“Getting involved in a dogfighting operation with his cousin and friends from his former life was stupid and criminal. Killing animals the way he did was deviant and reflects a sickness that can’t be offset by a prison sentence.”

that’s it in a nutshell. Another great blog on this subject.

Very well said, I’ve tried to convey my feelings in this manner but it doesn’t come out as elegantly as you’ve put it. I’m afraid my passion for animals & my anger with Michael Vick overcomes me. Bravo to you!

AubieGirl

I contacted the HSUS to tell them that I was upset about Wayne Pacelle defending Vick, but all they care about is that Vick lost a lot of money and two years of his life. They did not even acknowledge his crime or say that he was the one responsible for his own difficulties, nor did they show any concern over the abuse and murders of the dogs.

It is obvious that the HSUS is more interested in using its money, time and energy to rehab Vick than to fight animal abuse.

Again,WELL SAID!! You put what I am thinking and feeling into words so much better than I could ever do myself.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.And God bless you for what you do each and every day for these most precious of God’s creations,the animals.

AMEN!!!! Vick is sorry he got caught, sorry he had to go to jail, sorry he lost money, sorry he lost time on the field but, he has never once said he is sorry he abused, tortured or violently killed dogs!!! If he was truly sorry about the dogs and said so, “we” would be able to hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes and know it in our souls, then and only then could “we” begin to forgive him!!!! Thank You for saying what so many of us couldn’t find the words to say!

I was just thinking exactly the same thing. It sums it up in a nutshell.

>>>It’s much easier to forgive someone who can’t forgive himself.<<<

That sir, perfectly sums up the whole Vick horror show. He has forgiven himself and leaves one wondering if he ever even blamed himself. He has moved on. The majority of the public believes he he deserves this 2nd chance he's been given. Our commander in chief even believes it. Me, I'm not convinced. I doubt I'll ever forgive and I know I'll never forget. The mere mention of his name forces me to think about what his hands have done and what his eyes have seen. No, I'll never forgive.

Another great BF piece! (I love you all at Best Friends!)

I agree with you completely, Zug. I never knew who Vick was before that horrible day in 2007 when I heard about his “kennels”, but now when I hear his name, it is instant disgust, horror, and incredible sadness (even anguish) that I feel for those poor dogs. And to see Vick just move on with his life, like he just had a simple speeding ticket that was blown out of proportion…well, that’s just beyond disgusting. I will never forgive or forget, either.

Amen, Francis, amen. I’ve always said the same thing…that he has never shown remorse and is only sorry that he got caught. Had he not, his miserable self would still be torturing dogs…to this I have no doubt.

Oh, and Mr. Obama…I say to you that I have lost a certain amount of respect for you sir. Yes, forgiveness may be an important lesson to instill in your children…but to teach them to forgive a monster like Vick…well, I don’t get it. Do your children know the horror he put these dogs through. The REAL truth…not the sugar-coated version. Maybe a better lesson taught would be one of second chances for these dogs who were never even given a first chance, unlike Vick, who had it all and still needed to be a sadistic idiot. I know one thing is sure, I would NEVER, EVER want my child to look up to or respect a waste of air like Vick. He will never have my forgiveness.

Libra Blue,
What a ridiculous thing to say about one of the most effective animal welfare organizations in the country. Because of HSUS, there are federal laws on the books for dogfighting. Had there not been, then Vick would have gotten away with his crime with a slap on the wrist. And HSUS is concerned with ALL animals and their singular goal is to stop cruelty and end suffering of all animals. I’d like to know, Libra Blue, if you extend your compassion to all animals. In other words, if you eat meat or dairy, you too are contributing to cruelty, just indirectly.

You want him to apologize to dogs so you can feel better about him? Yeah, I’d put that high on my list of things to do.

wonderful and true. I think of all the little boys who at one time in their lives hurt an animal due to peer pressure or just because. 99.9% of them felt regret immediatly and that was it, game over. but those that didn’t are in our society still hurting living things. to get to an age Vick was and still think cruelty is OK makes me wonder the things he is capable of. he feels no remorse and that is what is so disturbing.

I don’t need or want to feel better about him. Judging by your sarcasm you feel just fine.

I believe he says what his “people” tell him is ok to say. He grew up around this type of evil and in his sick mind it is ok…no amount of jail time or public apologies is going to change that…he needs some serious therapy and community work with homeless dogs to even begin to start to get my forgiveness. His “people” should be insisting he volunteer his time to work with animal shelters and also donate his money to various animal causes.

This is it. This is what I’ve been trying to say since the beginning, but never had this level of eloquence. Thank you Francis. You got right to the heart of the issue.

Exactly how I feel too. It all literally makes me sick … my entire system shuts down in a haze of rage and pain when I even think about his actions, and especially about his lack of remorse for those actions even now. It’s just revolting on the most fundamental level.

And this is why I also cannot bring myself to forgive President Obama, for brining up his name and elevating him to the status of a hero or a role model for giving felons a second chance.

It sends the message that what he did is a mere minor crime, and that remorse for these actions or making amends is completely unnecessary. His short prison sentence is enough to have “paid his debt” and all that is due, to society and to his victims. So now it’s fine to once again hold up Michael Vick as a role model for kids.

The fact that he is a sociopathic torturer and mass murdered of innocent dogs, who not only brutally tortured his own animals but also kidnapped and tortured and murdered other people’s family pets — family members to some to some of us! — can we written off. The pain he inflicted on both people and animals is beyond words. The fact that he walks away from the with such a minor punishment and then gets elevation from the president is simply too much to accept.

I honestly cannot imagine anything more stupid. And I say this as someone who has been an avid supporter of Barack Obama since 2007, who helped get him elected, and has stood by him through everything else up to now.

But this has totally changed my perceptions of him, because he thinks that Michael Vick deserves to be given this status. I cannot think the same way about him ever again.

Thanks Francis. You put into words something I’ve felt since first learning about want Vick did. From what I have heard about his public appearances and talks regarding the whole history of his actions he does not seem to understand or have “confronted the darkness” of what he did. His words seem to be lip service, not genuine understanding of his own actions. I think that is ultimately why I don’t trust his present “contrition” and it is also why I don’t think that him getting another dog is a good thing. I’m really afraid that if he does then that dog to would be at great risk. Vick’s present talks and appearances seem to be an attempt by him and his representatives to remake the image and they do nothing to show me that he has confronted the part of himself and the extreme violence of what HE personally did to the dogs who died.

I have been saying this all along – if he apologized to the animals maybe some good would have come out of this. And maybe more people including myself would be so much more forgiving. But I cannot forgive him because the images are in my head of what he did to those poor defenseless dogs – I see them in my dreams and see them when I am awake and that I cannot forgive. I do not think he does the soo called good things because he wants to I still believe he does it for show.

He could begin with a huge check to your organization.

Very well said, again. I have no desire to forgive this man, as what he did was inhumane and appalling. He has made no attempt to rectify his wrongs and the fact that he has never contacted the rescue groups that finally showed his dogs what love is speaks leaps and bounds for me. He doesn’t care…he just wants his career back. Unfortunately, the Eagles were all too willing to give him that because the almighty dollar is more important than the underlying moral issues.

I think he should give to the shelter an equal amount of money that he spent killing dogs, seeing the only thing that hurts him is losing cash.

I don’t believe for one second this is ‘just criminal behavior’. I think he has a mental disorder that could never be cured by punishment.

I know a lot of people will not agree with me but I can never forgive or forget what he did to those helpless babies. Growing up around that kind of behaviour is no excuse.

Michael Vick doesn’t deserve to eat dog food, I wish he would just drop off the face of the earth, move to Vietnam and eat dogs like they do there. That should make this sick, *astard happy. When the Eagles play, I turn off the TV. I feel sorry for the folks in PA who have to put up with this sick thing everyday.

I think he is sorry that he did the things he did because he was caught. If that had not been the case, the man would still be doing it. I agree with the article, if he were truly sorry, he would be talking about the nightmares that he is having to endure every night because of what he has done to those beautiful dogs.If justice had been served, the man would never play professional football again.

Francis…you are always so thoughtful and eloquent in your words…always touching what we may not have thought of, but what our hearts have felt. I appreciate your gift.. more so, your heart.

thank you

Michael Vick never received that I know of any kind of counseling about what he did. He is only rejoicing in the fact that he is having a great season. I do not believe he even thinks about those poor dogs that he with his bare hands killed. I for one will never be able to forgive him. I am sickened everytime I see him on TV. Not once has he apologized to those animals. I believe he is not sorry for what he did, he is just sorry he got caught.

