rockin'robin

Pit Bull Group Invited Eagles QB To Visit Dogs Used In Dogfighting Ring

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A Bay Area pit bull advocacy group says Michael Vick has declined an invitation to visit eight of his former dogs this weekend when the Philadelphia Eagles are in town to play the Oakland Raiders.

The group BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls) told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it extended the invitation through the Eagles to Vick last week to view his former dogs that were part of the dog fighting operation at Bad Newz Kennels in southeastern Virginia.

BAD RAP co-founder Tim Racer said the group picked a location that would have allowed Vick to view the dogs from behind a window at a distance that satisfied the conditions of his parole that bar him from being near animals.

Racer said the Eagles informed him Wednesday that Vick would decline the offer. An e-mail sent to an Eagles spokesman was not immediately returned.

"We understand Vick is trying to right his wrongs and is very interested in redemption, but you can't find redemption without acknowledging your victims," Racer said. "Making amends to the dogs themselves would have helped to create some closure for many of us, especially those people who worked so hard to keep them from being destroyed. It seems that Vick is not ready to go there."

Oakland-based BAD RAP absorbed 10 of Vick's dogs into its foster program after being given permission from the federal government to evaluate and rescue as many of the dogs as possible.

Sunday's game against the Raiders is the first road game for Vick since being reinstated to the NFL following an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. A spokesman for the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it has no plans to protest the game.

Vick Declines Invite To See Former Dogs - Sports News Story - WJXT Jacksonville

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Bottesini

That's one of the stupidest things I ever heard. Vick has no need to make amends to the dogs. The poor dogs need to be left alone by bad people and to heal.

The dogs don't have any understanding of this and it would be only for the benefit of Bad Rap. Unnecessary!!!


Yuck.

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It's a joke Nathan!

dogmom

I support BAD RAP and have been to their presentations but I do agree that the action of "making amends" is kind of a silly thing - who would that really be serving? Not Vick, if he is not interested, and not the dogs, because you're right, Botti, they don't understand that. It might even be scary or traumatic for the dogs to smell or be aware of him near them, because in many instances there was serious abuse of the dogs going on in Vick's hands, too. So, who would this all really be for -"those people" that Racer speaks of. How does that benefit the dogs? Except maybe publicity and therefore support by public of BAD RAP - which is fine, I think BAD RAP does a great job, but, let's be real here, folks-
yeah, I get what you're saying, Bott-

web730

Yes, Vick is right not to visit those dogs or they would freak out by their bad memories. They sure did not think twice before asking him. (shaking head)

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Oceanbreeze

I'm with everyone else here. As for the dogs themselves, it may have been better to put the animals down. They are vicious at this point, and no one in their right mind is gonna take them as pets. Therefore, the kindest thing one could do is euthanize the animals.

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"You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire. Once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher."

~Peter Gabriel

sallylou

Experts decided which dogs were adoptable and rehabilitated those dogs. Some of them have earned their canine good citizenship and at least one of them is a therapy dog. It's amazing what a loving home can do for a dog.

I have a bull/pug mix that I adopted from a rescue. She was a stray. She is the most obedient, loving dog. She's my eldest son's favorite. She's very protective. The other day, when I began dancing in the kitchen with my husband, she ran over and stood barking at him. We were acting goofy and she wasn't sure that hubby was behaving well.

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Happy holidays!

Bottesini

The pitbull I rescued many years ago was protective and good also. This was in El Paso. The three old people who lived next door would give her any meat that passed the expiration date, so she would take her food bowl if it got empty and run to the fence by their yard.

She was great with my kids, and she would lean against the fence and let the neighbors grandchildren pull her ears and tail.

I rescued her after a gang that had been teaching her to fight moved to Kansas. (mostly members were one family.)

But I strongly believe that a lot of dogs that have already been fighters, can be rehabilitated. Her best friend was the cat we had at the time, and they would sit together for hours.

Her favorite game was to grab the head of our pug in her mouth until he lost his temper, and then she would run while he chased her until he was tired.

Pitbulls are good dogs. It is only the bad owners who are responsible.

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It's a joke Nathan!

Oceanbreeze

I hear what you ladies are saying. I do, but I still wonder if it's always the bad owners that train these dogs to be vicious that are at fault. There has to be some innate trait within the dog that is being exploited? I really don't know.

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"You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire. Once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher."

~Peter Gabriel

sallylou

Some dogs who have been abused are not adoptable. The shelters and rescues have to test their temperament. If a dog is not adoptable, they are euthanized. It's sad that people make some dogs unadoptable.

Generally, bullys are only aggressive with other dogs if they are not properly socialized. This is why people use them to fight. Any dog not properly socialized is a dangerous dog. No one should have a dog that they do not feel confident that they can handle. That's what obedience class is for.

Here's Baby with my son at the dog park:



She likes to be held like a baby, belly up and rubbed. She grins and it's hysterical.

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Happy holidays!

Oceanblue7

I am glad he declined so, he can focus on football and put this behind him and get on with games for those Eagles fans.

