A Message To Michael Vick
American Pit Bull Terrier
The more I learn about people, the more I like dogs.
This week, the Philadelphia Eagles signed a new player for their football team. Michael Vick.
Michael Vick, former NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons, spent 18 months in jail for running an illegal dog fighting ring in Surry County, Virginia. He has been out of prison for about six months now, with NFL Commissioner Robert Goodell reinstating Vick to play in the NFL with conditions back in late July. This past week, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick to join the team. He begins working out with the team this summer.
I don’t know Micheal Vick, have never met the man, and probably never will. But I cannot tell you the number of ways this man makes me sick to my stomach. When the cops raided Vick’s home in 2007, they pulled over 60 dogs from the home, most of which were American Pit Bull Terriers. These poor dogs are trained to fight to the death. They cower to humans, because they have been abused by humans and malnourished. The underground dog fighting rings tend to be prevalent in poor, urban areas in cities throughout America. It is a deadly, yet unfortunately profitable subculture that can make the owners of these dogs money. Just as selling drugs can make the drug dealer money…until you are caught. And in August 2007, Vick was caught.
We’ve all heard the horrific details of what was pulled from his home. We all have seen some footage of what happens during a dog fight. How could any human possibly be involved in this kind of activity? How can THIS activity possibly be a business, a place to make money? How can people sell tools and trade tips online to train your dog to become a dog fighter? As I look at my two precious dogs now sitting beside me, tears well up in my eyes as I think about the victims of dog fighting rings. Sydney, my sweet lovable Lab mix, is part Boxer but could be part pit bull (we’ll never know for sure, but she does have the bone structure of a pit). To think that my sweet hearted Sydney could ever be trained to hurt a fly is beyond my imagination. To think that my sweet River dog would purposely attack another creature is unimaginable. And, for most dogs it is. They don’t grow up this way – they are trained. Withhold food, deliver abuse, whip, beat, inject them with drugs and chemicals and overtime, you can create a dog trained to kill another dog. And to think that God granted humans that special previliage to watch out over the earth and all creatures, and this is what some people do to other creatures. Horrific.
So, Mr. Vick, I hope that your new, gazillion dollar contract with the Eagles makes you feel better. I hope that you are sleeping better at night, now that you are out of jail and gainfully employed. I hope that you can afford more homes, more cars, more jewelry and more women. I hope that you live richly. I hope that your bank account never runs dry. And while you are enjoying your wonderfully privileged life simply because you can throw a stupid football down the field, I hope that you remember the innocent victims that died because of your selfishness and twisted idea of fun and entertainment. I hope that the dogs you “destroyed” because they didn’t win a fight haunt your dreams at night. And I hope that one day, if you ever get married and have kids, and your child comes to you because he wants to get a family pet – perhaps a dog – that you remember how cruel you were these animals. I hope your kid Googles your name and learns what kind of person you are. Because even though you claim that this was a “horrible mistake,” this is more than just a mistake. A mistake is if you accidently run a red light or even make the mistake of thinking you are safe to drive after having a couple beers at a party. Dog fighting is no mistake – it’s a horribly disgusting life style choice that Vick choose in order to make money and gain entertainment.
Have a great career, Mr. Vick. I hope that you’ve learned a lot from your “mistake.”
You CAN make a difference!
The Humane Soceity of the United States
The American Soceity for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Franklin County Humane Society
VERY well said sister!