There is nothing truer about Michael Vick than what is said in this article. The disgusting thing is he has been quoted saying, “I would love to get another dog in the future.” This disgusts me on so many levels I can’t even put it into words. So after a pedophile serves there sentence they can have children come into their homes??

To Love all animals about the HSUS – do not forget that the HSUS wanted to have all of the dogs put down instead of trying to rehabaliate them. The HSUS may be helping animals but from what I can see right now they are doing more to hurt them by defending Vick and the only reason they are defending him right now in a big way is because of the money the Eagles organization is giving them. Let us all not forget the most important thing here and that is the welfare of animals and all animals anyone who is cruel and abusive toan animal has issues – animals are not here to hurt us they are doing the same thing we are all doing and that is taking care of their families and trying to survive. Who are we to take that right away from them. It sickens me to know that some people defene M Vick for what he has done in my eyes the people who defend him have no moral consccience and I think I need to stop before I say too much and get too many more people to dislike me.

The BEST article I’ve read on the subject and I’m certain it can’t be beat!

Francis, You wrote exactly how I feel. I don’t like hating Vick. I am a very forgiving person but he has never said he was sorry to the animals. I wish I could stop feeling this way, but I just can’t do it at this time. I truly believe he has no conscience. Living in the Philly area and having a house full of Eagles fans is not very pleasant. When I hear his name, it sends shivers up my spine. Seeing the Vicktory dogs at the sanctuary, struggling everyday to deal with their horrid past, knowing that Vick is a hero in football lovers eyes makes it so hard to forgive. Someday…maybe someday I will be able to do it but not now.

I am 100% with you….I can’t get over the fact that this was so easily forgiven. Mike Vick as far as I am concerned doesn’t care about any of the cruelty that he did upon these loving dogs. Obama might forgive him and all the others that are praising him, but I will never.

Thank you again, Francis, for speaking what we are thinking and feeling in this regard to Vick. Bless Best Friends for all they are/do for do for our best friends, companion animals.

I think the most important thing that we can do is to stop making this about him. Let’s stop allowing attention to be called to him, both positive or negative, because isn’t that what all ‘bad children’ want? Attention. It’s about the dogs, their success, their rehabilition, their love and hopefully their full lives that they are still able to live. It is, I guess though, impossible to avoid questioning the person himself who brought all of this upon us in the first place. I think what separates MV from ‘the average criminal’ is that he was involved knee-deep (probably closer to drowning) in this long-term, self-perpetuated operation. This is not a man (if you can call him that) that had a momentary lapse in judgement. He crafted the operation, funded it, participated in it (including the fighting and brutal murder of these dogs), and then denied all of the above. How do you ‘pay your dues’ when you lack the currency of a conscience? You see, unlike the dogs that had no will to cause harm, this creature (MV) has a will and has returned to fight called life.

No his children do not know the truth…Just like the country did not know the truth about how badly he was going to run it…and run it in the GROUND!!
He talks and talks and talks but never really says anything.
But enough of that…I posted on one of my forums the other day and got about a 50/50 response. But I feel that what he did was horrible and something similar should be done to him. Like someone said, he never came out and apologized for what he did. MOST people NEVER apologize or even THINK about their evil doings until they get CAUGHT!!
My wife and I just spen nearly $500 to put a stray cat back together. The reason being that we love our cats and dogs. This one was part of a litter we came home to about a year and half ago. He is sweet and has a great personality. I can only hope that he will be ok and not be harmed further or run off.
What happened to him is someone shot him in the face with a .22. It was a glancing shot, but leaves him with only one eye. If I should find out who did this, my wish would be to shoot them in the eye. But of course, I cannot. But you can bet I will have my say and if it comes to it, that person will be prosecuted as far as I can take it!!!
Thanks
Joe

Well said!

yes, this is an amazing statement and what i hope everyone reads and understands and thinks about. i was one of the many that posted to that blog about the president and vick. this is so true. understand yourself. has he even had any kind of help or counciling? i bet not. thanks for this beautiful statement for these animals that couldnt speak for themselves.

Vick is as sick as a pedaphile or rapist, he has little conscience if any at all. He, like a sex offender should have limited acsess to animals . obviously he and his cousins and friends have grown up in a way that allows them to think this is okay! I think that this should not even be discussed, why are we allowing this non person the time of day, he should be made to live in squallor and pain for his crimes against these innocent beings. Why do us as human beings put athletes in such high reguard, he is a souless human!

So are you saying that you don’t believe in forgiveness or giving second chances? I mean I hated him for what he did. Hated him. But I also believe in giving people second chances and in forgiveness. It was horrible what he did, it was inhumane and awful, but when do we stop punishing him for what he did? When do we stop holding his past in the way of his future? When is enough, enough?

Well said. That appears to be my problem with Vick….he seems almost “cocky” about the whole “incident”. Certainly anything he says is scripted. Mr. Vick’s soul is dark. Had his life taken a direction different than the NFL, I believe he would be a serial killer.

I truly feel his only regret was in getting caught.

I agree with you, Mr. Battista. One million percent. I have NO mercy for Vick. NONE. For me, there is NO road to redemption for this man. From what I have read, he has NOT called BFAS, not once. Nor, has the President. Shame, shame, shame on these people. I do not believe he has been to the sanctuary to show any heart felt mercy for what he has done. His actions speak far louder than his words. And to think he wants another dog, to help with his rehab. Its like giving drugs to a drug addict for rehab. It makes no sense to me. I am not a mean bitter person, however, right is right, and wrong is wrong. Period. End of story. Vick in my book does not deserve any forgiveness of any kind. NONE.

Thank you for your article. Accountability and some self reflection about the horrendeousness of the violence and abuse committed by Vick would be a potent way to educate not a monetary fine and back to “hero” on the field “role model”. I did not hear Prez Obama’s speech but find it disheartening. No “regular ” person who commited such atrocities would be forgiven so readily and in such a public fourm

Very well done Again!!!

Having worked in a low poverty area I learned a lot about the way people who have grown up around dog fighting, and in poverty view dogs. Not all people- but some, don’t value the animal because they love him/her. They don’t adopt a dog for companionship but as a means to: make money, protect their stuff, etc. And they do this by hurting the animal, by beating it into submission, or by risking it’s life to fight. I don’t know if Michael Vick should ever be allowed to have another dog because at the core of the issue, at its very root, has he, or does he know the joy and the love and the pure relational value of having a dog? I would say no. I don’t think it is what he grew up with or ever learned. I agree with Becky Dodge- it would be a great risk to the dog.

I don’t need to feel better about him – I need to know that he realizes that what he did to the dogs was evil and that he now understands that. Yes Francis you are right – if he would only contact the rescue groups who took in the dogs to inquire about them, if he would only sincerely express his true regrets and horror over what he did, then maybe we could feel hope that he understood that what he did was unspeakable. So far as many have pointed out, all we get is talk, not the walk. Words that his people are telling him to say. We are not “nuts” – we value life – all life, not just animal life. Vick seems to only value money, fame, power. Thank you for your wonderful blog. I wish Vick would read “The Lost Dogs” – the book broke my heart. I wonder if Vick can even read? Ok, cheap shot. But truthfully, I believe it would be the last book he would even care to read. I am so sick of hearing about the fact that his upbringing contributed to his thinking that dogfighting was ok. I was raised in an abusive and alcoholic home. I did not repeat those mistakes. He gets no passes for that. I learned from my family’s previous mistakes – why couldn’t he?

You hit the nail on the head for me! I am one of those who are still very angry and unforgiving. I along with several friends have created our own dog rescue (Bull Terrier Rescue of Virginia, Inc. http://www.btrva.org) and we see every day the cruelty and utter disregard for sweet loving bull breeds. I am also a HUGE NFL fan, and used to be a Vick fan before I found out the person he really is under that helmet and pads. I have to say I’m completely unmoved by his interviews, it’s more that he’s sorry he was caught and excactly as you put it, not really moved by the sick things he had hand in doing to living creatures. I’m also very disappointed that he has so quickly become a football “Hero” and spectacle of “redemption” to the NFL world and sports in general and that he wants the right to own another dog just makes me sick!
Thank you for putting into words for me what I have not been able to express myself and thank you all at Best Friends for the wonderful work you do. I hope to have my own sancturary like yours one day!
Much Love
Shawn Hawes
http://www.btrva.org

I can forgive him his sins, give him credit for serving his time, accept his apologies to people he let down. But I will never forget what he did to those dogs, and I will never believe he has a consciece about what he did to them.

I don’t believe he should ever have any kind of pet, let alone a dog, in his life, ever.

