The Lost Dogs

If you've ever heard of the NFL player Michael Vick, you're probably aware that besides his talent at his profession, he has abused and murdered countless dogs in a dog-fighting operation he ran out of one of his properties in Virginia back in 2007. The tale of the abuse the animals suffered is horrific and bone-chilling, but the story of the dogs that were found alive on his property when the under-cover fighting operation was caught and all the animals were seized, turns around to each individual dog and his or her "fight" to prove themselves worthy of keeping their lives by being rehabilitated into kind and gentle family dogs. This tale not only warmed my heart but I hope that all of those who read it learn about the truth about pit bulls, learn about the horrors of dog-fighting operations that still occur underground all over the U.S. today, and see why so many people do not think Michael Vick should be forgiven of all that he has done.

If you want to see first-hand what some of the Vick dogs are up to today, here's some highlights on some of the amazing dogs that endured so much, yet have been given enough TLC to be rehabilitated into wonderful pets who have learned to love and trust again. Incredible rescue groups like BAD RAP and rehabilitation centers like "Best Friends" refused to give up on these dogs and by doing so it not only saved their lives, but showed the world that even the most mistreated animals can be turned around. It has been shown that pit bull type dogs are not born vicious, and even when "raised" in a horrible way they can still be taught to love again.

Bad News Kennels, the name of the "business" Vick his his operation under, has been not only banished, but the property that the horrors all happened on is now owned and operated by a dog rescue group, "Dogs Deserve Better", which focuses on rescuing dogs that have lived their lives on the end of a chain or in a kennel. They recently have planted a beautiful tribute of trees on the property for each of the Michael Vick dogs, and I sponsored the planting of a dogwood tree in honor of "Mya" because of how connected I felt to these dogs' stories because of my love for pit bulls.

To learn more about the story of Michael Vick's dogs, I encourage you to read "The Lost Dogs", a well-written book that gives the ins and outs of the story of these dogs, starting from the discovery of the operation, to the details of Michael Vick's trial, to where these dogs all stand today.