Michael Vick was given the chance to visit some of his former dogs who are housed at Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls, also known as BAD RAP.  He was going to be in the Bay Area this weekend when the Philadelphia Eagles are in town to play the Oakland Raiders.

Here are the details from The Associated Press.

“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.”

The visit would have taken place at a location where Vick could view the dogs from a distance so that it satisfied the conditions of his parole that bar him from being near animals.

Despite the fact that Vick claims he is trying to ‘right his wrong’  he declined the offer.  Maybe he was afraid the dogs would recognize him.

*Ollie is available for adoption, he’s on Dogster’s Adoption & Rescue Center.

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Michael Vick spoke against dog fighting yesterday at a church in Washington, D.C., the appearance was sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.

Since his release he has partnered with the HSUS to help bring national awareness about this sadistic “sport” and bring an end to it.

Here are the details from the Associated Press.

“I got caught up in the culture,” Vick told an audience at the Covenant Baptist Church, per the Associated Press. “I never thought that I would get caught.

“I used poor judgment. I had people around me who didn’t have my best interests at heart,” he said.

“Who knows what could have happened at 3 in the morning when you’re fighting dogs?” he said. “It’s almost like being involved in the streets, dealing drugs, in criminal life.”

I’ve got to tell you,  I’m not hearing a lot of remorse in his statements. Not once does he actually take credit for what he did, he blames it on others and is glad he didn’t get hurt while involved in dog fighting.

Several dozen people showed up to hear him, about half were teens or children.

* Pic courtesy McIsaac/Getty Images

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Alright, it isn’t an offer for anyone to tackle Michael Vick, it’s a challenge to the Redskins.

The Main Line Animal Rescue, based out of D.C., put an ad in The Washington Post that some may consider a bit controversial. I, on the other hand, think it’s the first sensible news having to do with Michael Vick that I’ve seen in a while.

The company pledged to donate five bags of dog food to local D.C. shelters every time the Redskins tackle Michael Vick when they play the Eagles on October 26th. According to Fox Sports,the founder and CEO of the shelter Bill Smith is skeptical of Vick’s newfound concern for dogs.

I think we’re all getting tired of the ‘Does he deserve a second chance?’ kind of thing,” Bill Smith told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I think we just need to raise public awareness, and this is a good way to do that. It may be funny. It may be clever. It may not.”

The ad encourages people to volunteer at a shelter on game day.  Volunteering at a shelter any time is a good idea, you don’t need to wait for a special occasion.

* Pepper Anne is at the Washington Humane Society, she’s a 1 year old Chow Chow brought to the  shelter after her owners got evicted from their home and had nowhere to keep her anymore. If you’re interested in this beautiful girl visit the WHS website.

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Since the Eagles signed Michael Vick dog fighting has been the talk of the town in Philly. To add fuel to the fire, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports a dog fighting ring has been busted in Germantown which is just outside the city.

A tip from the animal-cruelty hotline sent officers from the Pennsylvania SPCA to a house in East Germantown. Several dead dogs were found and a few badly injured pit bulls were rescued.  Four men, one is the property owner, face charges.

Today, the Eagles plan to hold a summit of area animal-welfare groups at the NovaCare Complex, the team’s South Philadelphia training facility. Vick is not expected to attend.

“This particular bust is especially timely,” said Gail Luciani, the chief public relations officer for the Pennsylvania SPCA.

George Bengal, director of law enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA, said the entire block where the bust took place is a mecca for dog fighting. Read the rest of this entry »

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Just when you think you’ve seen everything along comes a customizable Michael Vick dog jersey. What more could a dog lover ask for?

The L.A. Times reports that fans can order  the Philadelphia Eagles dog jersey with Vick’s name on the back on the NFLShop.com site.

A New York Daily News reporter successfully purchased the “custom pet jersey,” making it clear that Vick isn’t on the league’s list of words and names shoppers cannot use for customized jerseys.

“Like any other player, [customers] can obtain that name and that jersey if they wish,” league spokesman Greg Aiello told the Daily News. “As far as putting it on the dog product, he’s working with humane societies, working to educate others on this issue, so we don’t see a problem.”

I cannot fathom a dog lover walking around with a Michael Vick jersey. For that matter, I don’t know why anyone would possibly want one. A Michael Vick dog chew toy….maybe.

* Pic courtesy NFLShop.com

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