Petey could have been one of Vick's dogs. The ugly reality of dog fighting.
Well for my first post I’ve decided to tackle a very politically charged and unpleasant issue. My intention was to keep things light, but it’s hard to avoid the subject of Michael Vicks if you work in the animal welfare community as I do.
First I would like to say that if you are not informed, you don’t get to have an opinion. That’s just how debate works.
And if you are the type of person who prefers to look the other way when things are hard to look at, then you won’t be informed. If you can’t even look, how can you possibly think its okay?
So I want to start out by very clearly describing what happens in dog fighting rings. And you probably should not let your children read this.
This is really ugly stuff folks, and it makes me extremely angry. Give me 5 minutes in a room with Michael Vick and I’d have him crying for his momma. The kind of anger that springs from the sadness I feel about this case produces adrenalin you could bottle up and sell. Oh yeah, and brains beat brawn every time. Sorry Michael, I would take you out and never even break a nail.
Anyway I digress. If you think it’s not a big deal think again. Aside from the fact that the dogs are forced to fight to the death, that’s probably the nicest thing that happens to them. And please consider the fact that the dogs have to be “trained” to fight. It does not really come naturally to a dog to kill other dogs. I mean really, they are pack animals come on. So to get them to fight you need to beat them and let them practice on other animals. “Bait” refers to animals that are stolen out of people’s backyards, so this could be your Poodle or cat or Golden Retriever puppy taken for dogs to “practice” on.
So once you have some dogs that are ready to fight, you want to breed them too. And since they are now vicious and hate other dogs now you need to use a breeding stand (sometimes called a rape stand) because otherwise mom and pop dog will kill each other.
And when they fight, this is how the “losers” look. And those are the lucky ones. Often the dogs who don’t win are beaten more, shot, hung, electrocuted, or drowned. And yes this happened on the Vick complex.
A typical thing to do is to place an alligator clip on the tail and ear of the dog that is charged with electricity and pour water on the dog so it fries. And if that doesn’t finish the job they hang the dog up and walk away, or fire a round into it.
Are you ready to throw up yet? Good, because that means you had the courage to find out for yourself how this really works. And if you still think this is okay. Well I don’t want you at my supper table, that’s for sure.
It’s obvious that money and greed fuel this little cottage industry and it goes without saying that money is the root of all evil, but what else is happening there? I mean what kind of person could take pleasure out of that degree of suffering? Well I don’t know why Ted Bundy did what he did either, nor do I care. In my opinion there is simply something wrong with people like that. And I honestly don’t think people like that can be rehabilitated or change. I read an article about pedophiles a few years ago and the psychiatric community admitted they have no ability to rehabilitate them and that the best thing to do was lock them up where they can’t hurt anyone. I personally believe this is the same. A sociopath lacks empathy. It is near impossible to instill empathy in an adult who has none.
But if you think that jail time takes a person like that and makes them fit for society I would ask you if you think they are now a good role model for your children? Do you want your children looking up to Michael Vick and thinking he’s a good guy now? Would you want him at your supper table? If Michael Vick had raped your sister, but then went to prison for 2 years would you think he’s okay now? He’s done his time and now he’s okay? Really? I don’t believe you. Not for a minute.
If you are a father, who watches NFL and tells your son that Michael Vick is a great football player and deserves a second chance what you are doing is shaping your child’s values. As a parent, that is what you are doing every day. And the message is this, sports and money are more important than life. Sentient beings who suffer are less important than sports and money. If you say you are sorry after you do horrible malicious things then everyone will forgive you and you might even make millions of dollars…as long as you are popular and good at something that people want to pay money for. Being a good person is not so important son. Just be popular and make money.
Come on. If you sit down and really think about his you will discover this. You wouldn’t let Michael Vick near your family or pets and you don’t think he’s okay now. You just like football.
And if you love your family and your pets and your friends you should also know that there are countless studies that prove the relationship between violence to animals and violence to humans. In New Brunswick if you abuse your pet you are put in a registry because they figure a person is getting it next.
Do you still want your son to get Michael Vicks’ autograph?
Now some people will say well he did his time and he deserves to earn a living. He doesn’t know how to do anything else. To which I say Walmart is probably hiring. Or if it’s so important that Michael play football can’t he just earn a regular salary of $30K or $40K like the rest of us and the rest of his millions be donated to animal shelters? I mean does someone like that really deserve to be filthy rich?
Why does everyone think people “deserve” a second chance? Didn’t Michael already get a chance almost nobody gets? And he blew it folks. If you had a job interview with Microsoft making $200K and you chose to get drunk the night before and sleep through the interview would you “deserve” a second chance?
Life is hard. People make choices. Sometimes people make poor choices. There are consequences for poor choices. That is reality. And that is a better lesson for your children than telling them some people get away with bad things because they are popular or make lots of money.
I also want you to know that this happens right here in HRM. If you have tips, please contact me as I would love to do an expose. And yes that will put me in danger because the kind of people who fight dogs also run guns and drugs and prostitutes. But I believe enough in my principles to stand up to the bad guys. Do you?
PS – the dog in the picture is Petey from Little Rascals. If he were alive today he could have been one of Michael Vicks’ dogs. I’m just saying…
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!
MV had his second chance the first time he fought a dog, the first time he made a dog a fighter, the first time he made a female / male mate , the first time he electrocuted a dog, the first time he drowned a dog, the first time he hung a dog, the first time he slammed one into the ground, the first time he pretended he didn’t know any better. Anyone with a heart and or compassion even as a child knows that was WRONG. So yes he had is second chance many times over.
If you need ANY help you just let me know. These scum bags that fight dogs need to be stopped and those who support him all in the name of a mundain sport are no better. May they all rot in hell.
I stand behind Gail…and throw in my support.