He killed two that he admits to with his own hands. He allowed more to be killed. It doesn’t matter if he’s claimed he’s changed, I don’t think he has. He got caught, had not been caught he’d still be fighting animals. He’s not sorry for what he did, just sorry for how it ended.

Bottom line, he will ALWAYS be a dog killer, end of story.

I’m not perfect, and I’m not God, I don’t have to forgive him.

I don’t think Vick should be allowed anywhere near any dog or other animal ever again. Perhaps in a supervised setting, as part of therapy to confront the evil he committed, but in no other capacity should he be allowed around animals.

His community service work should be public apology for his cruelty, taking responsibility for his actions and acknowledging that what he did was evil and wrong, and then donating most of his football fortune to Best Friends and other rescues that helped and are taking care of his victims.

He should give most of his money to help other people help his victims, but he personally should stay away from dogs. Suggesting that he work at shelters or directly with dogs to me is like suggesting a child molester do volunteer work at a day care center.

Vick would enjoy seeing the dogs suffering in cages, and he’d want to kill them.He loves inflicting pain on them, and that has not changed. And no dog would ever be safe alone with him. Ever.

You touched on thew crux of the Vick debacle….he is remorseful because he got CAUGHT…if he was reprimanded by you or I prior to his arrest would he have had an epiphany and stopped this reprehensible activity ….I think not !!!

Well said. It really can’t be said enough. The only remorse is that he got caught. He’d still be doing it if not for law enforcement. More dogs would be dead, and no one would know. He brought it into the sun, let us never turn our back, there are too many more out there just like him. We need to save them. No more homeless pets includes them all! I support you!

Can we send this to the Washington Post? I think it should be published on the front page so that Mr. Obama can read this and all the comments this article has received. Anyone who understands what Vick has done could never have any respect for that man. It is a sorry state of affairs that our own President has responded the way he has. I don’t know what else to say—–how could you be that stupid.

Thank you Francis! That was very well said. I too, cannot forgive The Vick. I think because he is such an amazing athlete we want him to be this amazing person that has learned from his mistakes and is truly sorry for what he has done. I don’t think he is that person. Like a serial killer, there Is something very wrong with them. Something that cannot be explained by neither them or a Dr. and as hard as we try to change them, they just aren’t capable. I believe this is Vick. Why has Vick not reached out to the people who rescued his dogs? Does he really care? I don’t think he gets it. It’s all lip service because that’s what he is told to say. In my opinion, I’m tired of wasting energy hoping he will do something good. So for now, I will never forgive him and sure as hell will never forget. The funny thing thing is, I’m okay with that.

His only remorse is that he got caught.

Still waiting for Michael Vick to learn how to love dogs. Start by volunteering ad-naseum at Best Friends, shelters, etc. and clean their crap, walk them, talk to them, pet them, love them. Then do it some more. Then do it until you doing it because you want to, because you feel you can never pay back enough for what you did. Give or your heart (does he even give of his wallet?). Then maybe we can forgive him. Isn’t it, “It’s much easier to forgive someone who forgives himself.”?

Alexandria VA

I totally agree with you! Utter disgust & hatred I have for this man. I believe he is being coached on what to say and doesn’t truly believe his own words. I also believe most people, even when young, know right from wrong. He controls himself. He could have stopped these senseless deaths and he didn’t; he wasn’t going to. He’s sad he was caught.
We took in a young dog who had been badly mistreated, abused and starved. We’ve had her 6 yrs now and she has come so far with our love and companionship with our other dog but she is still so nervous around people (and I won’t even get into her extreme fear of garages). I am amazed at how BFAS was able to rehabilitate the Vick dogs. The work they do is phenomenal and I only wish I was able to do more myself or to move to Utah to be a part of their wonderful actions. In the meantime, I will continue cherishing our five rescued pets and support local rescue groups.

The reason that I cannot and will not forgive michael vick for what he did is bc, one, there is no forgiveness for the violent and vicious way he treated those animals when they were alive and the evil and sadistic ways he murdered them and two, bc he is not sorry. Time and time again scientific research has shown us that people who abuse, mutilate and murder animals suffer from anti-social personality disorder and michael vick is no exception. There is no treatment for anti-social personality disorder, otherwise known as sociopathy, in large part due to the fact that these people have no conscious therefore they cannot feel remorse, they feel no attachment to anyone else nor do they have any interest in keeping to social mored or laws. They do only what suits them, only as they please. Michael vick is a sociopath, he cares nothing for the dogs he murdered or the ones who barely escaped him and his ilk. What he is doing in his apologies is mimicking- he has carefully observed what others in situations somewhat similar to his (famous ppl who committ crimes or cheat on their spouse then make big and flowery pubic apologies) have done and knows what the pubic wants and expects out of him and he is doing it. He does not deserve our forgiveness but in reality he doesn’t really want it either. He doesn’t care if we really believe his “apologies” so long as he can keep making millions and doing what he wants.

People can and should find a way to forgive themselves. We should never allow our lives to be guided by guilt -but coupled with that self forgiveness needs to come an awareness that we all have an inward nature that can go either way. We all need the proper guidance, self control, and ability to feel compassion or we do not function on a normal level of humanity and our own capabilities are terrifying at best. God can overcome the greatest of flaws with forgiveness but the response to accept this new nature is in the free will of man!

It is one of the highest on my list! You would have to have a conscience to understand.

When he shows some sign that he has remorse for what he did, and when he sincerely apologizes for it, and when he starts donating most of his millions of dollars to help his victims and their kind. That’s when.

Well I already like you for what you have said. Because of the HSUS backing Vick, I am done with the HSUS. Do they know the difference between Animal Welfare and Animal Rights?

This post sums up EXACTLY how I feel about Michael Vick. I try to believe strongly in forgiveness and second chances…and I wish that I could apply those things to people who haven’t just done wrong…but have done things that effect me on a deeper level. Can I really say that I believe in forgiveness and second chances if I only apply them to people who do wrong in ways that don’t affect me personally? If I’m honest with myself the answer is no, but when talking about Michael Vick I become someone who cannot find it in myself to forgive. I don’t think that you can do the things that he did to those poor dogs, and as you say, not have something very dark inside yourself. Something that may be impossible to be rid of….and if he had truly recognized this part of himself he would not be talking about wanting another dog. If I’m going to believe that Michael Vick is a person who truly feels regret he will need to dedicate A LOT more of himself to erasing dog fighting, and animal cruelty from this world. Please Micheal Vick, step up to the plate.

Thank you for putting a voice to the way I feel.

I think this is a great article and you guys should read it.
http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/01/the-conversation-michael-vicks-redemption.html

Now we can rally and support a homeless man who has a golden radio voice, who is given a second chance. He abandoned his children, cheated on his wife, and was addicted to drugs and alcohol. No he didn’t murder anyone or animals but he did some terrible things to get himself where he was, 10 years on the streets. But we can forgive him and move past the things he has done with no problem.

MV has also,

“He also has been speaking about the evils of dogfighting to youth groups under a program administered by the Humane Society of the United States.

“He has been effective in helping young men choose a better path,” said John Goodwin, the Humane Society’s manager of animal fighting issues. “He is the example of how dogfighting is a destructive, dead-end activity with enormous consequences.”

Vick was not required to perform such a community service under his sentence, Goodwin said. Nor was he required to set aside, as he did, nearly $1 million to help with the disposition of 60-plus dogs who survived his dogfighting ring.”

I really am playing devils advocate and trying to point out that we are a nation of second chances and I believe in them. My brother has been a struggling addict for years and now has 1.5 years of sobriety under his belt because he was given a second chance. When he first started the road to recovery he didn’t seem sincere but it’s not up to me to judge how sincere he should sound.

I would not take any money from him or his team for my organization. I would rather table and fundraise with dignity than except money from him. He can’t buy me or many animal rights people.

As i watched Vick i was also thinking- does he REALLY think he has done wrong? i never got that impression-not once. i haven’t seen or heard of him working with the humane society or even best friends. why? BECAUSE i don’t feel he repents, which is sad really. but he has to live with that.
i am just grateful that the remaining dogs are safe for the rest of their lives. God Bless Best Friends and the others who took them.

I liked what you said, Mr. Battista. I would love to forgive Michael Vick, but I do not think he is very sincere with his actions. I want to thank you for all you have done to save the Vicktory dogs. They made us cry. They have made us think. They have made us cheer. They have united us.

Very well said. I agree 100%, but when I try to explain these feelings to Vick supporters and football fans, my words just don’t cut it. They say he has paid his price, but what price have the dogs paid? The survivors will never be whole again. And as far as what Vick is saying to the public, it’s all scripted, in my opinion.

