AN AMAZING DOG NAMED "OOGY"

Dog Fighting..... The Third Twin

When Oogy was four months old and weighed thirty five pounds he was tied to a stake and used as bait for a Pit Bull. The left side of his face from just behind his eye was torn off, including his ear. He was bitten so hard a piece of his jaw bone was crushed. Afterward, he was thrown into a cage and left to bleed to death.

I am not a religious man, but I can only conclude that at that moment God turned around and paid attention. The police raided the facility, found Oogy, and took him to Ardmore Animal Hospital, where Dr. Bianco stitched him up and saved him.

This coincided with the last weekend of life for our cat, Buzz y, who was 14 at the time. My sons and I had taken Buzzy to AAH for his last visit. The staff had gathered Buzzy in when out comes this pup that looked like nothing more than a gargoyle. He covered us with kisses. The boys and I fell instantly in love with him.

Life goes out one door and in another. 'This is one of the happiest dogs I've ever met' Dr. Bianco said. 'I can't imagine what he'd be like if half his face hadn't been ripped off.' Then, Dr. B said, 'I am not going to tell you the things this dog has been through'. Dr. B's assistant, Diane, took Oogy into her home for several weeks to foster him and make sure he was safe and to crate-train him.

Once Oogy came into our house, for my sons, then 12, it was like having a little brother. Whatever they did and wherever they went, there was Oogy. Oogy had to get involved in whatever the lads were doing. He became known as The Third Twin.

Dr. B thought Oogy was a Pit or Pit-mix and would get to be about 45 pounds. By the time of his first checkup, Oogy weighed 70 pounds. When we walked in the door for the visit, one of the women who works at AAH exclaimed, 'That's a Dogo!' I asked, 'What's a Dogo?' She said, 'I'm not sure.'

We went on line and learned that the Dogo Argentina is bred in Argentina to hunt mountain lion and boar. Oogy can run about 30 miles an hour, all four legs off the ground like a Greyhound. His leg muscles are so strong that, when he sits, his butt is a half-inch off the ground. Dogos hunt in packs. Dogos hurl themselves against their prey and swarm it.

Oogy has a neck like a fire hydrant to protect him when he closes on his prey. He is built like a Pit Bull on steroids, with white fur as soft as butter and black freckles. Fully grown, Oogy is 85 pounds of solid muscle, but he does not know this and sits on us. H e absolutely craves physical contact. He is full of kisses and chuffs like a steam engine when he is happy. He has a heart as big as all outdoors. One of the traits of the breed is that they fully accept anyone their family does. It is not unusual to come home and find three teenagers o n the floor playing a video game and Oogy sprawled across their laps like some living boa.

Oogy hated the crate, and would bark and bark whenever we put him in. This puzzled me because I had been told by people with crate-trained dogs that their pets love the crate and feel secure in its confines. When Oogy was about eight months old, we hired a trainer who also happened to be an animal 'whisperer'. We introduced her to Oogy and she sat on the floor for a full five minutes talking to him. We could not hear a word she said. When the trainer lifted her head her eyes were brimming with tears. 'Oogy wants y ou to know' she said 'how much he appreciates the love and respect you have shown him.' Then she asked about his routine. I started by showing her where he slep t in the crate. She said immediately, 'You have to get him out of that box'. 'Why?' 'Because he associates being in a box with having his ear ripped off.' It was a smack-myself- in-the-forehead moment. Oogy never went back in.

Given what Oogy endured and what he is bred for, people are constantly astonished that he loves an imals and people as much as he does. Walking with Oogy is like walking with a mayoral candidate. He has to me et everyone. A number of people we encountered in the neighborhood early on told me they were afraid of Oogy because when they would walk or jog by the house, Oogy would bark at them and trot parallel to them, and given his size and looks... But everyone falls in love with Oogy. By the end of their initial encounter they are rubbing, petting, even kissing him on the nose. Oogy kisses them back. Because of the way he looks, when people meet him for the first time they almost always ask if he is s afe. I tell them, 'Well, he has licked two people to death.'

For the first year and a half of his life, part of Oogy's face was normal and the other part looked like a burn victim's. People who saw him in passing could no t grasp the duality. As Oogy grew, the scar tissue spread. He could not close his left eye, so it wept constantly; his lip was pulled up and back. Dr. B said Oogy was in constant pain. So, in January 2005, Dr. B. rebuilt Oogy's face. When all the scar tissue was removed, there was a hole in Oogy's head the size of a softball. After removing the scar tissue, Dr. B took grafts and pulled the flaps together and sewed Oogy back up. Now Oogy has a hairline scar, but other than that looks just like any normal one-eared dog.

An essential part of this story is the fact that AAH has never taken a dime in payment for anything they have done for Oogy. I never asked them for such an arrangement. When I went to pay the first bill I was told, 'Oogy's a no-pay.' I never asked why this is. Oogy is their dog. We are just lucky enough to look after him.

Because some of his jaw bone was removed in the initial surgery, some of Oogy's lower left lip droops and a repository for dust and dirt. It is second nature to us to pull the detritus off his lip when we sit next to him. One day I told my sons that when they tell their children about Oogy, they will remember this routine act of kindness. I think that, on some level, every day we try to atone for what happened to him.

Last summer Oogy had ACL surgery; his body ultimately rejected the steel plates and developed an infection so his leg had to be opened up a second time and the plates removed. When I went to pick him up following the second surgery, the Technician who brought Oogy out said, 'This is a great dog, I really love him.' I said, 'Yep, we're lucky to have him'. The Tech looked at me and said, 'No, you don't understand. I see hundreds of dogs each week, and every once in awhile there is a special one. And you have him.'

When I related t hat story to Dr. B he said, 'But we already knew that.'

Oogy's name is a derivative. The first day I was told we could adopt him I was thinking, 'This is one ugly dog.' But we couldn't call him 'Ugly.' Then I went to a variation of that from my youth, 'Oogly,' and his name followed immediately. Two years after we named him we learned that Oogy is the name of the Ghost Dog in the film, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. This is not inappropriate.

On a recent Saturday afternoon Oogy was curled up on the couch asleep, his head in my lap, and I was thinking about his life is now as opposed to the way his life had been bef ore. Would he have sensed he was dying? Was he conscious when the police put him on a rubber sheet and too k him to the Ardmore Animal Hospital? Oogy went to sleep in a world of terror and searing pain and awoke surrounded by angels in white coats who were kind to him, who stroked him gently and talked softly to him. Instead of people who baited and beat and kicked him, he was surrounded with healing mercies. I realized then that Oogy probably did not know he had not died and gone to heaven. So I told him. I said, 'Listen pal. It only gets better after this.'