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Ps.103:12 He washes our sins away into the ocean
Brady's back
"We have unfinished business to take care of" Randy Moss,#81, WR

dogmom

Pitties - these, or any Pitties are not inherently vicious nor are the vast majority of APBT's people-aggressive - it's a trait that has systematically actually been bred OUT of the type precisely because of what they were bred for originally - pit fighting <which is abhorrent>. Handlers needed dogs in the pits who could get very aroused and aggressive toward OTHER Dogs but at the same time still be controlled by the people in order to win. Within "aggression" toward other dogs actually is range or responses that may go from dog-tolerant of one or few other dogs a dog knows well, to dog-tolerant of a variety of dogs who are similar to herself, or over a certain age, etc., to dog-friendly <wants to interact more obviously> to a few dogs, to dog-friendly to many dogs, etc. Most Pitties are fairly dog-tolerant about some other dogs but that doesn't mean they want to have their but sniffed by every dog they see. There is also HUGE difference between dog-on-dog aggression by a dog and aggression toward a person, by a dog. One does not automatically transfer to the other. Most of the Pities rescued from that terrible situation are rehabbed and living stable and loving lives with new people.

dogmom

for the pic. of your brindle girlie, Sally!

AGREE Bott "pitbulls are good dogs....."

PUNISH THE DEED, NOT THE BREED

sallylou

Thanks, dogmom.

My girl loves to play with other dogs at the dog park. So many butts to sniff, so little time.

IMHO, rescue dogs are the best. They truly appreciate having a home and kind owners.

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Happy holidays!

dogmom

sally welcome
am involved w/Rottie and Pittie rescue-

I was just working on teaching my Rottie girl to put her toys away

Bottesini

I was always afraid of that too, but my veterinarian at the time told me it is completely untrue and that she would be a great dog, and he was right.

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It's a joke Nathan!

Oceanbreeze

Well, then... I guess its true.

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"You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire. Once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher."

~Peter Gabriel

Bottesini

I didn't mean to be quite so forceful!

I guess I should have said it was his opinion, and it worked out well for us.

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It's a joke Nathan!

Oceanbreeze

Its all good, Bott. Its just that pitbulls scare the mess outta me. Rotties do too!

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"You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire. Once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher."

~Peter Gabriel

sallylou

OB, I talked to a dog trainer before I adopted Baby. The dog trainer said that as long as the dog shows no aggression, the dog is fine. Baby has never shown any aggression to me or my kids. The reason that I talked to the trainer is because I was concerned about my son who was young at that time (about 4).

I could tell that she was a special dog because the rescue had placed her in Petsmart. The female employees ohh and ahhhed over her. They painted her toe nails purple. When I took her home, the women cried. I told them that she'd have a good home, I promise!

Compare that to my herder who is dominate and more high strung. She's nipped at me and gone to bed hungry before.

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Happy holidays!

whatdidyousay!

I have a friend that got a dog that been abuse very badly and the dog did not thrust people . My friend was able to train the dog to be a great family dog and watch dog! Some guy tried to rob my friend at night. She lived in a town house in Boston. The dog had the run of the house at night. One night the dog heard someone breaking in through a window , so Teddy, dog name, laid down under the window and waited for the guy to put a leg in the house then Teddy bite the guy! When my friend and family woke up they found a piece of pants leg on the door with blood on it! And nothing was missing , only some of the guy skin on his leg!

Bottesini

The cheers for Teddy. I always think rescued dogs are best and love you most, because they know life can be bad.

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It's a joke Nathan!

sallylou

Good dog! I feel more comfortable with my dogs around.

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Happy holidays!

rockin'robin

I don't trust Pit Bulls. They scare me to death. Has been so much bad news regarding the breed here in Jax. So many at the shelter and no one will adopt them.

As far as for asking Vick to visit the dogs he abused, maybe they should have just let him in the cage with the dogs. They could probably have a "friendly reunion"....but I don't believe dogs "forget" easily!

dogmom

I can understand that some are scared.....but "all pit bulls are like such" same as "all so-and-so people are like this". The media plays on people's fear. The vast majority of Pitties - more so than dogs like Cocker Spaniels, Labs - have passed the ATTS - American Temperament test, which has 10 parts and includes things like - friendly approaching strangers, reactions to novel things, etc. There is no reason for shelters to blatantly refuse to adopt out or kill all Pitties or Rotties or whatever other than public's misunderstanding of them.

sallylou

I love that people are afraid of Baby. They give me wide berth when I'm with her. People leave me alone.

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Happy holidays!

dogmom

with my Rotties, the waters are parted, path made wide ....sometimes I like that, but sometimes not necessary-

Phillips

..... Move on!

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Oceanblue7

Good one

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Ps.103:12 He washes our sins away into the ocean
Brady's back
"We have unfinished business to take care of" Randy Moss,#81, WR

dogmom

Oceanblue7

I am in agreement with Phillips

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Ps.103:12 He washes our sins away into the ocean
Brady's back
"We have unfinished business to take care of" Randy Moss,#81, WR