Very eloquently said Francis, I could not agree with you more! I am however so thankful that I am not the ONE who has to forgive Vick..With that being said, it is obvious at this time that Vick shows no remorse what-so-ever. To ask me to forgive him is like asking me to “play God”.

I’m not a fan of the role the HSUS has played in all of this; I have SO much more respect for the no-name dogfighter they work with in Chicago (really, just had to look it up-Sean Moore) that does public speaking, service, etc. He spoke about growing up, about the dogs, about law enforcement’s changing position, about so many things. You could hear the pain and regret in his voice when he talked about his dogs. He didn’t have as smooth a presentation as lots of others, but he spoke from the heart, and that spoke volumes.

I think he is just a low life and will never change and should not have ever been allowed back in the NFL. He is a horrible person and would probably do this to anything, living or not, if it didn’t do as he liked.

He should never be allowed around animals. If he was truly sorry he would not have killed in the first place. His image will only change in the minds that are like his evil mind.

His PR people should praise the warm loving people who rescued the animals from these cruel evil people and publicize the animals that gave their lives for his enjoyment. The animals are the ones that deserve the second chance not him………….

Thank you for articulating for me the reason I have such a hard time accepting the apologies of Michael Vick… it’s simply that he has never addressed the issue of the actual dogs he mistreated and killed. The day that he says he regrets torturing and killing animals, rather than vaguely alluding to committing a crime of some sort, that may be the day I can start to forgive. That doesn’t mean I will EVER be convinced he should have another animal… Ever.

I for one cannot forgive Vick for what he did to those helpless dogs. I never saw any expression or words really from Vick that would lead me to belive that he is really down deep in his heart sorry for what he did. And then he makes a comment that he would like a dog to help him with his rehabilitation, I say no. He should never own a dog or any animal again. He evidently doesn’t realize that everyone of those dogs experience pain, excutiating pain. I get very angry when someone says to me “Well they were pit bulls. It doesn’t matter what kind of dog, they still feel pain.

I would feel good about Michael Vick reading your article himself, then responding to the emotion and intellect of it. For example, so perfectly expressed,”the unimaginable darkness and cruelty that allowed him to kill 8 vey strong animals by INCREDIBLY violent methods”. I too wonder where his apology to the animals is.

The Humane Society was bought off by his football team to help rehabilitate his *image* (not him) and I have also stopped supporting them as a result. I’m sickened that they allowed themselves to be used this way and helped MV put on the appearance of having changed in some way or learned some lesson other than don’t get caught by the law. You apparently have allowed yourself to be snowed by the PR job but many of us have not. He has done absolutely nothing more than the bare minimum of helping that he had to do to regain public acceptance as a football star. He has demonstrated no signs of true remorse, and what’s more he is a sociopath so is in incapable of changing into a normal human being with the ability to have empathy or compassion for others. He’s not a drug addict or a homeless person, he’s a torturer and mass murderer of innocent animals and the family pets of other people. His path to redemption take a bit more than a crafted PR program and some cash from his football team to a sell-out organization who took it and is now supporting the idea that he should be allowed to have dogs again. Unacceptable.

he is one sick person. i think he got a slap on the wriest for what he has done. and now he has the pres backing him. this is my thinking, if this had been you or me we’d probly still be in jail, and had to pay fines out our a**, the only reason he had so called put a side the money he did was cause he had to, and hsus is not helping i think that hsus has lost track of what they set out to do for the animals. i’d like to know how they can back vick up? and no he has never said sorry for anything he has done. and i think he should have never been allowed to play ball, like owning an animal he should be never allowed to own one. i will never forgive him. i don’t care how much money he gives to rescues, or helps at the shelter. cause i think all he’ll do is think o that dog well be good in a fight. just my thought.

The problem that I have with Michael Vick is that he seems to believe that because this behavior is what he grew up with that it somehow explains everything and makes it all right. Wrong! He had a choice. He chose to do what he did. The animals were not given a choice. Until he acknowledges that this was his choice, he has not changed.

Escellent commentary. Personally, I don’t think the general public really knows that he sadistically, brutally killed several of his dogs.

I truly think that this issue goes deeper than we are looking at here.
I was having a conversation with a lady on FaceBook about Mike Vick and another person jumped in and stated that ~dogs don’t have souls.~
After several back and forth responses she told me that I am an idiot and I should open a bible, that God put animals on this earth only for the pleasure and food for humans, end of story.
My personal belief is not relevant here, but people who actually believe that are the ones who need to be educated.

Thank you for putting into words what I and my husband have tried to convey to people for over the past year. If Michael Vick was truly sorry for what he did and not just for the events that transpired after he was caught, we would have heard it. I wish no harm to Michael Vick, but I still hope deep down that he realizes that the actions he took part in and financed are deeply upsetting. The defenseless animals left in the wake of this are the elephant in the room. Hopefully one day he will address them.

Thanks for stating my feelings and doubts so clearly

I can never accept or forget what Michael Vick has done to such innocent and wonderful animals. He is a horrible person and I truly believe what goes around comes around

I don’t think Michael Vick gives a shiite about DOGS. Bling Yes. Not Dogs. Phuck this “forgiveness”

EXACTLY!!!! His words never seem to ring true on any level.

Barbara, that is exactly what I would like to see happen!! Wish it could be sent to Obama personally, but it seems he has never really cared about what ‘the people’ think. I am sick of the ‘if you are well-known’ it is a slap on the hands. Obama should just stay out of this.

lovetheanimals

Thank you. Once again I have posted a link to your blog on Animal Antics and Advice. I have been slammed, and considered mean-spirited for not being able to forgive Michael Vick. Uncharesteristically though, I have not been able to put into words WHY the man makes my stomach churn.. Thank you, thank you, for giving words to why I cannot forgive this resident evil… and WHY it is a resident evil.

I have a friend who is a football player and decidedly not an animal lover, although he has claimed “I got nothin’ against animals,” and, “I certainly couldn’t do what he did.” He and I have had many heated discussions about this particular issue since he seems to think that Vick was singled out and persecuted simply because he’s a black man and not because of anything he did. He believes that animal cruelty should be a misdemeanor at best since “it’s not like he killed anybody, and dogfighting is a common pastime.” He went on to say that I wouldn’t understand since I wasn’t brought up in that kind of environment (presumably inner city, lower income). There is no reaching him with any amount of logic, scientific data, pattern-of-behavior studies correlating sociopathic homicidal tendencies with animal cruelty, countless examples of people who WERE brought up in that environment and didn’t partake, nothing sways him. He simply doesn’t believe that Vick should be persecuted and he’s sticking to it.
The one insurmountable problem is this: we as a species are divided across the line between those of us who know animals have souls/emotions/rights, and those who believe they don’t. And obviously, no matter how much empirical evidence we supply, their sense of denial takes over and they justify heinous acts with species-superiority. My friend did just this many times within the conversations we had – I could see the logic and truth enter his mind, he acknowledged it; and then I physically saw him put the wall of denial up and redirect it into a race issue.
It’s so much easier to continue to believe in your hero-colleague than to have to admit that the person you touted to everyone as infallible isn’t what you thought and said he was (same as doubts about your religion), because then you’d have to question your own sense of character judgment and admit to yourself, and to the people to whom you preached, that you were wrong.
The only person who can convince me that Michael Vick feels remorse for what he did is Michael Vick. And the only way he’ll do that is by traveling back in time and correcting what he was taught to believe at his most impressionable stage of life. No one can ever change what you learn as a child unless you commit to years and years of behavioral therapy.

We all make choices, everyday, that we have to live with, good or bad. There are a lot of criminals out there that think they deserve a “second chance”. I don’t think Vick should have been given a second chance anymore than OJ Simpson or Ben Rothlisberger deserved a second chance but because they play professional football, I guess they deserve a second chance. That is what upsets me the most. But I guess that’s something for the children can look up to, right? If you are a professional football player, you can get away with anything. What a great lesson for children to learn. Michael Vick was given a sentence, which included not owning another dog ever, I wonder why? Was it because the Judge knew if he had a chance he would do it again? I believe he will if given the chance because we didn’t teach him anything by giving him jail time and fining him. Because he’s back where he was before his conviction. The only difference now is that our president is on a criminals side and thinks he should be able to own a dog again, so he can begin his reign of terror for the dogs again.

Amen!!! The last four paragraphs really get to the heart of the matter regarding Vick and his conscience or lack thereof…until I hear him apologize to the dogs, and confront that dark part of his soul, he doesn’t merit forgiveness.

You are truly a better person than I, Kate. I admit to wishing harm for MV. THAT is my sin. I am not proud of it, and I would never act on it, but I do wish it.