This incredible dog now lives on the Main Line with his adoptive family, Larry and Jennifer and their twin sons, Noah and Dan. Noah and Dan are pictured here in the above photograph with Oogy. Main Line Animal Rescue would like to thank Larry, Oogy's proud father, for sharing his story and helping us educate people to the horrors of dog fighting.

Oprah--Puppy Mills

If you missed Oprah's program on the horrors of Puppy Mills and pet overpopulation, it is being repeated tomorrow, at 4pm and will also be on in the evening at 9pm.

Spay/neuter your pit bulls - stop breeding!

RILEY's BOOK!

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Riley the Lovable Pit Bull

Pit Bull Proves Doubters Wrong in Color Illustrated Book for Young Adults

I have grown to be loved and respected but it was not always that way. I was feared for several years before I was finally understood. I don't feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for others like me who don't have the love and acceptance that I have found in my life. I found people who love me, who showed me that the whole world isn't full of hate. I love my people. They almost lost me because of fear and hatred, but in the end it all worked out. It just takes a little courage and determination.

– from Riley the Lovable Pit Bull

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – As a pit bull, Riley constantly faces people who judge him on his breed's reputation, rather than on his own merits. Riley the Lovable Pit Bull (published by AuthorHouse), Jacklyn Keith's colorfully illustrated book for young adults, follows the young canine as he unexpectedly finds love, a love that is threatened by frightened people who are prejudiced against him.

The story is told from Riley's point of view. As a puppy, Riley is sent to a shelter. There he learns that people are prejudiced against pit bulls, a breed no one likes. Feeling that his life doesn't matter and that he will never be adopted, Riley loses all his fur, which makes him even less desirable.

Riley is taken by surprise when he is adopted by a young couple. It's the chance of a lifetime. Thinking the world's prejudice against pit bulls has passed, Riley takes full advantage of his new life by spending lots of time with his family in his favorite spot on the couch.

But Riley's good life takes a sad turn when the neighbors learn that he is a pit bull. Riley's new family must face the challenge of giving him back to the shelter or standing up to the community and showing everyone that Riley is a special dog. With courage and determination, Riley appeals to the neighborhood children with his sweet face and winning demeanor. People begin to see Riley not as the mean and aggressive pit bull they expect, but as a lovable dog who is part of the community.

Join Riley as he shows everyone why he is known as the lovable pit bull.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-dogfighting_23mar23,1,2792966.story

Program turns notorious dogs into good citizens

Pit bull owners steered away from dogfighting

Enrique Yanez's pit bull Diesel bites into a cake after a graduation ceremony. (Tribune photo by Scott Strazzante / March 22, 2008)

By Gerry Smith Tribune reporter

10:22 PM CDT, March 22, 2008

On the streets of Chicago's Austin neighborhood, Sean Moore and his 8-month-old pit bull, Jigga, are setting an example.

"The pit bulls you normally see, they're pulling, they're not listening, they're wild, they're barking at people," said Moore, 38. "When [other owners] see us with the same dogs, they ask, 'How do y'all do that? And how much does it cost?'"

Moore and Jigga recently completed a free pit bull training course run by the Chicago Canine Academy. The pilot program, aimed at training the dogs to be more civilized, culminated Saturday with the graduation of four pit bulls who received "good citizenship" honors from the American Kennel Club.

Video

The course was not just for the dogs. It also focused on changing owners' attitudes in a neighborhood where pit bulls are seen as a symbol of power.

"Everybody wants to be tough. It's a macho thing," said Moore, who, like the other dog-owners, was recruited for the class by Tio Hardiman, an anti-dog-fighting advocate.

During the eight weeks of training, Jim Morgan sought to dispel the notion that pit bulls are only good for fighting. Morgan, who owns the academy, at 4934 W. Belmont Ave., noticed that the owners were beginning to see their dogs in a new light.

"These guys are developing an empathy for these dogs they've never had before," he said.

At a graduation ceremony Saturday, the dogs received Canine Good Citizen awards, a distinction that eventually can allow the dogs to be trained to aid people in therapy.

Most people should not own pit bulls, particularly without training, Morgan said. The breed has a naturally high level of aggression, which owners sometimes exploit for the purposes of dogfighting, he said.

But by developing a bond between pit bull and owner, Morgan said, he hopes graduates will think twice before subjecting dogs to violence.

"When the dog does something for you, and you praise him, that dog is so happy," Morgan said. "When you see that joy, how can you put that dog in a ring and let it get torn up?"

gfsmith@tribune.com

Big Raid in Arizona

6 arrests in dogfight links
4 Pima County sites raided in bust of suspected breeding operations
By Erica Meltzer
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Pima County sheriff's deputies seized at least 150 dogs and made six arrests Tuesday in raids across the metro area targeting dog breeders suspected of links to organized dogfighting operations across the country.
Those arrested include Mahlon T. Patrick, 63, a man believed to be among the top...

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/mailstory-clickthru/226011.php

A death at the dog park

REPRINT -

Terry Jester
arriniranch@aol.com

I had a client the other day, a beautiful Springer spaniel named Charlotte, who experienced a terrible trauma while at the local dog park. Since then, she had started to behave peculiarly. Charlotte's owner had asked her roommate, another college student, to not take Charlotte and the roommate's 8-week-old puppy to the dog park, but the roommate did anyway. Unfortunately, Charlotte then witnessed a dog at the dog park viciously attack and kill the puppy. Charlotte was horribly traumatized by the incident. This terrible tragedy gives me an excellent opportunity to once again talk about the dangers of dog parks. Dog parks can be a great place to have fun and reduce your dog's excess energy. It can also be a place for dogs to get hurt, learn anti-social behaviors and practice their dog-on-dog aggression skills. Dogs don't learn dog fighting techniques over night. It's something that they need to practice in order to become more skilled and confident. The dog park is an excellent place for these practice sessions to occur. Owners who refuse to see their dog's escalating aggression allow their dogs to become more confident and proficient at being bullies. Eventually, this bullying behavior will develop into a full-blown attack. This is one reason why young puppies are not allowed at dog parks and why I discourage owners of small dogs from taking their pets there. The youngsters and small dogs can easily be severely injured or killed in these attacks. In a perfect world, all dogs would get along and everyone would play nicely with each other. Unfortunately, the world is not a perfect one. Dogs, suffering from pent-up energy, frustration and in some cases mental illness, attack smaller and defenseless dogs. Death can be the result. The incident that Charlotte witnessed is the second death at a dog park that I'm aware of within a year. What can be done? In both cases of dog attacks resulting in death, animal control was not notified. This needs to change. Aggressive dogs need to be banned from the parks and their owners put on notice that the dog's behavior will not be tolerated. Some people can use the parks effectively to teach their dogs social skills with other dogs, and that is fine. But people who allow repeated aggressive acts to continue without punishment and consequences are only teaching their dog to become better and more confident at fighting. These people are actually training their dogs to some day attack and seriously injure another dog at the park. If you see such attacks, ask the dog's owner to leave. Call animal control if they don't. Get the person's car license plate, and give it to animal control if the person continues to be a nuisance. Animal control can trace the plate and have a chat with the owner. Be proactive. You may be saving a dog's life. Terry Jester is a nationally recognized companion animal behaviorist. To learn more about companion animal training, visit www.rockymountainrawhide.com. For questions about your own pet, call Jester at 568-7585 or send e-mail to arriniranch@aol.com.

