Let me start out by saying that I'm truly happy about what's happened for the dogs of Bad Newz Kennels, infamously dubbed Vick's Dogs. Not many dogs have been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But these famous dogs with the famous name are the cover story in the Dec. 29 issue of Sports Illustrated. However, as happy as I am for their outcome, I can't help but wonder what the future holds for the Rive/Sledge dogs, seized during a dog fighting ring bust in Enfield, North Carolina a couple of months ago. I wonder if they've all been euthanized like the article in the Rocky Mount Telegram said they likely would be? And what about the Taliaferro dogs seized during a raid in Philadelphia last month. They were sent to a local Pennsylvania SPCA to be treated and evaluated. The widely known, highly publicized national rescue organizations didn't rush to their aid like they did for the Vick dogs. There were over 100 Patrick dogs seized at a raid in Pima County, Arizona last February. According to a report on the KVOA News (Tucson) on May 1, all but 17 were set to be euthanized that week because of their fighting nature.
Something is not right here. The public seemed so outraged when the Bad Newz Kennel dog fighting ring was exposed. We called for the head of Michael Vick. And yet subsequent case after case goes unnoticed and dog after dog continues to fall through the cracks. Does our society really care as deeply about the humane treatment of animals as indicated by the public outcry during the Vick case, or was it more a matter of who those dogs belonged to? One thing we love to do is elevate those gifted with speed, agility, athleticism and the ability to throw, catch, dunk, or carry a ball across a goal line to god-like status. But it seems we love it even more when we can watch those stars come crashing down from the very pedestal we put them on. The fact is, not a single dog fighting case during the past two years, and there have been plenty, has received national attention, nor have the dogs involved received the care and rehabilitation extended to the Vick dogs. I'm sure they had no trouble finding foster homes and adopters for them. In fact, I bet they turned plenty of people away. If the Patrick or Rive/Sledge dogs had been abused by someone famous could they have been cover models instead of being euthanized?
Certainly the successful outcome for the Vick Dogs is a very, very good thing. And hopefully it will prompt more action and give more support for the rehabilitation of all dogs seized from dog-fighting rings, or rescued from any inhumane treatment for that matter. There could and should be so many more success stories and so many more spokesdogs.
Thank You
I admit that I felt the same way about the situation that the "Vick" dogs have been placed in, especially with so many big seizures happening since this case. In Pat Patrick's case, he was acquitted and all of his dogs, at least 100, were killed. Patrick was an old man who made poor choices when this breed was virtually unknown to the public in the scope that it is now and his dogs, whose lineage has produced stable, healthy working APBTs for decades, were warehoused, never evaluated and ultimately distroyed after a kenneled life that surely was more miserable than what they were "rescued" from. These are just "dogs", they deserve the same evaluation as other terrier breeds and those with high drive, not to be warehoused, broken down from lack of positive human contact and then killed. The Animal Cops show from my city had a shelter rep state that the dogs were better off dead after a bust, just as the HSUS states regarding the Vick dogs and similar cases. I didn't see the other featured dogs from deplorable, abusive conditions get that same condemnation.
Some success in 2008
Hi Laurie - Thanks for this post on this historic issue of SI. There were actually several cases in 2008 where 'bust dogs' were evaluated and absorbed into rescue. The Patrick case is one, along with a case in Missouri (their largest fight bust), a large case in Chicago and more recently, a bust in Oklahoma. Links below. Things are starting to change for the better for abused pit bulls, although it's a slow road with many obstacles. Let's hope that pit bulls are included in our circle of compassion in 2009!
http://www.hsmo.org/m_animalabuse/stoddard_dog_fighting_10_07.php
http://winfieldcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID...
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/news_azdogs.pdf
You're welcome!
And thanks for sharing your info. It's too bad these cases and the ones I mentioned didn't get the attention the Vick case received. In addition to the dogs receiving care and rehab, I hope the public remains as outraged at the offenders as well. All of them, not just the famous ones.