Thank you for posting another intelligent comment on this important issue! Apparently, the p.r. team for Vick is hard at it trying to redeem someone who may be beyond it. If he is a socio-path (which I suspect he may be) he’s incapable of self awareness or reflection upon his sick deeds. I’m sorry to learn that HSUS his now his advocate. It shows me that $ talks.
I agree that the consideration is, should be about the dogs he destroyed physically and mentally.

I have known people who have committed murder, I have know drug dealers and all different criminals but none of them have or would have mistreated animals the way Michael Vick did. There is something so dark and evil that he could even do what he did.

Thank you for saying what so many are trying to….

can you go to him? have you tried?

The only thing he is sorry about is getting caught.

I wonder, if people can hurt or kill an animal, a living thing, if they hold all life, in such low regard. If someone, can torture or beat an animal, torturing or beating a person, cant be fare behing

Another excellent article. He never showed any concern over his surviving dogs. If he was truly sorry he would hide away, be so ashamed, be donating most of his money to help animals. He would be so ashamed at what he had done that he would spend his life trying to make up for it. His crime was that evil and serious. It is beyond comprehension how anyone could be that cruel to a human or an animal. It gives me nightmares when I think about what he did and what horrible things people do every day. It means something is terribly wrong with that person that won’t go away. All cruelty is wrong, always has been and always will be. I keep telling people to read The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant. That will put anyone (even sports fans) who has an ounce of compassion having a different perspective about Vick and other animal/human abusers.

I agree ! I also don’t believe that Michael Vick should ever be allowed to have a dog again! Not until he gets into a ring with several larger, stronger men and had to fight for his life and then after a night or two of recuperation, forced to do it again. And if he survives, stl not be allowed to have a dog. Period. End of discussion!

Forgiveness maybe, but even if Vick expresses true remorse, he should live with certain consequences of his actions regardless. He should have faced a harsher penalty (as should all animal abusers) and he should not be allowed to own a dog, at least for a long length of time. Of course it would be nice to have him speak to or connect with the animal rescue community, but that doesn’t change what he did. We can forgive him as a person without allowing him to escape the proper consequences for his actions.

thank you.

Mr. Battista, you have precisely put into words what so many of us feel regarding Vick but have been unable to express. My husband, who does love our family “pets” and is generally speaking a “dog lover”, feels that Vick has paid the price for his crime and should be allowed to do what he is good at; play football. I truly feel Vick has only gone through the motions of what had to be ddone in order for him to play ball again. For the pain and torture suffered by those animals at his hands, is it
right that he should be able to do what he loves, make lots of money doing it, and be ADMIRED as a sports figure?

Hear Hear after all Best Friends is taking care of 22 of his dogs – they and Bad Rap defended those poor dogs and were the first ones to help them and care for them no questions asked – the only good thing that came of this whole mess if that is even possible is that more people are paying attention to the Pit Bull breed – I love them and wish I had a farm and lots of land to own at least 1/2 a dozen of them – so they would have room to play and run and be happy – that is my wish not for me for the dogs.

I enjoyed this article and feel that it it time for us to forgive Michael Vick for the horrible things he did to dogs. Being a dog lover and a football lover I have to say I have been torn between forgiving a man who does this to a defenseless animal. I have been watching closely and it appears that Mr. Vick really knows what he did is wrong and has taken responsibility for his actions. Being a god fearing man, I understand we all make mistakes and god forgives us for them and we have to follow in his footsteps. Deep in my heart I know it is time for me to let this man live his life and prove to us everyday that he knows he did wrong and will never do anything like this again.

He seems to have been forgiven by many solely due to his athletic skills. As a person with zero interest in sports, I ain’t buyin’ it. Thanks, Francis.

Oh contray my wondering friend – Vick was court ordered to pay the shelters who took in his dogs $1 million dollars which by the way is a drop in the bucket – have you read the book Lost Dogs because if you haven’t you should and if you have you missed quite a bit of passages about the brutality of his actions especially to the little red dog. Which is such a horrendous act on it’s own that if anyone has a conscience would have nightmares and wake up screaming for that poor dog. And as for the man with the golden voice maybe he did do all those things you said he did but he suffered on the streets for his sins everyone has to suffer and pay the price – M Vick KILLED INNOCENT ANIMALS they did nothing to him – they made him money and he killed them by electrocution and hanging and torture and shooting them – do you know he put puppies in his empty swimming pool and they literally tried to climb out of there their claws scratching the sides to get out -bloody and hurting can you imagine how horrific that must have been for animals that were loyal to him – the man is scum and has not paid for his crimes and then we are supposed to feel bad for him because he can’t own another dog for 3 years and doesn’t know how to explain that to his children.

the public cant accept that he has changed because it seems his apologies exist only so that he can regain his career.too many times,celebrities are caught behaving badly-even atrociously-and they are given a free pass because they are worshipped like gods and held to more lax rules.why is that? a crime is a crime,regardless of who committed it.we are sick and tired of empty apologies from so-called celebs.i dont believe that once u have exhibited such cruelty ,u can truly change.he may never do it again,.as public scrutiny is on him,but i believe he thinks his former actions were ok.he is just hiding his true feelings so that he can regain his career,and all the money and acclaim that went with it.i just dont believe he is repentant,only that he is seeking damage control.

I am one person has been appalled with Vick’s actions from the second I heard that he fought, tortuered, and killed hundreds of dogs, and I will feel this way as long as I am breathing. You say that you are waiting for Vick to apologize to these dogs, but you have already mentioned the reasons why this will never happen, The man is devoid of a conscious, remorse, or regret for his actions. He is a sociopath and what we know about sociopaths is that they are incapable of empathy for another living being. Please stop waiting for a look or a statement of regret from this monster because it will never, ever happen. Which leads me to my next issue; the NFL. How in God’s name does this organization live with itself knowing that it has chosen money and ratings over the impressionable youth who see Vick as a hero?! As far as I’m concerned, Vick has yet to serve time for all the hurrendous things he did to Pit Bulls (and bait animals). He only confessed to bankrolling the operation. He’s not only a sick individual, but he is also a coward. I loathe the NFL and I have yet to find a word strong enough to describe how I feel about Vick.
Please stop waiting for him to be remorseful, it is not in his make-up to do so. He is a monster and this monster has no soul.
Lastly, I am disgusted by Eagles fans who cheer him on every week. Never in the history of sports has there been a fan base as ignorant as this one. I am embarassed to live in the suburbs of a city with so many people who will forgive a sociopath in return for 3 hours of mindless entertainment. Shame on you!
Melissa G. Spinetta

Mr. Vick still has a problem saying that what he did was sick by any measure. I would think if he was a volunteer at the Humane Society as has been reported that he would have gained a consciousness of the pain an abuser causes.
I am a volunteer for the Humane Society. It has been necessary to put down a sick or badly injured dog or cat. I have been there and lost sleep, been deeply troubled, had deep regret and a sense of failure. I have always prayed for the animal NOT for me. Mr. Vick has not been to that place yet nor has he put any of his millions to save those animals there.
Mr. Vick needs to understand that this is not because we don’t like him (which I don’t), we don’t understand that he thinks he has paid his dept (which I don’t). Mr. Vick and those who support him must understand this one thing, this is to protect the animals.
As for how I feel Mr. Vick, I hope I meet you someday to explain to you.

Volunteer work.. great. With animals… NO WAY!!!!!!! That’s a recipe for disaster Mindy!!

Oh by the way I did read the article and that makes no sense to me – he has children who supposedable don’t judge him let them sit next to him after the football season and watch tv with him not a puppy why doesn’t he have his children volunteer at a shelter and show love and affection to a dog. The article again is stupid and so is the person who wrote it.

Makes total sense… thank you for helping me clarify my thoughts about him!

Thank you Francis, you always have a way of putting things that express exactly how I feel. I believe that abusing animals is not just what Michael Vick did but who he is. I’m disappointed that the President would congratulate someone for giving him a second chance, this I did not know. I do believe he deserved a chance to make a living, but I think he should have been banned from the NFL. It makes me so angry that he actually thinks he should be able to own a dog again, how could he think that this would be acceptable? It makes me agree that he hasn’t come to terms with what he did, maybe never will. I will continue to be unable to fogive him and wish him nothing but heartache for the rest of his life. Thanks for all that Best Friends has done, both for the Vick dogs and for all the helpless creatures of this earth!