Associated Press on VA animal fighting/puppy mill bills

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--xgr-animalbills0212feb12,0,4095652.story

dailypress.com
House passes animal fighting, puppy mill bills

By the Associated Press

February 12, 2008

RICHMOND, Va.

It was a good day for dogs at the General Assembly.

Without debate, the House of Delegates passed bills on Tuesday cracking down on dogfighting and so-called puppy mills.

The dogfighting bill makes it easier for authorities to investigate people who engage in the blood sport. The measure was prompted, at least in part, by the Michael Vick dogfighting case. The suspended Atlanta Falcons star is serving 23 months for a federal dogfighting conspiracy.

The bill applies to all forms of animal fighting and makes cockfighting a felony for the first time in Virginia. The vote was 93-2.

The puppy-mill measure passed 91-6. It would regulate and license large commercial dog breeders, whose operations would be subject to inspection by animal control officials.

Copyright (c) 2008, Newport News, Va., Daily Press

Dog treat recipe of the month

Go Bananas Training Treats

3 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup milk
2 mashed bananas

Blend liquid ingredients, eggs and mashed bananas, making sure to mix well. Add flour and oatmeal. Mixture will be similar to cake mix. Spread into a well-greased pizza pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cut into tiny squares or strips using a pizza cutter. Keep refrigerated; store unused in freezer.

FAILING THE AMERICAN PITBULL TERRIER

Thought you guys would appreciate this article...share with everyone you know especially if they are not fond of the Bully breed! And after the Bully dog is completely eliminated, which breed is next?

FAILING THE AMERICAN PITBULL TERRIER
http://www.housepetmagazine.com/05/AmericanPitbullTerrier.htm

Bristol Herald Courier endorses VA animal fighting bill

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/opinions.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2008-01-17-0004.html

Strengthen laws against bloodsports

Thursday, Jan 17, 2008 - 12:38 AM Updated: 09:02 AM

The case against Michael Vick brought public attention to the shadowy, depraved world of dogfighting.

The investigation also uncovered weaknesses in the state's animal-fighting laws in general. Attorney General Bob McDonnell – with support from Gov. Tim Kaine and key legislators – is leading the charge to fix these deficiencies and make Virginia's laws on this matter some of the strongest in the nation. This is a worthwhile effort.

Dogfighting is already a felony crime in this state. The proposed legislative changes would make cockfighting a felony, as well. Under present Virginia law, cockfighting is only illegal if gambling is involved, and even then it is a misdemeanor. This provides little disincentive for cockfighting aficionados to engage in their barbaric bloodsport.

There have been efforts to strengthen the state's cockfighting law in the past, but none have succeeded. Perhaps some state lawmakers are secret supporters of this bloody activity, in which roosters are outfitted with spurs or knives in a fight to the death.

Cockfighting supporters argue that their so-called sport is a fine Virginia tradition, as old as the state itself. They note that Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were said to have owned gamecocks. Yet, the age of the practice doesn't render it worthy of preservation.

It seems certain that Virginia would rather be known for its mountain views, esteemed universities or musical heritage than as a haven for cockfighting.

The cockfighting measure is sponsored by Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, in the House, and Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment, R-James City, in the Senate. With the support of McDonnell, a Republican, and Kaine, a Democrat, perhaps this will be the year that it gets the support necessary to become law.

Other changes to the state's animal-fighting laws that are part of McDonnell's legislative package include:

• Making it a felony to use a device or substance to enhance an animal's fighting ability.
• Eliminating a requirement that animals seized from fighting ventures be held in animal shelters until the case is resolved.
• Allowing investigators to conduct animal cruelty investigations after sunset without getting a new warrant and requiring a bond to be posted if owners contest the animals' forfeiture.
• Making it a misdemeanor to allow a juvenile to attend an animal fight.

Each of these changes makes sense. Virginia lawmakers should adopt them. Prove that the state does not smile on those who harm animals for pleasure.

2007 in rescue

2007 was a tough year to be a pit bull. Not that any other year isn't tough enough.  Did you know that the average pit bull doesn't not make it to its second birthday?  I say average because I hate to use the word "typical". Unfortunately, many "pit bulls" don't get the luxury of living in a home with caring owners that provide regular vet care.  Many pit bulls are purchased on a whim (like many purebreds) but are quickly discarded as their owners find life with a pit can be difficult and they can be discriminated against. It's hard to find housing that allows the breed, homeowner's insurance companies discriminate against the breed and municipalities are trying to ban the breed altogether. There are so few dogs on these adoption pages because people just don't want to adopt pit bulls nor do they want to foster pit bulls.

Even in this year of Michael Vick, when people started realizing that the dogs are the victims, it's still hard.   It's not the dog but the  monster on the other end of the leash that's the problem. Maybe people are starting to get that picture. Sure there are bad dogs, there are bad dogs in every breed but these bad dogs are a product of abuse or bad breeding in the self fulfilling prophecy that comes with hatred and discrimination.  The more people persecute the breed, the more undesirable people will be drawn to the breed and the more un desirable candidates within the breed will be bred for even more undesirable outcomes.

In the right hands, responsibly owned and responsibly bred (though I take issue with breeding while the breed is in crisis) and responsibly rescued this breed compares to no other in its loving nature and loyalty to family.  The American Pit Bull Terrier and its close cousins (The American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier) are the ultimate family dog.  They want nothing more than to be in close companionship with their families and thrive on love and affection.

Here's hoping for a better 2008 for the "pit bulls"

Lynchburg editorial endorsing animal fighting legislation

Cockfighting Belongs in Virginia's Past

Lynchburg News & Advance

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

For dogs, roosters and the Virginians who respect them, Jan. 15 may very well be a landmark day.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a Republican, joined representatives of the Humane Society of the United States in announcing a new attempt to toughen Virginia's notoriously weak laws against dogfighting and cockfighting.

Currently, the state's laws against cockfighting are among the weakest in the nation. Dogfighting in the state is a felony, but the same isn't necessarily so for cockfighting, now a misdemeanor. Only if gambling is involved is the blood sport elevated to the level of a felony.

McDonnell, along with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, has thrown his support behind legislation introduced by Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, in the House of Delegates and Minority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City County, in the state Senate.

