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…..

Pit Bull Leo, rescued from NFL quarterback Michael Vick’s dogfighting ring, now brings happiness to a cancer ward and probationary center.

Despite his training as a killer, Leo is a sweetheart as he visits his friends on the ward.

“He is wonderful, and all the patients love Leo,” said Paula Reed, the facility’s oncology director. “They really love his eyes and gentleness.”

I remember crying over the poor dogs who were seized from Vick’s property with a terrible past and little hope for a future after the story broke. Hearing about their rehabilitation makes my heart feel full. Thank you to all the rescuers who gave these unfortunate souls a second chance.

Read the full story here: Beaten-down dog from Vick case has his day.