Here I am again. I think Vick, ought to pay 100,000.00 per sanctuary at least. I believe he ought to deliver the cashiers check personally. Then, he may apologize to all of the staff for the memebers, for them having to clean up his affairs. He does not get to see his former dogs. They wouldnt want to see him, nor does he deserve it. He does not get to see any animal. Why would he? He clearly does not care that much about them. — I do believe in second chances, I do also believe in forgive and forget. YET IN THIS CASE. I DO NOT. Would you forgive a murderer? Would you forgive a pedophile? NO, and in my book. MY BOOK, mind you…he is the same.

You have hit the nail on the head! Thank you for your well written words! I’m always explaining just this to people… my inability to forgive is not about the criminal acts he has admitted to, it’s about the unspeakable ones he has not and the fact that his statements always seem for the purpose of appeasing his fans and feigning remorse, but never has he asked forgiveness from the dogs. They are the ones he should be speaking to.

I just don’t understand how someone could go to such a dark place as to violently harm an animal. And research has shown that there is a correlation between animal abuse and psychotic behaviour.
I really feel that because Vick is a ‘sports hero’ more people are willing to turn a blind eye and support his career. But let’s be honest here:
If Michael Vick was just some cruel weirdo that lived down the street (ie. not a sports star) would people be so willing to forgive and forget? Not likely. While it’s true we should try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, I have trouble believing that Michael Vick is remorseful for his henious actions.
Personally, I like to see that Michael Vick and his associates are never allowed near animals ever again. He exploited innocent creatures for financial gain in the worst possible way.

More likely, “I’m sorry I got caught exploiting and killing animals. Can you please forgive me now so I can make millions playing sports?”

Vick is, and remains, a serial killer ….. who knows, had he not been caught, would his
next victim been human ????

You know when a person is truly sorry for what they did. Vick isn’t showing those true signs. He’s trying to improve his image. A man truly sorry would not think about making millions again. He’s thinking about getting out of his financial troubles. He would also be donating most of his money left and right to animals because he would feel he doesn’t deserve that money. He would also feel he doesn’t deserve the love of a dog.

Thankyou Francis for again putting this into perspective.We all know that there is a darkness in everyones soul, the question is how do we address that darkness. I for one believes Mr. Vick has chosen to ignore it’s extinence. He is clearly a sociopath and is a danger to animals and hopefully will seek help.

OMG Mr battista; you have just put into words what I have been trying to wrap my brain around!! There is an evil; a darkness that is so obvious to me in Vick…I still believe he is sorry because he got caught. That is the only reason!!!

Love your article – the thoughts- thank you

amen dogfriend!!!

I’ve often wondered if MV could torture and brutally kill dogs – what he would do (has done??) to women, to children – to those he deems to be weak.
The horrors that he inflicted on the dogs, beyond fighting, is a dangerous sociopathic sickness. And if he wasnt caught- he would still be brutalizing dogs, and killing them in horrible ways. That isnt something you just recover from. You arent magically healed.
He is sick. And all my donation money now goes to ASPCA, and local rescues where it will do the most good. HSUS wanted to put the survivors down, not allow rehabilitation, and the chance for adoption and a better life. That, to me at least, is not advocating for the animals. It is a cheap, easy way out – much like their involvement with MV.

Great way to put it, Raeofsunshine: “a speeding ticket that was blown out of proportion.” that’s exactly what MV and those who support him seem to think this all was. Also, a thought to ponder: just because an animal doesn’t have the so-called-intellegence and conscious thought that we as humans have, does that give them any less the right to live a happy, fulfilling life? Does every creature in the world not deserve life because it cannot think on the level that we can? Who are we to play God to these poor animals?

Mike Vick will have to answer for what he has done, as will we all

Excellent blog–thank Mr. Battista. I don’t think any of us can know what goes on in Michael Vick’s heart, and none of us is in a place to pass judgement, but I also am having a very hard time forgiving him or even looking at him without thinking of the cruelty he inflicted on those defenseless dogs. He has served his time and there is nothing we (the dog loving public) can do to force him to make further amends. For myself I just have to hope that he lays awake at night thinking about the horror of what he did and coming to terms with it, but in the end it is between himself and God.

AMEN!

I was brought to tears reading this. As a person who believes in second chances, I have struggled to determine why I was having so much trouble forgiving Michael Vick. Was it because I am an avid animal lover? Or am I not as forgiving as I thought I was? Thank you, Francis, for articulating something that I’ve been trying so hard to explain within myself.

Let’s get real here the only reason Vick stopped torturing and fighting dogs is because he got caught. If he had not gotten caught he would still be doing these vile things. I personally believe he has never believed that what he did is wrong.

Everyone here has made good points. We all share, I believe, a monumental amount of revulsion for the person, his partners, and his actions. But, I believe, as someone else stated, that this needs to be about the dogs and the public’s perception of the breed. No amount of heated discussions will change Michael Vick, change the minds of his fans and supporters, or give animal lovers any kind of vindication. We need to put our emotions, our energy, our support towards the dogs. And, I’m speaking literally ALL DOGS that are abused, misunderstood, neglected, abandoned, and needing help. I live in a county in which most people view animals as property. Period. Cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats–they’re all just things. Dogs are kept outside, most of the time on a short chain or a little cage. They are not loved, not petted, not tended to if sick or wounded. If they get too noisy or too much trouble, they’re shot. See–I think this kind of attitude is just as bad as what Vick did. It is purposely causing pain, discomfort, and ultimately, death with no more thought to it than swatting a fly. I don’t know—all I’m saying is to defeat the Vicks of the world, we should be singing the praises of the pit bull, educating, rescuing, volunteering, doing what we can FOR THE DOGS. Instead of making him more famous by debating his state of conscience, let’s emphasize the success of the survivors; battle all those nasty breed specific laws out there; show everybody that its the OWNER at fault when dogs turn bad. Don’t worry–there is a hell and Vick will be there. Let’s concentrate on making heaven on earth for the dogs.

I hope that Katrina and others will not judge Christians by the person who suggested that Katrina read the Bible. Obviously, that person was hiding behind the Bible and does not have any understanding of it. First of all, it is clear that as humans we are to have dominion and that means responsible stewardship. If that person had read his or her Bible, he/she would know that. There are so many scriptures that tell us so. We are to be caretakers–not abusers. Also, if he/she bothered to read the Bible without his/her biased and preordained concepts resulting in translating according to what he/she wants it to say, and he or she would seek the truth, then this person certainly couldn’t and wouldn’t make such statements that are in total conflict with the Bible. The Bible teaches love and kindness. It never teaches to use and abuse. As to animals having souls, I feel perfectly comfortable that I will see my furry childred who have passed–if I get there, that is, and that is based on my understanding of the Bible. I worship a caring and loving God–not one filled with hate. And, by the way, if the person who interrupted was such a Bible scholar, he/she would know what it says about calling a person an idiot. I believe very much in forgiveness, but that doesn’t mean we have to be foolish. This has been a real struggle for me. I have every right to be angry. If Vick ever is remorseful, I can feel differently. He, however, has from day one said he took responsibility, and morally he hasn’t. Of course, he, also, said that he was innocent. Being honest and telling the truth means nothing to him. I don’t think a slap on the wrist can be considered paying his dues, but one day he will have to meet his maker. Those who care so little for our children that they allowed Vick to return to the NFL, who hired him, who sing his praises, who make excuses for him, etc. are on the same level. No one can with their own hands do what he did, stand in front of the cameras and say that he understands that people care about their “possessions” and expect anyone to believe that he is remorseful. Michael Vick does not deserve forgiveness. Any forgiveness I might give to him would be purely for myself–for my healing. I try to pray that he truly will become remorseful because if he did he would make a huge difference in the fight against this heinous cruelty. We must keep speaking out about Pits, about how the dogs that survived Bad Newz Kennels (and others) have forgiven humans–how they have oversome so much. It’s time that we stop treating Pits (or anyother breed as we have done throughout history) the way we have. Certainly, these Pits have proven that, “the truth will set you free,” and now we must see that people know the truth.

We have to include Vick in this. We should praise the people that saved the surviving Vick dogs and we should praise the dogs for their resilience and their ability to love humans after the atrocities inflicted on them. But we should also challenge the core of our society that thinks you can abhor the actions of a sadist and a sociopath but root for him in a football game. It is not possible. You cannot separate a man from his actions.

Thank you for the past two articles. I too have trouble finding forgiveness for this.

In my world, an animal’s life is worth as much, if not more, than a human’s. Michael Vick should be in jail for the rest of his life for killing and mistreating those dogs. I can’t believe that we, as a society, would give this man any kind of a second chance.

I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive Michael Vick for what he did. He tortured those poor dogs and some of them died as a result of his unspeakable and evil actions. I don’t feel he has or can ever redeem himself. What he did shows me that he has no regard for the loss of life-then or now!I am disgusted that the President would call the Eagles owner on his behalf.