Last year, Democratic senator Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County introduced virtually identical legislation in the General Assembly, after seeing a rise of cockfighting raids in his native Southside involving out-of-staters, illegal aliens and Mexican gangs. Reynolds had been trying to tighten the laws for years and saw his efforts in 2007 come painfully close to fruition. Standing in his way a year ago were two Republican senators - John Watkins of Chesterfield County and John Chichester of Fredericksburg - who rather stealthily killed the bill, saying its language was "overly broad."

Between the close of the 2007 session of the General Assembly and today there was a seismic change regarding animal blood sports that can be expressed in two words: Michael Vick.

Though the former NFL football star has gone to prison after admitting his involvement in the brutal "sport" of dogfighting, the public's level of disgust and revulsion has raised support for roosters, too. Though definitely not as cute and cuddly as the puppies and dogs Vick and his cohorts pitted against each other, roosters have definitely benefited from the "Vick halo effect."

According to The Associated Press, cockfighting is an equally bloody and disturbing crime. Roosters have their combs cut off and are doped up with steroids to bulk them up and to raise their levels of aggressiveness; razors are attached to their talons just prior to fights to make their kicks and jabs that much more deadly to their opponents. Usually, one or both of the birds pitted against each other die of the injuries sustained in the fights.

In a perfect world, the Griffith-Norment legislation would be a slam-dunk, but not in Virginia.

The foes of efforts to protect innocent animals, the people Del. Griffith says are "lurking in the shadows," paint themselves as upholders of Virginia's noble, Colonial history when cockfighting and dogfighting were the pastimes of the the upper crust of society. Keep government out of our weekend activities, they say; we're just upholding the heritage of our forefathers.

This legislation needs to be enacted as quickly as possible. No pussy-footing around. No "we're just proud Southerners taking part in our Daddy's heritage."

Track the bills, HB656 and SB592, at http://legis.state.va.us.

Washington Post story on dogfighting legislation (front page of Metro section)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/14/ST2008011402449.html

 

After Vick Case, Dogfighting Bills Flood Va. Session

By Anita Kumar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 15, 2008; B01

RICHMOND, Jan. 14 -- Animal rights activists say Virginia legislators reacted with skepticism, even jokes, when they tried in past years to advocate for harsher laws against animal fighting.

That changed, they say, last year after Atlanta Falcons football star Michael Vick pleaded guilty to conspiracy in connection with a dogfighting operation on his property in southeastern Virginia, where dogs had been shot, hanged, beaten, drowned and electrocuted.

Now activists are riding that wave of national publicity to try to get tougher laws on the books to increase penalties for those who organize or watch animal fights and to give law enforcement more powers to find and arrest them.

The General Assembly, which began a 60-day legislative session last week, is considering more animal protection bills than in past years, many of them sponsored by Senate and House leaders.

"The members of the General Assembly had a tendency not to take bills regarding animal welfare seriously," said Robin Starr, chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA, which has worked to get bills passed for years. "There is no question about the fact that the mood has changed this year. I think everybody got quite an education about how horrific dogfighting is. I think it's changed people's understanding entirely."

Legislators, including Senate Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City), and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) will join the Humane Society of the United States at a news conference Tuesday to tout the importance of this year's proposals.

Virginia's animal-fighting laws are less strict than other states', particularly for cockfighting, and law enforcement officials say residents from neighboring states come to watch and gamble thousands of dollars in arenas complete with bleacher seats and concession stands.

McDonnell, who included several animal protection proposals on his legislative agenda this year, said that high-profile cases such as the Virginia Tech shooting often help bring attention to laws that need to be changed. "There hadn't been a lot of focus [on animals] until the Michael Vick case," he said.

Vick pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count for operating Bad Newz Kennels, a dogfighting operation that started six years ago in Surry County. In December, he was sentenced to a tougher-than-expected, 23-month prison term and recently entered a drug treatment program.

"There's no question the Michael Vick situation was an embarrassment to the state," said House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem), who is also sponsoring a bill.

The Vick case was quickly followed by the unrelated discovery of a suspected puppy mill in Carroll County, where more than 1,000 dogs were found in cages.

The high-profile Virginia cases have prompted a flurry of complaints about suspected animal abuse cases as well as legislative proposals in states across the nation.

Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states, and transporting dogs from one state to another for fighting is banned by federal law. In Virginia, Maryland and the District, dogfighting and possession of dogs for fighting is a felony; watching is a misdemeanor.

A Maryland legislator has introduced a bill that would make it a felony to attend a dogfight or cockfight.

The Humane Society estimates that 25 state legislatures will consider strengthening animal-fighting laws this year, although more proposals are being introduced in Virginia than elsewhere.

"This year we are seeing the strongest push [ever] to enact animal fighting legislation," said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society. "Michael Vick really put a spotlight on animal fighting in the Commonwealth."

The Humane Society estimates that 40,000 people nationwide are involved in organized dogfighting and an additional 100,000 are involved at the street level. In total, they fight more than 250,000 dogs each year.

Virginia and Maryland have dogfighting, Goodwin said, and Virginia also has at least 30 cockfighting rings, mostly along the North Carolina border. Maryland is known for raising roosters for fighting.

Arrest statistics for individual states are not available, but the Humane Society has counted 150 cases in the past two years, including eight in Virginia, two in Maryland and one in the District.

"The public is more aware of animal fighting," said Richard Samuels, president of the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and an animal control officer in Spotsylvania County. "They just figured it happened in other states and not in Virginia."

In Virginia, bills have been introduced that would include animal fighting under the state racketeering law, which would lead to longer prison sentences and seizure of assets; make all forms of animal fighting a felony; increase penalties for spectators and those who bring children to watch; and allow more searches at places where fighting is believed to be occurring.

"Dogfighting is a practice that has got to be outlawed," said House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong (D-Henry). "I didn't know it was happening. It was news to me. . . . But people will do anything for entertainment."

A coalition of groups -- including the Virginia Animal Control Association, the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, the Richmond SPCA and the Virginia Anti-Dogfighting Coalition -- is lobbying for changes.

Not all animal protection bills this year relate to fighting, however. A slew of other bills have been filed, including ones that would ban the use of gas chambers to euthanize pets, raise penalties for tethering animals, limit the number of puppies bred and sold each year and increase training for animal control officers.

Bob Kane, president of the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners' Association, said he has no concern with the dogfighting bills but worries about the sheer number of proposals, including one that regulates breeders, which he called "overkill."

"It's been creeping up,'' he said. "This year, it's a quantum jump.

 

 

Advance media on todays news conference

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--dogfightinglegisl0114jan14,0,5841046.story
dailypress.com

McDonnell, Humane Society to detail dogfighting bills

By the Associated Press

January 14, 2008

RICHMOND, Va.

