Life After Fighting: Vick’s Pit Bulls Rehabbed
This is a wonderful, and uplifting, article on the trials and tribulations that go along with rehabilitating rescued fighting pit bulls. A number of the dogs seized from Michael Vick’s, former football star, dogfighting camp in 2007 went to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for rehabilitation.
Vick’s former fight dogs live in a facility within Best Friends called Dogtown, and according to Besmehn nearly all have made major improvements since they arrived, both physically and emotionally.
Tonight you can watch Dogtown, on the National Geographic Channel, as it follows Cherry and Georgia, two of the surviving pit bulls.
Best Friends was criticized earlier this year when it took in the abused pooches.
“Definitely, there were groups that recommended that these dogs be euthanized, that they can’t be rehabbed,” Besmehn said. “For us, we’ve taken challenging dogs on a regular basis. We feel these dogs, at a minimum, deserve a chance. We’ve seen these dogs are doing really well with a little bit of patience. … They can make progress. It takes time.”
The full article is rather long but very inspiring and worth reading in full. It shows that these dogs shouldn’t arbitrarily be put down for a choice one human made that sealed their fate. Humans on the other hand…..
I love Dog Town and to read about the rehab they have given to the Vick dogs is amazing, however Vick should be required to shell out some of those hard earned millions ( I am being sarcastic) and pony to Best Friends for their rehab.
The case continues to raise my ire, I am shocked and appalled that educated people encourage and love to watch dogs fight. To me it must be the most horrific sight to watch a dog fighting to the death.
I wish I was closer to Dog Town; I would give them every second of my free time.
Bless you all for the good works that you do!!
Kim and one spoiled dog, Coco
We will be watching tonight. It shows the amazing resilience and love for humans these dogs have. Thank you Best Friends for stepping up and making Life possible for these pups. Especially when so called “animal lovers” called for their death with no possibility they could be redeened. Paws Up!
Anyone who claims that dogs can’t be rehabbed are sorely mis-informed..Dogtown appears to be a wonderfull place where dogs can get their second chance. As a kid I raised Champion Beagles, but now that I’m older and wiser, I wouldnt have any other dog than a pit bull. Pits are a most amazing, caring, loving and faithfull animal. They are adaptable to any service that their owner requires of them. My dogs are multi-purpose, hunting, home protetion and loyal companions. There is a vicious animal ordinance where I live prohibiting pit bulls, but the “powers that be” all know my dogs and I take them everywhere w/out their muzzles, as they know my dogs are healthy, happy & balanced. So neener neener to all of the anti-pit bull nay sayers
I hope that these dogs will continue on their path to recovery. And to all those who have a prejuidice against pitbills, humans are the ones who turn them into the fearful image they carry around. I believe they can be rehabilitated, and move on to live happier and healthier lives. Good for them!!!!
I have been to Best Friends several times and have volunteered at Dogtown. It is an amazing place. While volunteers are not allowed to interact with the Vick dogs, at least as of July, I was told they were kept in their own area while being rehabilitated. It is an awesome task to take on but if anyone can do it, it is the wonderful staff at Best Friends.
Hooray for Dog Town for not giving up on these beautiful dogs. It just shows that sometimes you just shouldn’t give up.
Best Friends is indeed a remarkable place. They are spreading the word and helping fight BSL. I work for the City of Raleigh, NC and some of my best friends are on the RPD - several of them have adopted pit bulls - dogs that the shelter had scheduled to be euthanized. They are wonderful dogs - loyal, loving and playful. You’re right - they get a bad reputation because of ignorant, abusive humans.
We cant believe he got off so easy, our Daddy tries to save any abused pups he can, and even if it means tackling some moron who thinks he can beat 1 of us because he feels like it or hes had a bad day, our Daddy shows them what a bad day is. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ANIMAL ABUSE. Theres only one thing that saved his sorry a** behind bars, my Daddy. He should be very thankful my Daddy wasnt there, because he would have been treated just like a child molester, rapist, or wife beater. Just another rag.
