A Truly Happy Ending for Michael Vick's Dogs

Howdy y'all!! I am cross-posting this from my blog today since I thought y'all would enjoy it. I just happened to pass by a magazine rack yesterday, & was surprised to see a dog on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It's the December 29th, 2008 issue, & there is a nice long article by Jim Gorant about the real-life happy ending for alot of these dogs. You can read the entire text of the article online here (skip page 1 if you don't want to read again about the bad situation these dogs were rescued from). There are also some really heart-warming pictures of these dogs w/their new families. Seeing them in their new lives, it's hard to imagine them in their old ones.

The amazingly good news is, 47 of the 51 dogs seized from Vick's estate were saved from euthanasia. Even after the horrendous conditions & training they were kept in, 14 were friendly enough to be adopted into forever homes. Around 11 are in foster care being groomed for adoption, & 22 are staying at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah (a wonderful place where they are receiving the best in rehabilition & round-the-clock care). Of the 22 dogs at Best Friends, another 17 should eventually be adopted. Even more amazingly, several of the dogs have been certified as therapy dogs, & are bringing comfort to cancer patients, adolescents and troubled teens. I have no qualms whatsoever about saying that is a miracle.

I am still moved by how many people & organizations rallied to help these dogs. And in a better world, every stray, abandoned or abused pet deserves the same kind of attention, care & resources these dogs got. On behalf of the dogs, i'd like to thank Vick's cousin who used his address, indirectly helping lead to the kennel being shut down. As for the future of Michael Vick, I think it would be a travesty if he ever plays in the NFL again, & I will vehemently object to any team that signs him. On a happier note, you can follow the progress of the Vick dogs at Best Friends on their Vicktory Dogs page, watch videos, or sponsor one of the dogs(or, another Best Friends critter, they have all kinds) for $25 . You can also see them on the "Dogtown" TV show on National Geographic.

Wishing you peace, love & furry critters!

Layla