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell and the Humane Society of the United States on Tuesday will outline animal-fighting legislation introduced in the General Assembly.

Bills filed in the House of Delegates and Senate seek to make all animal fighting a Class Six felony. Current law applies only to dogfighting.

Possessing performance enhancers intended for use in animals would also be a Class Six felony. The bills would also allow officers with search warrants to search the property of suspected animal fighters at any time.

McDonnell's push for stricter legislation comes after former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was convicted last year for leading a dogfighting operation out of his home in rural Virginia. Copyright © 2008, Newport News, Va., Daily Press

GOOD story: Woman to address ban of certain dogs at police assembly

Woman to address ban of certain dogs at police assembly

Submitted

Ledy VanKavage with two of her three rescued brindle pitbulls, Clarence Darrow (left) and Che.

Ledy VanKavage continues to spread her message that banning breeds of dogs does not make a difference in public safety.

On Sunday she will speak at the Winter 2008 Training Conference on Police Ethics for the Illinois Chiefs of Police in Collinsville at the Gateway Center.

"I'm talking about breed specific legislation and whether or not canine profiling is effective," she said.

It is a topic she addresses frequently.

"I'll talk about how it doesn't work," she said.

VanKavage is an attorney and the senior director of legislation and legal training for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She has a long history of activism in animal welfare matters and has founded and served on the boards of several organizations.

She lives in Collinsville and she practices what she preaches. She has rescued some pit bulls, a breed that many want banned because of viciousness. VanKavage has three rescued brindle pit bulls named Clarence Darrow, Che and Bella.

At the conference she will offer alternatives for police to help get dangerous dogs under control.

"There are dangerous dog laws in Illinois that a lot of police don't know about," she said. "Under Illinois law, it is very easy to get a dog declared dangerous. Not vicious. That's a much more involved procedure involving the court system."

VanKavage said dangerous dogs should be identified by behavior, not breed.

"I'm working on trying to get the police to focus on that," she said. "That is what I will be educating them about."

She said experience has shown that banning specific breeds doesn't change the number of dog bite incidents.

"Specific breed laws don't work," she said. "We've seen it in several different countries where they enacted breed restrictions. Even with the breeds restricted, their bite statistics don't change."

She offers her rescued pit bulls as an example of how a supposed dangerous breed can be handled. She said her cats dominate the much larger animals.

People used to go off trail to avoid the dogs when they were walked. But when the pit bulls have on some sort of costume, people come over and talk to them and are fascinated, she said.

"A lot of it is perception," she said.

At the conference, a pair of rescued pit bulls who are drug sniffing dogs for the Washington State Police also will perform a demonstration.

Wally Spiers' column runs five days a week. Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail: wspiers@bnd.com

The HSUS Commends Virginia Attorney General on 2008 Legislative Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Humane Society of the United States Commends Virginia Attorney General on 2008 Legislative Agenda

(Jan. 8, 2008) — Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, released the following statement thanking Attorney General Bob McDonnell for including animal fighting in his 2008 legislative agenda:

The Humane Society of the United States thanks Attorney General McDonnell for being a leader in the effort to eradicate the vicious, criminal world of animal fighting. We are grateful for his strong support for increasing penalties for animal fighting in the Commonwealth and we look forward to working with Sen. Tommy Norment and Del. Morgan Griffith to turn this important legislation into law.

A broad coalition of animal groups is backing this effort:

• The Humane Society of the United States
• Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Virginia Federation of Humane Societies
• Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force
• Virginia Animal Control Association
• Richmond Animal Care & Control
• Virginia Anti-Dogfighting Coalition

For more information on animal fighting, visit humanesociety.org/animalfighting.

-30-

Media Contact:

Nadya Vera, 301-258-3126, nvera@humanesociety.org

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.

The Humane Society of the United States

2100 L Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20037

humanesociety.org

Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty

Initial media about attacking are not always correct

The news just broke into the show I was watching with a BREAKING NEWS ALERT.  Two pit bulls are on the loose in San Jose after attacking a 20 month old baby and then the grandmother who tried to save the child.

Check this out...last night television shows were interrupted to alert viewers that two pit bulls that attacked were on the loose.  I thought it was strange when on the news today they kept calling it a dog attack as opposed to a pit bull attack.  Well that is because if you read down to the middle of the article its because they were boxer mixes..not pit bulls.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/14951082/detail.html

Grandmother, Toddler Mauled In San Jose Dog Attack


POSTED: 7:08 am PST December 31, 2007
UPDATED: 12:14 pm PST December 31, 2007


SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A toddler and her grandmother were hospitalized with mauling injuries after they were attacked by a dog while visiting a relative in San Jose.  Fire Capt Barry Stallard said San Jose dispatchers received calls reporting the attack at 7:23 p.m. Sunday.

Responding units found Elizabeth Cinco, 48, and Ana Leigh Cinco, 20-months, in a parking lot at the corner of Tully Road and Capitol Expressway. Apparently the dogs first attacked Ana Leigh and Elizabeth Cinco intervened, saving Ana Leigh's life, Stallard said. "The little girl was visiting with her grandmother (at her great aunt's home)," Stallard told KTVU. "We don't know exactly what happened…There were two dogs involved -- both were boxer mixes.

One of the dogs got excited and started barking… The dog attacked." Ana Leigh suffered injuries to her chin and lost her lower lip. Elizabeth Cinco had bites on her ear and neck, and chunks taken out of her right leg. Both were taken to Valley Medical Center. Elizabeth Cinco was released early Monday; the toddler was transferred to San Francisco General for further treatment.

The attack happened at a home at 3811 Quimby Road, Stallard said. After the attack Elizabeth Cinco tried to drive to the hospital, but due to the seriousness of her injuries had stopped in the parking lot. The dogs belonged to Elizabeth Cinco's sister. The dog that attacked the pair was to be euthanized Monday morning.

Dog bucks the stereotype

http://www.startribune.com/local/east/12905131.html

great article w/video too!

Dog bucks the stereotype

Jeffrey Thompson, Star Tribune

Croixdale residents, from left, Mabel Cook, Maryetta Wolf, Ruth Neumann and Marion Soller socialized with Ruby, a pit bull that provides therapy, during a visit to the senior residence in Bayport Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007.

Ruby takes her love to senior homes and has taken a turn on the stage, all part of her owners' campaign to try to convince people that pit bulls aren't innately bad.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22923049-5001021,00.html

Dogs save drowning toddler

Article from:

December 14, 2007 12:00am

TWO family dogs are being hailed as heroes after they saved a two-year-old boy from drowning in a dam at a property yesterday.

Police said the dogs - a Rottweiler cross and a Staffordshire bull terrier - dragged the boy from the water after he had wandered on to a neighbouring property's dam near Mackay, Queensland.

The owner of the property had heard a noise about 11am and run to the dam, which was about 100m from the house.

