Bad Newz Kennels was owned by Michael Vick. Pretty much all you have to say is his name and most people in America know what your talking about...the Pit Bulls that survived the horrors committed there under the guise of fun and games for humans.
The Humane Society wanted them destroyed. PETA wanted them destroyed. A quote from a PETA spokesman says it all:
"The cruelty they've suffered is such that they can't lead what anyone who loves dogs would consider a normal life, We feel it's better that they have their suffering ended once and for all."But that is a fallacy, its a bullshit line from folks that don't get it or even want to attempt to understand the psyche of an abused animal. 51 dogs survived the horrific treatment of Michael Vick and his..cough..friends.
It's been almost a year now since the Feds rescued the 51 living dogs from Vick's home in VA.
Only ONE had to be put down because she was unable to cope with humans on any level. Only one.
The Sports Illustrated story is a 5 page history of many of the dogs from Bad Newz Kennels. It will make you smile, it will make you cry and sometimes it will make you cuss in anger that human beings can be so fucking mean to an animal that only wants love, affection and the occasional kiss and hug.
Sports Illustrated was so impressed with how the Vick dogs have turned out they made them the December cover story. SI is a sports magazine so to me, that says volumes. A quote from the story:
Zippy is proof that pit bulls have an image problem. In truth these dogs are among the most people-friendly on the planet. It has to be. In an organized dogfight three or four people are in the ring, and the dogs are often pulled apart to rest before resuming combat. (The fight usually ends when one of the dogs refuses to reengage.) When separating two angry, adrenaline-filled animals, the handlers have to be sure the dogs won't turn on them, so over the years dogfighters have either killed or not bred dogs that showed signs of aggression toward humans. "Of all dogs," says Dr. Frank McMillan, the director of well-being studies at Best Friends Animal Society, a 33,000-acre sanctuary in southern Utah, "pit bulls possess the single greatest ability to bond with people."I am a pit bull owner, or was until I had to put Baby down a couple of summers ago when her body was riddled with cancer. She was an abused pit who loved every living thing inspite of what had been done to her. I haven't gotten another dog because I want another pit that was abused.
I know that sounds weird as shit, but I want to give my love to another dog that has come out the 'other side' of a horror story such as Baby's or Vick's dogs. We have two little dogs and a whole lotta cats...so it's not like I don't have animals to love and enjoy. But Baby will only be replaced with another abused pit who needs a good home.
Some of you will shake your heads and still believe that all pit bulls are bad dogs that can never be trusted with human beings or other living creatures.
But they are not m'dear reader. I can testify to that fact and so can BadRap. They were given some of the Vick dogs to rehabilitate. They did a magnificent job, go to their site and watch the videos and read their blog. See how they are now living with families that have cats, kids and other dogs in the home.
The SI story gives you the background and brings you to the present on these dogs. Its a heartwarming story that will give you chills...at least it did to me.
As Gandhi once said: The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
And in closing I just want to thank the Judge that had the balls to say no to putting these dogs down. Thank You Judge Henry E. Hudson. I heart you dude.
Now, I can also put up a shot of my Baby and Brian, a gratuitous shameless plug for the dog I loved and who loved me back... and my son whom I miss very much:
If your someone with disposable income that would like to help the organizations that took on the challenge of Vicks dog’s..here are their websites:
www.badrap.org, www.bestfriends.org,www.recycledlove.org and http://www.ourpack.org/.
Best Friends is the group that has a show on National Geographic called DogTown.Tags: Bad Rap, Michael Vicks Pit Bulls, Judge Henry Hudson
