Leo: One of Michael Vick’s Rescued Pit Bulls

The other night Inside Edition ran a story about one of the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring. His name is Leo, and he now lives in California with his new owner, Marthina McClay, who’s a member of Our Pack, a pit bull rescue organization. Leo’s Life with Marthina As you might imagine, Leo’s life with his new owner is a far cry from what it was with Mr. Vick and company. Gone are his days of dog fighting. But he still works. Though these days it’s as a therapy dog. That’s right. You read me right. … Continue reading

Disturbing Support for Michael Vick

I’ve sort of been out of the loop the last few days. I had family in town and was busy enjoying their company and playing tour guide. Not much time for keeping up with the news. I did hear Michael Vick will plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving dogfighting. Which should make us animal lovers feel vindicated, right? His endorsement deals had been suspended or canceled altogether, he’d been banned from attending training camp –heck, his career in the NFL looked shaky altogether. All because us animal lovers spoke up, expressed our outrage and demonstrated we’re a force to … Continue reading

Michael Vick Learns Animal Lovers Are a Force to Be Reckoned With

On Tuesday I wrote about more “Bad Newz” for Michael Vick and hoped there’d be more coming. Guess what? There was! (Already!) Animal rights groups like the ASPCA, PETA, and the HSUS have been battling for a long time to eliminate the inhumane world of dogfighting. They have to take it step-by-step because legislation differs from state to state. (They’ve made progress over the years, as at least now there’s some sort of dogfighting legislation on most books. However, there are still plenty of loopholes. For example, in Georgia dogfighting is a felony, but it’s legal to possess dogs for … Continue reading

More “Bad Newz” for Michael Vick (With Hopefully More to Come)

Michael Vick should have stuck to football instead of getting involved in dogfighting. After all, football was his claim to fame. The 2001 number one draft pick who last year made history as the first quarterback to ever rush over 1,000 yards is now making history for something much less admirable. In fact, it’s downright despicable. Dogfigthing. It all started back in May when suspicions of dogfighting operations on his property came to light. What investigators found was simply awful. Dogs that had been killed in the most inhumane ways possible: hanged, electrocuted, shot, and even slammed to death on … Continue reading

Stick to Football, Not Dogfighting, Michael Vick!

Whatever happened to the days when NFL stars shined? These days they make as many plays off the field as on –except instead of scoring touchdowns, they’re involved in stuff like murder (a la OJ Simpson) or running dogfighting rings. “Say what?” you might be asking if you haven’t heard about Michael Vick, a football player for the Atlanta Falcons. He’s under investigation for running a dogfighting ring out of his home. As far as I’m concerned, this is as serious as OJ possibly killing his ex-wife. Why? Because if it’s determined the dogs are fighting dogs, they will be … Continue reading

The View On “The View”—Whoopi on Vick’s Dogfighting Case

Who said the drama meter would dip on “The View” with Rosie O’Donnell being gone? The outspoken O’Donnell may have fled from ABC’s daytime chatfest, but it didn’t take her replacement long to stir things up. Yes, controversy has found its way back to the talk show set. Just minutes after Whoopi Goldberg debuted as the show’s new co-host yesterday she made a comment about Michael Vick’s dog fighting case. In case you missed it, the actress-turned talk show host basically said that in the culture that Vick was raised, dog fighting was not such an unusual practice. She then … Continue reading

Vick Pleads Guilty: Ready to Stop Hearing About Him?

How do you feel about Michael Vick’s guilty plea? We knew it was coming even before he made it official yesterday. But now he has and I’m sort of relieved. Mainly because his crime won’t go unpunished, but also because the issue has sort of been beat to death. (I’m among those doing the beating, I fully admit!) I suspect some of you aren’t as interested in it all either anymore. (If you ever were. It’s okay if you weren’t, just means this didn’t interest you. Doesn’t make you any less of an animal lover.) I’ve seen passionate comments left … Continue reading

Legal Woes for Maryland Pit Bull Owners

A big headline here in Maryland lately has been an anti-pit-bull decision made by the state’s court of appeals. The case classified pit bulls and other “bully” dogs (meaning any dog with bull lineage) as “dangerous dogs.” This means that they are not included in the “one bite” exemption owners get before they are held liable for their dog’s action. That liability can also extend to anyone with control on the premises, including landlords, veterinarians, kennels/daycares, groomers, etc. The decision prompted widespread protest. Pit owners are worried that they’ll either be evicted, lose their homeowner’s insurance, or be forced to … Continue reading

The Case of Jane Dog

Jane Dog (as in Jane Doe, just canineized) is the name given to a dog here in Nashville who lost her life in a most violent way. A dog without a name and without any owners ever stepping forth to claim she had belonged to them. Her story infuriated all who heard it and made many speak up and want to make sure justice was delivered to those who harmed her. Jane Dog’s Story It happened last summer. June 2007 to be more precise. Five boys set a dog on fire. For fun. Just to see what would happen. What … Continue reading

The Top Pets Blogs of 2007: June – December

We started out with a list of the Top Blogs from January through May. To conclude the Year in Review of the Top Pets Blogs, here’s the last six months of the year. June 2007 Top Blogs Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month Starts Today: How to Participate Moose’s Special New Trick The Trouble With Walking Two Dogs Life Without a Fence Moose’s Bad Luck Continues Murphy, Kitty, and Tabby’s Dilemma: What to Get Wayne for Father’s Day? Fitting a Harness Moose Update: He’s Healing and We’re All Adjusting Animal Movies = Torture: How I Fared Through Evan Almighty July 2007 Top Blogs … Continue reading