The woman found the boy lying on the embankment of the dam covered in mud with the two dogs - usually thought of as aggressive breeds - by his side.

Police said there were drag marks from the waters edge to where the boy was lying and small scratches on his arms from the dogs' claws.

"We are certain the dogs pulled him out of the dam," a police spokesman said. "It is an amazing story."

The Queensland Ambulance Service said the mother and child were taken to Mackay Base Hospital as a precaution, and the child did not need CPR.

They were believed to recovering at home last night.

 

GOOD NEWS!!! WE'RE HAVING A PUPPY

I always like to send this out when I see it come through.  A special reminder.  Happy Holidays!

 

A New Puppy

This is appropriate for the number of people who keep putting their dogs up for adoption when they find out they are going to have kids.....
After two long years of being on a waiting list for an agility dog, we have been notified by the breeder that, at long last, our number has come up and ... WE ARE HAVING A PUPPY!!!

We must get rid of our children IMMEDIATELY because we just know how time consuming our new little puppy is going to be and it just wouldn't be fair to the children. Since our little puppy will be arriving on Monday we MUST place the children into rescue this weekend!

The kids are described as:

One male - His name is Tommy, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), light blonde hair, blue eyes. Four years old. Excellent disposition. He doesn't bite. Temperament tested. Does have problems with pee ing directly in the toilet. Has had chicken Pox and is current on all shots. Tonsils have already been removed. Tommy eats everything, is very clean, house trained & gets along well with others. Does not run with scissors and with a little training he should be able to read soon.

One female - Her name is Lexie, Caucasian (English/Irish mix), strawberry blonde hair, green eyes quite freckled. Two years old. Can be surly at times. Non-biter, thumb sucker. Has been temperament tested but needs a little attitude adjusting occasionally. She is current on all shots, tonsils out, and is very healthy & can be affectionate. Gets along well with other little girls & little boys but does not like to share her toys and therefore would do best in a one child household. She is a very quick learner and is currently working on her house training-shouldn' t take long at all.

We really do LOVE our children so much and want to do what's right for them; that is why we contact ed a rescue group. But we simply can no longer keep them. Also, we are afraid that they may hurt our new puppy.

I hope you understand that ours is a UNIQUE situation and we have a real emergency here!!! They MUST be placed into your rescue by Sunday night at the latest or we will be forced to drop them off at the orphanage or along some dark, country road. Our priority now has to be our new puppy.

'Adopt-a-Bull' Contest

Positive Press for American Pit Bull Terrier: ASPCA and Animal Farm Foundation Launch Meet Your Match™ 'Adopt-a-Bull' Contest 

Highlighting pit bull adoption success stories.

Animal Farm Foundation is pleased to sponsor the Adopt-a-Bull contest because the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program promotes matches based on individual personality, instead of color and breed

New York, NY (Vocus/PRWEB ) December 14, 2007 -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) will add a new dimension to the "valentine" theme this February, when it will launch an online contest for the "perfect pit bull and adopter match": the ASPCA's Adopt-A-Bull Contest, sponsored by Animal Farm Foundation.

Entries will be invited from both shelters and the public (who can nominate the shelters they adopted from), and will focus on adoptions of American Pit Bull Terriers and dogs that appear to be predominantly of that type, that have taken place through shelters using the ASPCA®'s Meet Your Match™ program. The ASPCA®'s Meet Your Match™ program is a scientific, research-based adoption tool aimed at creating better matches between prospective pet parents and animals based on accurate behavior assessments for the animals and understanding an individual adopter's lifestyle and expectations. Meet Your Match is proven to be extremely successful in increasing adoptions and reducing returns at shelters.

"The ASPCA's Adopt-a-Bull Contest is a great opportunity not just to highlight the positive attributes and merits of the American Pit Bull Terrier, but the importance of making good, long-lasting matches between pets and people," said ASPCA President & CEO, Ed Sayres. "Every animal has the potential to thrive in the right home and the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program continuously fosters the kind of successful matches beneficial to every party involved: the adopter, the animal and the shelter."

The contest will run four times through the year, with one winner announced for each quarter. Each winner will automatically be entered into a contest for the grand prize. The grand prize winner will then be selected in 2009 via an online public vote. The prize package for quarterly winners includes a $4000 grant for the shelter, and an ASPCA Collection gift package for the winning pit bull-adopter match. The grand prize shelter winner will receive an all expense paid trip to New York City in April 2009 to participate in the ASPCA's third annual ASPCA Day celebration and a $5000 grant for their shelter. The grand prize pit bull and adopter winner will receive a photoshoot with a professional photographer and a bronze of their pet.

"Animal Farm Foundation is pleased to sponsor the Adopt-a-Bull contest because the ASPCA's Meet Your Match program promotes matches based on individual personality, instead of color and breed," said Animal Farm Foundation President, Jane Berkey. "We are confident that the contest will promote great family matches for dogs that appear to be predominantly American Pit Bull Terriers."

In recent years, pit bulls have been in the spotlight because they have been exploited by dog fighters and individuals bent on abusing the breed, and are often at the center of controversial breed-specific legislation. Despite this fact, pit bulls are known to remain loving and loyal to their human counterparts—sometimes to their own detriment—and can make excellent pets. Several well-known figures have owned pit bulls during their lifetime, including Helen Keler, Theodore Roosevelt and the "Our Gang" Little Rascals. An illustration of an American Pit Bull Terrier served as a symbol of the American spirit during the First World War. Today, pit bulls are the cherished pet for millions of Americans, including Rachael Ray, Rosie Perez, and Jon Stewart.

"Pit bull dogs are just dogs," said Ms. Berkey. "Four legs, two eyes, and one heart."

For more information on the ASPCA®'s Meet Your Match™ program, please visit www.aspca.org/meetyourmatch.

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has over one million supporters. A 501 [c [3 not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

Media Contacts:

Melissa Treuman

Melissat @ aspca.org/(212) 876-7700 x 4521

Alison Zaccone

AlisonZ @ aspca.org/(212) 876-7700 x 4564

Simply stunning

http://wtvr.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/forms/doc20071213183505.pdf

Ventre: Vick got exactly what he deserved

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22184988/page/2/
Ventre: Vick got exactly what he deserved

Quarterback takes fall for dogfighting, lying to everyone, arrogance

OPINION

By Michael Ventre

updated 8:59 p.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 10, 2007

As surprises go, it was not much of one.

The reaction in some quarters to the Michael Vick sentence handed down on Monday was one of mild disbelief. The word "stunning" was even uttered, more than once, on a certain cable network.

But 23 months is not a shock. Upon further examination of all the variables, it was appropriate. It makes sense. It is justice.

Michael Vick got what he deserved.

