The Fate of Michael Vick's Dogs
Rehabilitation or Euthanasia? October Update Below
ASPCA and BAD RAP wlll help a federal judge decide if these victims of the dog fighting world have been doomed from birth or if they can be safely rehomed. October update
From Bad Newz Kennels to BAD RAP could be a good thing for some of the 53 fighting dogs seized in a raid on Michael Vick’s property in summer 2007. Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pit Bulls (BAD RAP) is a non-profit organization of pit bull owners, rescuers, and supporters in the San Francisco area whose mission is to educate the public about this misjudged breed.
An eight-person team including three certified animal behaviorists from BAD RAP and led by the science advisor of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, will use their experience and expertise to evaluate the temperaments of the bulldogs and determine whether any of the fighters who were bred and born solely for the purpose of dying in a bloody pit can be safely rehomed or must be euthanized due to behavioral issues. It could take weeks to determine the fate of the fighter-bred dogs from Bad Newz Kennels and, because these pit fighters are quite valuable in the underground world of dog fighting, the 53 canines are scattered in various shelters in various towns under tightened security.
These are probably the best days these victims of Michael Vick have ever known and at least they will get a fair chance at a future. The bulldog tenacity and determination can be an asset in many canine roles such as search and rescue, contraband detection, police work, and disability assistance. In the right hands, many bulldogs make excellent therapy dogs and pets.
In early America, settlers brought dogs with them to the new world and many of those dogs were bulldogs who helped with farm work including facing up to raging bulls, hence the term ‘bulldog’. Their role in pioneer life demanded they be trusted guardians of the family and gentle companions for the children. A good example is Jack, family bulldog in the true chronicles of the Ingalls family in the Little House on the Prairie book series.
Only in recent decades have their courage and tenacity been exploited in criminal activities of the underground, including drug trafficking and gang activity. Even many pit fighters are bred and trained to be submissive to their human handlers but may not make good pets due to their fierce aggression against other animals. Others have been victims of so much abuse and isolation that they may be irrevocably vicious toward humans as well as animals.
As part of his plea agreement filed in federal court, Michael Vick agrees to pay restitution for expenses incurred for the dogs including their long term care or euthanasia. Considering this, perhaps one Georgia woman’s idea could work. She has proposed to have the pit bulls defanged and has offered, if no one else wants to adopt them, to take care of them on her 5 acre property near Atlanta.
Ultimately a federal judge will consider the recommendations of the evaluation team and hand down a decision concerning the fate of the fifty three dogs.
Fifty-three innocent victims, fifty-three pawns in a world of violence and abuse, uncomprehending of the reasons why merciless humans hurt them, unsuspecting of their fragile circumstances, ask only for space in this world with enough food, a soft bed, and a kind human hand.