I will never forgive him, I hate him and that is just the way it is, I really think if he had not been busted he would still be fighting and killing dogs…..
Debbie

I don’t believe there is much else left to say Mr. Battista. You said it so well & so eloquently. What I don’t understand is, if he was a pedophile, he wouldn’t ever be allowed around children again. So why is it OK for him to be able to own dogs after only 1 year? Why is the system so lenient on animal cruelty? Two separate issues for sure; but suffice it to say, I think Vick is evil. The only thing he’s ‘sorry’ for is that he got caught.

Yes! This is what I have been searching for but was never able to articulate. You have hit the nail on the head.

Thank you for not only being the voice for the voiceless animals, but for being the voice of all those who love and protect them too.

god, get over it already. seriously? what about the probably thousands of people who are STILL ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN dog fighting in this country?? why is everyone so content to be mad at a guy who IS NO LONGER HURTING DOGS. not to mention, if he worked at Wal Mart nobody would care about this, there are dog fighting rings all over this country, the only reason anybody ever even heard about this one is because Michael Vick is a famous athlete. nobody ever, ever mentions the other people who also went to jail in connection with the Vick dogfighting ring. why? because they’re not famous! this is all really, really ridiculous. seriously.
FIRST OF ALL: no one person in the entire world has done more to bring about the subject of animal cruelty and push it to the forefront like Michael Vick. the awareness and knowledge spreading about animal cruelty is better now than it ever has been because of this situation.
SECOND: michael vick is spending his weeks touring schools and teaching children about animal cruelty. he has donated millions of dollars to charities, and no doubt will donate millions more when he signs a new contract this off-season.

i would say, cut a break to the guy who is actually going out there and spreading the word about animal safety. let the guy who has donated more money than you could probably ever dream of even having to the cause that you are so adamant about fighting for get on with his life.
focus your anger on bringing down the dog fighting rings that STILL EXIST in this country.

not to mention…do you really think that if michael vick got another dog he would suddenly become involved in dog fighting again? or that he would just beat it for no reason all the time? are you KIDDING ME? the national spotlight is on him at all times. he probably can’t take a piss without it being reported on ESPN. do you really think he would make the statement of getting another dog just to beat it? come on…

Brilliantly written. I have tried to make exactly this point in my communications to others on this issue when berated about how I should forgive others for their mistakes.

Michael Vick has shown that he is capable of systematically and creatively torturing dogs for personal satisfaction. He would not have stopped had he not been caught by the authorities. And, to my knowledge, he has not ever acknowledged the egregiousness of his actions – it’s always someone else’s fault: “I didn’t stand up to my friends” and “I didn’t learn that this was not okay”.

And now he’s pretending that he’s the victim because society won’t ever let him own another dog. Not once has he “manned up” and taken responsibility for the fact that he’s a broken human being who needs some serious therapy. Even then, can people who don’t have empathy acquire it later on, even WITH therapy?

This isn’t about whether I or anybody else “forgives” Michael Vick. This is about a society protecting itself from a person who has broken its moral code and given no indication that he won’t do it again. I think we’ve all heard the FBI acknowledge that serial killers start by systematically killing and torturing animals. How is this different? I’d like to know. I wouldn’t allow this man with dogs OR kids or anyone who couldn’t defend himself.

I totally believe in second chances…however….I can’t help but wonder, had he not gotten caught doing this, would he still be doing it or would he have by some miracle woken up one day and decide he was abusing helpless creatures? I tend to agree with “unable to forgive” above, I am not able to find it in my heart to forgive him. His actions only tell me he’s sorry he got caught, not sorry and remorseful for the wrong he did.

Is it our responsibility to forgive criminal acts? If we recognize something or someone purposely hurting people or animals, do we have to forgive? What level of crime do we say, this goes beyond my ability to forgive? The criminal justice system isn’t perfect, but a way to deal with people that have no conscious. If someone is intentionally hurting animals we have to start recognizing that this is an indication of someone abusing people as well. People that are afraid, being controlled and living in fear. You only have to realize the bullet points of someone without a conscious to understand that it is not our job, place or in anyone’s best interest to give Michael Vik a second chance. Let him work in a stock room or another entry level job and give someone with good intentions and a good heart a first chance. Michael Vik isn’t entilted to anything more than working his way up and through and he should only hope for in time and with work is that his family might forgive him. As far as a public figure, his day in the spotlight should be over. The animals aren’t being asked to give him another chance, why on earth do people think everyone deserves another chance. And how many chances has Michael Vik had? What we heard about, but what else? Let’s start giving good people more first chances. I would be glad to have him take my order at a fast food joint, not so sure I want him in the kitchen.

Thanks for putting into words what I have felt about this man. I don’t believe cruelty of this sort is a choice one makes, but rather, a flaw in the character of the person who does it. I will never forgive him, nor the NFL for bringing him back to football just so they could make money. It’s blood money the way I see it.

Animals are not here biblically for our “pleasure”. We are biblically charged to be “good stewards” of the animals of the earth and the fish of the sea. Since Jesus found it acceptable to be born in a manger amidst many animals, I cannot help but truly believe that all animals, regardless of what kind of souls they do or do not have…go to heaven. If our Lord found it worthy to be born in not only the presence of men, but in the presence of animals…then I believe God, in his mercy, has a place for all of his creation in heaven as well. I have always prayed that Michael Vick has true contrition for what he did…not merely being sorry because he was caught. Perhaps he should meet with the family of Oogy.

This article is spot on! There seems to be no genuine remorse, other than what appears to have been given to him by as talking points, by his handlers and those thoroughly invested in seeing his “comeback”. He’s big money to the NFL and to those in the sports entertainment business. This is about $$ and the bottom line. As an almost rabid football fan (Pats) a Pitt Bull owner and a person who values all forms of life, I cannot forgive Vick until he shows he’s worthy of forgiveness. I’d love to see some indication of that in his off the field activities, other than Court ordered obligations.

he is a full blown psyhopath….it is clear to anyone that has ever read the list of symptons. I owuld be nice if someone educated Obama, having him endorse Vicks second chance was a VERY bad idea. If Vick wants another dog let Obama give him his.

Where has he donated millions of dollars to charities? He was forced to help pay for the rehabilitation of the surviving dogs and he donated to the HSUS so he could speak to children and improve his image. Obviously his notoriety has helped bring the horrors of animal abuse to light but it doesn’t give him a pass in life. There is a deeper issue of how screwed up society can get. Once again, how can you be disgusted by the actions of Vick but turn around and root for him in football or even consider having him as a player on your team? It is obscene. It shows that you really aren’t that disgusted with what he did. It has nothing to do with giving him a second chance or not.

This has been exactly my problem with him since it happened, and why the “apologies” and endorsements have upset me so. This was a wonderful piece.

Personally, I feel that a person can be raised any way but if you have a conscience you know when something is wrong. Not all people from inner-cities or low-incomes steal cars, deal drugs, belong to gangs, or abuse animals. On the other hand people from middle to high income brackets have done those same things. I’m just glad I’m not an Eagles fan because I would not be a football fan at all. Conscience is what it’s all about. We have done hospice for dogs knowing when they came to our home they only had a few months but fell in love instantly. How some one could do this to any living creature is beyond me. Thank God, He loved them as they went tot eh Rainbow Bridge.

Amen.

This captures my feeling perfectly. Thank you.

I feel you can forgive a person if they are truly sorry for their wrong actions but my beleif is the only thing Vick is sorry for is that he got caught. As for if it weren’t for that he’d still be in the business of tourturing those dogs with the dog fighting. Some one should send this to Obama. He needs to get his priorities staright.

You have said it perfectly. I can forgive the gambling, the illegal operations and allow him to move on from that. I can’t get past that he has never commented on how he could have been desensitized to the torture of the dogs. What exactly made him a different man? Losing his fortune, his friends and his career? Not sure anything he learned in prison made him a compassionate animal lover.

Amen.

i dont watch or read the news YET i have “heard” enough about this situation to have some sence of what i feel about it. its demonic (and i dont believe in the “devil”) to treat animals poorly. PERIOD. its been proven time and time again that ppl who do these things got a whole lotta “stuff” they need to get clarity on none of which invloves being anyhwere NEAR another animal for a long long time. the fact that this guy is some big “star” makes it all the more CRAPPY, its like whats that guy who killed his wife? the boxer guy.. anyway the whole thing is indicitive of how screwy our culture IS. forgiveness-schmorgiveness, i am not “required” to forgive anything in order to know myself as an aspect of god or source, I am, and so is this butthead, he just cant line UP with it.

ampm

Francis i just wish you had not used the president in a misrepresentation of what his phone call actually entailed to inspire the Obama hatred once again. The point is well taken that Vick is a POS who still does not see his crime as deplorable, which in fact President Obama does and he did in fact mention he found Vick’s crime heinous in his call to the jerk owner of the Eagles-
what your comments/blog did was “Play off” of the anti-Obama sentiment combined with a reprehensible person and actions in Michael Vick- i think that was a cheap shot- pandering to the bigotry and politics to try to get the issue back into the spotlight- makes me question your reasons and actual intentions as the subject carries well enough on its own into discussions with out the misinformation in your reference to President Obama.