Animal rights activists might argue that he deserves a lot more, and I can't really argue with them. But their stance is strident because they're passionate about the treatment of animals and irate over Vick's actions even now, months after they were fully disclosed.

Vick's fans, the ones who don his jersey, chant his name and ignore his cruelty, will exclaim that he is being persecuted. But they have no case. They have never had a case.

In the big picture, Vick's football career is essentially over and he'll be spending the next 22 months (he should have one month's credit for time already served) behind bars in a federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson did not look at Vick, see a wondrous football player with magical talents, and ease up on his gavel. He saw a young man who committed some dastardly acts and handled the aftermath of their discovery with extremely poor judgment and even arrogance.

The judge could have demanded 33 or 43 months in jail, but then he would have called the entire process into question. He would have invited charges that he was looking to buff his image as a no-nonsense judge and polish his credentials for future judicial posts. He would have inflamed those who believe this is all an issue of race, and Vick is just the latest fall guy.

Instead, the judge did what he was supposed to do. He acted wisely. He slapped Vick with a sentence that exceeded the prosecutors' recommendations of somewhere on the low end of 12 to 18 months. He nailed Vick more harshly than he did Vick's co-defendants, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips, who received sentences recently of 18 and 21 months, respectively, because Vick was considered the ringleader and the source of the financial backing for the so-called Bad Newz Kennels and the entire dogfighting operation. 

And he did so for other reasons, too.

He'll be locked in a small cell for almost the next two years because the images still cause anguish. Vick presided over an operation that set one pit bull against another, so they could tear each other apart for the amusement of men with money to gamble.

Vick will be incarcerated because he was the kingpin in a criminal enterprise that crossed state lines.

Vick will be denied his freedom because he mistreated dogs beyond the fighting, by denying food to some so they'd be more ornery in the ring.

Vick will be kept away from family, friends and other loved ones because he and his co-defendants killed dogs that didn't perform to their standards. They did so by electrocution, hanging and drowning. Because of the grotesque nature of his actions, Vick will be placed in an ugly environment.

But that's not all.

He received 23 months because he lied, because he told anyone who would listen — including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank — that the dogfighting charges were bogus, that he had nothing to do with any of it. He did not step forward and accept responsibility when he had the chance. He hid behind his superstar veneer and hoped it would blow over.

He will sit in jail because, even after he pled guilty and signed a deal with prosecutors, he tested positive for marijuana, a violation of his agreement.

He will mingle with tough men who are not teammates but inmates because he gave a public apology that satisfied just about every group that mattered save for the one that he needed to satisfy the most: the people who care about animals. His token mention of his rejection of dogfighting was calculated, insulting and ineffective.

The judge looked at all of that.

What he didn't look at was how much money Michael Vick is losing as the result of his transgressions. That shouldn't matter, even if some complain that the man has suffered enough by having to forfeit over $100 million in salary and endorsements.

Vick's personal losses are inconsequential in the criminal matter. If he were a mailman going to jail for two years, would anyone complain of his financial woes? The money out of Vick's pocket is a separate issue. That's his problem. If he didn't want to see over $100 million vanish before his very eyes, he shouldn't have tortured and killed dogs and bet on the outcome of dog fights.

Vick isn't going up the river because he naively fell under the sway of old neighborhood friends who led him down the path to destruction. Vick is an adult. He had ample opportunity to say, "You know what? I don't want to get involved in anything illegal." And if he were a true friend, he would have also said, "You're my friends and I care about you, and I don't want to see you get into trouble, so I don't think a dogfighting ring is a good idea."

He didn't. From the time he signed his first NFL contract in 2001, he planned to start a dogfighting operation. He carried out that plan and stuck with it. He did not make a mistake. He executed a premeditated scheme to run a criminal operation.

As a result, he received a prison sentence of 23 months, a punishment he richly deserves.

Michael Ventre writes regularly for msnbc.com and is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22184988/page/2/

---

MSN Privacy . Legal

© 2007 MSNBC.com

Vick spit on the legal system

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-vicksentencing121007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Vick spit on the legal system

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports December 10, 2007 RICHMOND, Va. – He chomped on chewing gum and wore his Nike Air Force 1 Mids – bright white to match the stripes on his prison garb – as he walked into federal court Monday to answer for his mistakes. Only some of the mistakes that may haunt Michael Vick most, the ones that hurt his chances of ever again racing his Nikes around the NFL and should eat him up on the long, lonely nights behind bars are the one's he committed since pleading guilty in connection to a dog-fighting ring. Vick should have faced a sentence of 12-18 months after accepting a plea deal to conspiracy charges in August and promising full cooperation, honesty and to "make better decisions." Instead he made more bad ones, U.S. Attorneys claiming he failed to fully admit or take responsibility for his actions, practiced multiple counts of deception and tested positive for marijuana just weeks after promising the judge he'd avoid drugs. Those mind-numbing mistakes not only sent his sentencing guidelines to 18-24 months, but played a part in Judge Henry Hudson's decision to lean on the high side and send him away for 23 months. Even with good behavior and time served he won't be released until around June 2009. Moreover, Vick still faces state charges and remains on indefinite suspension from the NFL, where he was once the league's highest paid player. Neither situation was helped by Monday's revelations. Vick looked crushed at the sentencing, offering a distraught look to his family, some of whom wept at its reading. But even the staunchest Vick supporter – the ones who believe the prison term is not only too lengthy but an unnecessary rehabilitation tool for someone with no prior convictions, little likelihood of repeat behavior and is a minimal threat to society – can only stand in puzzlement at Vick's conduct. No matter what you think of the crime, the prosecution or the punishment, everyone knows that when given the chance to work the legal system for leniency you don't just turn and spit in its eye. The failed drug test alone was inexplicable. Just 17 days after promising to avoid drugs and alcohol, Vick smoked marijuana. The next day he took a drug test, which he failed, and then lied to an investigator about taking drugs. His attorney, Billy Martin, was stuck trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat, starting one explanation with the unenviable legal phrase "moving to the smoking marijuana." Martin's defense: That Vick was depressed and "self-medicating." Hudson kept a straight face but was clearly unmoved. Then there were Vick's "deception" with federal authorities, at least six such acts according to U.S. Attorney Michael Gill, even after the suspended Atlanta Falcon had agreed to fully cooperate. Vick, for instance, initially refused to admit he took part in the hanging of a dog. He claimed instead that he carried the underperforming dog over to co-conspirator Quanis Phillips, who then hung him. But Phillips had stated that Vick had carried the dog over and after Phillips slipped a noose around its neck, Vick let the dog drop. "He denied having hands on involvement in killing the dogs," Gill said. "He made a false statement; it was a calculated effort to hide the truth." Gill said Vick eventually admitted to killing two dogs, "one by drowning, one by hanging." There was also a failed lie detector test which, while not admissible as evidence, obviously angered Gill who argued (successfully) against any leniency. Vick's repeated performances were apparently so twisted, confusing and inconsistent that everyone wound up believing his codefendants over him, despite the fact they have lengthy criminal records. "These statements are inconsistent with statements by his codefendants," Hudson ruled. "(Vick) hasn't demonstrated the necessary level of candor." If Vick had fully cooperated, told the truth and kept clear of drugs, he could have received as little as 12 months, which with good behavior could have seen him free by next September. Instead he got longer sentences than either of his two former partners (18 and 21 months) despite their prior records and direct responsibilities with Bad Newz Kennels. The sentencing was completely one-sided for the U.S. Attorneys. Vick's lawyers could barely muster a defense, left to argue psychological theories and the appeal of mercy. Vick mustered a short speech, apologizing to some people and admitting "I've used poor judgment," but at that point it didn't appear anyone in power believed him. It was such a whitewash that a proceeding that was predicted to last as long as four hours took a little over 45 minutes. The sentence came down so soon that the expected crowd had just begun to gather outside the courthouse. A group of about 50 people – divided by Vick supporters and animal rights activists – traded signs, songs and arguments but the entire scene was subdued. Vick, it turns out, did almost as much damage to himself with his plea deal as the crime itself. Worse, his performance with the feds can't be reassuring to the NFL. He's done little to show he is a changed man who deserves to be immediately reinstated upon completion of his prison term. Conceivably, Vick could be in a training camp as soon as July 2009, trying to work off the prison rust on what would then be his 29-year-old body. But the league is likely to make him sit an additional year or, who knows, even more. After Monday, his credibility appears to be at zero. "I'm willing to say that should Michael Vick get another chance either in society or the NFL, he will take full advantage of it," Martin said. Perhaps he will. But his last chance didn't go so well. Given every opportunity to make up for his dog-fighting crimes, to live up to his word, to prove to everyone that this was just a lapse in judgment of a good man, he did just about everything wrong. Back in his cell Monday night, that's the part that ought to haunt him the most. Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist. Send Dan a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Judge approves plan for Vick's dogs

