dogs. Thought by investigators to be Vick's champion fighter, this large brown pit bull has quite the impressive scar collection, particularly around his face and muzzle, and is one of two dogs compelled to live out his life here at Best Friends by order of the court. He also has a reputation for being an all-around sweetheart and nice guy and I'd met him a few times in an office where he visits sometimes and greets staff and visitors to BF. My time at Best Friends has only deepened my love for pit bulls and I was quite happy to be spending time with Lucas and Jingles!

The ride down to Vegas was uneventful and Jingles went to her ophthalmologist appointment, where she needed to stay for a while, so we continued on with Lucas for his cardiologist appointment. He's one of the BEST dogs for medical handling I've ever seen and was open and friendly as the vet did his physical exam... and then his two vet students repeated the exam, with Lucas smiling the whole time! He got the same excellent reviews from the techs who escorted him into a private room for his echocardiogram. Lucas is being monitored for an enlarged heart caused by heartworm, which was treated when he arrived at Best Friends. I'm happy to say that the cardiologist was very pleased.

We got some news about Jingles, too: she was going to have to stay overnight for a minor surgical procedure in the morning. It didn't make sense to drive all the way back to Best Friends only to have to return to Las Vegas in the morning, so we made some phone calls and came up with a plan: we would stay in Las Vegas overnight... and take Lucas on his very first sleepover outside of Best Friends! Once we were out of the vet's office with Lucas I made some reservations and found a dog-friendly hotel for the evening.

Lucas remained friendly at the hotel, but at first he didn't want to leave the bathroom! He was fascinated by the shower stall and wanted to hang out in there - obviously a little intimidated by the brand new environment. We gave him a little while to decompress and get comfy and gave him some water, and after a bit encouraged him to come out and explore... which eventually, he did. When we made it clear that he was welcome to come up onto the bed if he wanted, he did... and plopped himself down between us to watch some TV. We petted him as he watched, transfixed by the antics of Steve Carell, a real couch potato! As he grew more comfortable with his surroundings he rolled on his back for belly scratches and occasionally wandered up to give us some kisses. He was also fascinated by the pizza that was delivered! (Of course, I would never give a dog people food... y'know, except a little crust...)

We wandered out for his evening walk - he was amiable and curious and accepted the extremely blustery winds and the sights and sounds of a bustling city, so unlike what he is used to, with admirable ease. When bedtime came, he stretched out between us and slept soundly while snoring lightly, waking us in the morning with happy kisses and a wagging tail.

We had some time in the morning before we had to pick up Jingles, so Lucas came with us on an outing to the park. He did great and enjoyed himself immensely - he was particularly interested in the duck pond and was very curious about the ducks and geese! We saw some other leashed dogs at a distance and while he was curious about them, he didn't show any sign of aggression. He was loose and happy and loved walking on grass, something he doesn't have much of at the desert sanctuary! After our park outing we picked Jingles up from the vet and headed home to Utah.

Lucas is one of the most well-known of a group of dogs whom some leaders in animal welfare thought - and some still think - should be killed. They were called "ticking time bombs" and "some of the most aggressively trained pit bulls in the country". "Rehabilitating fighting dogs", one animal group opined, "is not in the cards." As I woke up in that hotel room with a scarred, battered, happy, silly, joyous pit bull licking my face, I had only one thought: I wish that people who truly love animals but believe that pit bulls or fighting victims are somehow different or irredeemable could have the same experience I had, to spend an evening in a hotel room with Lucas and a night with him rolling over for scratches, being silly, investigating new things, and sleeping peacefully by your side - and wake up to this incredibly resilient, affectionate and forgiving animal licking your face. Lucas is a wonderful dog on his own merits, and I very much hope that one day the court will allow him to be adopted so he may have people of his own. He deserves it.


Here's the link to the original posting......click here

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