Sorry about the rant we just had to release, we agree Dogtown has done a GREAT job with rehab of the pups. It is heart wrenching how most of them are so scared and timid of people. But the people at Dogtown deserve a lot of media attention for the work they have put in, in to helping those pups have another chance at life thats not cruel and abusive. BRAVO DOGTOWN!
Thank God these dogs had people willing to take them in and work with them. It is too easy to just euthanize troubled dogs. Vick should be forced to pay for all their care for the rest of their lives. He is the reason the dogs have these problems, and it just makes me sick. People who are ignorant enough to defend what he did are just as bad as he is. Vick should be sentenced to cleaning out cages in animal shelters all over the United States.
Nick, definately agree with Vick paying for them for the rest of their lives. Sentencing on the other hand, he shouldve been labeled a child molester,or a rapist. That within in itself would be punishment enough. Only for the fact that he would get what he basically gave.
I’m watching the Dogtown special now and am so excited for these babies. Thank you, Dogtown staff, for all you’ve done and continue to do.
As for Michael Vick paying for their care and rehab while they’re at the Sanctuary, I believe he is or has. He may have been ordered to pay for their aftercare should they get adopted — I don’t know.
The Dog Whisperer episode was very good as well. It was about rehabilitating a red-zoned pit bull. AWESOME episode — absolutely AWESOME!!
I am so mad to know that that monster Vic did all that! I hope he stays in prison for the rest of his life and get tortured! God bless people who help these dogs and God bless Cesar Millan. DId anybody see Dog Wispherer after Dogtown yesterday? It was about two pits and their owner, it completley amazed me and I want to contact them and tell them how great they are to believe in their dog???? I so want to change my career now and start hunting people who use dogs for fights. I have a staforshire terrier/pit and I love that dog….
I wonder if Cesar Millan works with Dogtown people?
I am glad that they are teaching and rehabilitating the dogs, but I feel like the trainers need Cesar’s help. Not to be rude to them, but I saw a lot of baby talk toward the pit bulls, no pack leadership, not a lot of correction when the pits got in fights, or when one pit was being tested and another dog was brought in, nobody corrected the pit not to act agresively,and I know Cesar always does that! I
I dont know if baby talk is a step of rehabilitation process with those pits, but I feel like pits are still being dominating toward the trainers. I wonder ,does anybody have ways of getting info if Cesar works with Dogtown? I am sure he must have work with those trainers!!!!!!!! Does anybody know this???
I watched this last night with my dog in my lap and cried over the abuse that these pits have been through. Out of all the restitution Vick paid Best Friends got $400,000 from the 1 million. I dont think there is enough money in the world that could take the pain and heartache these poor babies have been through. Watching these dogs be rehabilitated gives me the “warm fuzzies”. Watching Cherry play with another dog and Meryl warm up to a stranger and poor Denzel fight off a disease that could take his life. What really got me though was when they took sweet Georgia in to be checked by a dental vet tech. He thought that her teeth had to be removed professionally by another vet!! Could there really be vets out there who vow to do no harm to these poor animals remove all of her teeth? I just feel absolutely sick to my stomach over that one. May the gods bless all the workers who take care of these dogs. You earned your spot in the Heavens in my book.
We rescued a puppy from our local shelter almost one year ago. We think (know…) that he is part pit bull. Both of our respective parents told us to get rid of him. He is the sweetest most loving scardy-cat of any dog I’ve ever had. The whole Michael Vick story makes me sick as I really thought they would have to put the dogs down. Good for them! I’m so happy to hear that they are doing well and were “retrainable.”
I only wish that I could have been on the jury for Vick, although I don’t think it went to trial. I think he plea bargained (sentenced to less than 2 years). NOT NEARLY ENOUGH for what he and his friends did to those innocent animals that had no choice in what happened to them. What bothers me most is the possibility after his release, will he start this criminal activity again? And, I pray he will never be allowed to own another animal or ever be able to play pro football again. The sad reality of all this is that this so called “sport” goes on all over the US. Maybe, someday, with tougher laws and longer sentences and people that will report this illegal activity, it will cease to exist.