Judge approves plan for Vick's dogs

By VERONICA GORLEY CHUFO |247-4741

December 7, 2007

RICHMOND - U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson granted a motion to divvy up Michael Vick's former fighting dogs between eight animal-rescue organizations, including the local Animal Rescue of Tidewater.

In paperwork filed Thursday, Hudson agreed to the recommendations made by the court-appointed guardian for the dogs, Rebecca J. Huss, a law professor at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana. The recommendations included paying the organizations a total of $610,000. Each of the 22 pit bulls deemed likely for adoption by the public after time in a foster home to assess behavior and provide training come with a $5,000 stipend.

Each of the other 25 dogs would come with $20,000. These dogs are "likely to spend a significant amount of time, if not the dog's remaining lifetime, in an environment that would control the dog's interaction with people or other animals while it receives necessary socialization and training," the court papers said. "The need to control a dog's interaction with people is to make certain that a dog that is shy or withdrawn has only positive interactions with people."

After meeting standards of behavior and some time in foster care, most of those dogs could also be adopted by the public, the papers said.

The dogs were seized in April from property Vick, a Newport News native and NFL quarterback, owned in Surry County. Vick is to be sentenced Monday on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge. Two of his co-defendants were already sentenced, and the last co-defendant will be sentenced Dec. 14.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/southofjames/dp-news_vickdogs_1207dec07,0,7002342.story

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071130/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_vick_co_defendants

Two Vick co-defendants sentenced

By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 7 minutes ago

RICHMOND, Va. - Two of fallen NFL star Michael Vick's co-defendants were sentenced Friday to 18 months and 21 months in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges.

Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach could have received up to five years in prison — the same maximum Vick faces when he is sentenced Dec. 10.

Peace, Phillips and Tony Taylor of Hampton pleaded guilty last summer and agreed to testify against Vick, prompting the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback to enter his own plea agreement a few days later. Taylor will be sentenced Dec. 14.

Peace was sentenced to 18 months and Phillips to 21 months.

"You may have thought this was sporting, but it was very callous and cruel," U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson told Phillips.

Sentencing guidelines called for punishments of 12 to 18 months for Peace and 18 to 24 months for Phillips, who has a more extensive criminal record.

Prosecutors recommended sentences at the low end of the range because of the co-defendants' cooperation. But Hudson said he felt sentences on the high end of the range were appropriate because of the nature of the crime.

Hudson told Peace that he was concerned because a pre-sentencing report quoted Peace as saying he saw he nothing wrong with dogfighting.

All four men also face state charges.

According to court papers, Vick financed virtually the entire "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting enterprise at his 15-acre property in Surry County in rural southeastern Virginia and participated in executing several underperforming dogs by drowning, hanging and other means.

Vick publicly apologized for his role in the dogfighting operation and turned himself in Nov. 19 to begin serving his prison term early. He is being held in a state jail in Warsaw, Va.

The case began in April when a drug investigation of a Vick relative led authorities to the Surry County property, where they found dozens of pit bulls and an assortment of dogfighting paraphernalia.

Vick trial date on state charges set

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_vick_indicted

 

SUSSEX, Va. - A judge on Tuesday scheduled an April 2 trial date for jailed Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on two state felony dogfighting charges.

Vick's lawyer, Lawrence Woodward, requested a jury trial during the 5-minute session.

The suspended NFL star did not attend the hearing in Surry County Circuit Court. Vick is being held at a Warsaw, Va., jail after surrendering on Nov. 19 to begin serving time for a federal dogfighting conspiracy conviction.

Vick faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 10 in the federal case.

The two state charges — beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs, and engaging in or promoting dogfighting — also are punishable by up to five years in prison each.

The court also set trial dates of March 5 for co-defendants Quanis L. Phillips and Purnell A. Peace and a May 7 trial for Tony Taylor.

Vick's lawyers have indicated they will fight the state charges on the grounds he can't be convicted twice of the same crime.

Vick and three co-defendants pleaded guilty to the federal charge in U.S. District Court in Richmond. In an Aug. 27 plea agreement, Vick admitted bankrolling a dogfighting enterprise and providing gambling money, as well as helping to kill six to eight dogs.

Ten protesters from the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stood outside the courthouse holding placards with pictures of injured dogs and the messages "Report Dogfighters!" and "Dogs Deserve Justice."

The dogfighting operation known as Bad Newz Kennels operated since 2001 on Vick's 15-acre spread in Surry County. A drug investigation of a Vick relative led authorities to the property, where they found more than 50 pit bulls and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL without pay, and he lost several lucrative endorsement deals. Also, an arbitrator has ruled Vick should repay the Falcons nearly $20 million in bonus money.