I pray for these animals and Best Friends. Thank God the judge in this case believed that some of these beautiful babies were worth saving, It’s heartwarming to see the progress they have made and maybe soon they will have a loving forever home. My heart breaks for the ones they deemed too dangerous to save.
I agree that Vick should be made to support these animals for the rest of their lives, but $400,000 was NOT nearly enough with the amount of money he has made. The courts were harder on Martha Stewart! One can only hope that the prison he’s in has a lot of inmates that love animals. I live in Eastern NC and several of the prisons have a program called a New Leash on Life. Shelter dogs are put in the care of prisoners and are obedience trained and cared for by them(under the guidance of a professional dog trainer). After the dogs graduate, they are adopted. Of course, they get attached to the dogs and the dogs to them.
Pit Bulls are beautiful loving animals, no different than any animal that has be raised with love and respect. Even the smallest dog can be trained to be vicious.
Dogtown is a great show and I will continue to watch. Thank God for devoted people and a wonderful safe place for these dogs. They deserve the best because they have survived the worst,
I watched this and was totally blown away! I had no idea pit bulls could be rehabbed or any dog for that matter after they had been abused as bad as these dogs have.
What an amazing thing they are doing. It brought tears to my eyes more than once. Those people deserve medals.
They are true heroes.
~Julie~
http://www.pethealthlinks.com
I watched the show and its amazing what they are doing for these dogs.
Just wanted to share a quick and instant love story with my two girls whom the vet says are part pitbull. (Others think they are purebread!)
Whatever they are, at nearly 5 years of age now, after we rescued them from a life of unimaginable filth, beatings, etc., they have proven to be my best friends and wouldn’t hurt a living soul. They love company as they show off with their favorite toys: Jazzy with her bones, Abby with her 5′ long Scooby Doo stuffed dog! Kisses galore come with each greeting. They are not ‘huge’ with big, threatening square faces, just loveable ‘lap dogs’ with an inate sense of gratefulness for each new day of being loved to death.
They are not to be feared, but more to be pitied for the reputation which precedes them.
Anyone who treats these canine wonders like Vick has done, should suffer the same fate as he inflicted on them.
When I pass on, whatever equity I have will not be shared with my daughters or grandson! Oh no. Every penny will go to the care of my babies, if they outlive me. If they go before I do, then anything and everything which I have will be donated to Canine Rescue and care.
Thanks for listening.
Paws for the Cause
i just wanted to say i think it is wonderful that these dogs are getting another chance to live a happy and loving life. its great to have people out there who care and are trying to help these poor dogs be able to live and learn that not all humans are bad. i know the bad reputation these poor dogs get. it is from people. not the dogs. the jerks who get pits just for the purpose of training them to be mean. not because they want a pet, they don’t care about the dog, at all, just want to teach it to be mean. pits are not mean dogs at all. its a shame and horrible what people do to them , it makes me sick. any and all abuse of dogs makes me sick. i know somebody who has a pit and let me tell u, he is a big boy. his name is duke and like i said he is a pretty big boy…bol. well, first time i met him he came over to me, i was kneeling on the floor, i patted his head and he just flopped down and rolled over for me to rub his belly. he is a gentle giant. we are good friends. he is a baby. lol. duke is so sweet and loving and yes..he’s a PIT!!!! how bout that…people need to give these dogs a chance. they have every right to a good life with lots of fun and lots of love just like any other dog. dogs are what their people make them. and these people that abuse pits and train them to be mean and fight are the ones that should be put down…for good!!!!! thats how i feel about it. every dog deserves to be loved and have a good & safe home, that includes pits… its way past time for this abuse to stop, it must stop now, against all animals !!!!!!
I feel bad for all the dogs and what they went thur and I saw that they are getting great care and doing well, but I think everything that was done to them should be done to Michael vicks yank out all his teeth lets see how he feels put him on the rape rack and let the inmates have at him and see how he likes it
I watched the dogtown episode and after I started crying I was so angry,I have had adopted shelter dogs all my life dogs that were somebodys throw away,each one was my very best friend and taught me so much about real friendship I think we have to push for stronger punishment more time in jail and really big fines imposed on the people who get so much pleasure from the innocent and vulnerable suffering of these really great animals