Your comment is so true, flag. I personally know a woman in Arkansas who is deeply involved with pit bulls, has a rescue dog herself, and worked with the transport network that ferried Vick’s dogs that were rehabilitated in Arkansas to forever homes in other states. She’s also a HUGE football fan. I was on a recent trip with her and a couple of others and Vick was apparently doing remarkable things on the gridiron, which I can’t attest to because I don’t watch football. I know she hates what the guy did, but she couldn’t quit raving about his “practically inhuman” talents on the field. I took exception. I said something to the effect that I thought the guy should have been imprisoned for life or executed or something. There is nothing that can redeem his actions in my opinion. He’s a cancer. He’s only acting good because he got caught. Clearly sadistic violence is in his nature. Her justification for giving him a reprieve?…..”He served his time, took the punishment and he opened the dialog. Made people aware of the dog fighting business.” Jeeze! Give me a break. What if he was just some whacked out, stupid, red neck that never stepped on a football field in his life? Bet it would be different. So hypocritical.

yes, exactly! Once I hear him sincerely say he’s sorry – sickened, deeply regretful for what he personally did to dogs, I will soften — but I need more than hearing him say “dog fighting is wrong.”

I could be wrong but from what I understand is someone in the sports arena leaked what Obama said to make it look like the president supported Vick. That’s how it started. These days anything a politician says is out there for the world to find out. They have to tread carefully what they say and think of the consequences.

Michael Vick is a sociopath. Even his apologies are, at their core, all about Michael Vick. I wouldn’t leave a goldfish in his care. The bigger question is this–if a man would do what he did to a dog, what would he do (or be capable of doing) to a human?

It is a shame that the focus continues to be on Michael Vick. Forgive him, forget him and try to focus energy on eradicating the heinous crime of dog-fighting. Let people revere him if they like, including the President. ( But don’t forget that in 2012 he will be legally allowed to own as many dogs as he likes without being accountable to anyone. With his millions he can build a pretty high wall around his property. Who knows what will be happening behind it? He’ll be surrounded by jock-sniffers and lawyers and all his old cronies who tell him how he got shafted and how he didn’t deserve it. God help those dogs. He didn’t care about the dogs he tortured and killed then, and he won’t care about any dogs he gets his hands on in the future. )

He is a stain on humanity and incapable of understanding why what he did was wrong. I think he is a sociopath and will never, ever develop the insight needed for true redemption. I guess I can forgive him the same way I forgive a cat that kills songbirds – they’re both just doing what comes naturally to them.

You are so very right! Would he have stopped if hadn’t gotten caught? Where and when has he publicly acknowledged the horrific “mistakes?” Because he IS a public figure his life is more public than others, so he is responsible to his public AND his own personal spiritual journey. I believe in forgiveness, as I too am not without mistakes or faults, but my prayers are to hopefully never hurt anyone or anything and to recognize and change my errors. I am not perfect, no one is, however we ALL have free will and make our own choices-the idea is to recognize the errors, acknowledge within and without and try to make life better for all.

Michael Vick does not deserve a second chance, and Obama is clueless about what Vick did. I think his “people” did not educated him on MV’s case. We live in a country where “dogs” are our pets, we treat them like humans. He made and is making a lot of money, he could’ve used it for good–open a charity for children, save the planet, something. He has no remorse for the animals he killed and abused. He should not be playing at all. There are tons of black college kids playing football, who are good human beings that deserve the money Vick is making.

Oh I agree with everything you have said my heart hurts for every animal he hurt I live in Eagles land every time you call him a dog killer oh get over it is what you get but I can’t and won’t forgive him

Vick will always disgust me and those that excuse his behavoir must have no admiration for mans best friend, the dog. What about Vick making any kind of contribution to the rescue organizations that helped to clean up his mess. Those that have helped to recondition his dogs. Many of his dogs are in no mental shape to even have a chance of being adopted. What about his dogs that are still alive and still suffer everyday with fear issues. What about the Dogs ?

Ok, put your pet into this situation, or better yet: your kid…. there would be no forgiveness, let alone alot of jail time. Why are animals so easily dismissed?? Sure there are alot of them, but there are also alot of people that should be put to shame. No forgiveness comes from me!

I don’t believe that Michael Vick thinks that he did anything wrong. He wants his career back. One more person that is gifted but chose to take it for granted instead of appreciating the gift. He’s only interested in getting his $$$’s, and the NFL seems to think it’s okay.

Thank you Francis for expressing how so many of us feel. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and refuse to watch our team every week. I feel sick every time I hear his name after seeing The Dogtown special about “The Vicktory Dogs”. The team has their biggest game of the season Sunday and I’m hoping they lose. I’ll never feel the same about the NFL again.

In my heart, I don’t forgive M. Vick, however, in my opinion, true forgiveness is between he and God. As crazy as it sounds, I think allowing Michael Vick to adopt a dog could be the only way he truly learns how to love animals. I think he would need VERY strict supervision, (like a parole officer that is very involved in the dog/Vick relationship). Yes, this sounds crazy.
Why I feel this way is because of my absolute faith in dogs, their loyalty, their unconditional love and commitment. If Vick actually had the honor (and grace) of experiencing the beautiful relationship of man and dog, he would be a changed man. He would truly feel remorse, and would learn from the dog what unconditional love is, and what a true best friend is.
Man can’t tell him or show him but a dog can, I am putting all of my faith in the dog. Dogs are loyal, they, and only they can teach Michael Vick how to experience a true love for animals.

First of all the man only gets a million dollars right now for playing with the eagles and 300,000 of that has to go to the court to pay off his creditors when he filed for bankruptcy. Secondly when he was doing the dogfighting he was supporting 10 people including his mother. so I wonder now how many people he has to support because I am sure he had to pay the attorney fees for his cousins who were invlolved because they had no money. who has he given his money to as far as charities are concerned? Thw only reason he is talking to schools now is because he cut a deal with HSUS and Wayne Pacelle. Abd you are right if he worked at walmart nobody would care but he doesn’t it galls most people not because he got a second chance but he is in the limelight donovan mcnabb got him that job and look what happened to him. so people on this forum are right he is a cancer and spreading it all over the place – look how many people get sick at the sound of his name. I for one cannot stand the man – but I want to focus on the dogs and I believe the mojority of the people also want to focus on the dogs – so until you know what you are talking about – don’t.

I have given this a lot of thought and here is how I feel about the almighty Vick. When we hear about some “thing” that’s murdered a child, do we ll rush to forgive it, no. Vick is right up there with that kind of ‘thing”, anyone that could kill a DEFENSLESS child or animal is not worthy of forgivness EVER! There’s something wrong with them, they have no conscience or guilt and I for one, belive God will agree with me.

Michael Vick “speaking to us” is too easy and will not convince many of us that he his truly remorseful. Michael Vick must “demonstrate” his remorse and “demonstrate” he is a reformed character by taking action – such as actively promoting and supporting legal reform to provide stiffer sentences to those who abuse animals. He could be more active in the fight against breed discrimination. He could donate time and money to his local animal shelter. There are thousands of things he could “do” to demonstrate remorse and a reformed character.

Actions speak louder than words……when I see MV investing his time and resources to help animals all across the nation, that’s when I’ll start to believe he has any bit of remorse for his actions. But since he’s gotten out of jail what has he done to help those he abused? This makes it so easy to see why people haven’t forgiven him. Most people see that the only reason he was sorry was to get out of jail. To me, if he was truly sorry, he would truly want to show it.

Vick reminds me of Tiger Woods. He only apologized because he got caught. If I felt he was truly remorseful, then maybe I could accept his apology and move on. I still have that resentment against him for what he did and I will never ever forget what he did to cause so much suffering.

Mr. Battista’s comments are eloquent and right on target. I cannot forgive Mr. Vick’s actions until I am convinced that he really does regret the harm that he promoted and participated. To my knowledge, he has never acknowledge the harm that he inflicted on the animals.

You either have one or you don’t. Anyone who treats animals that way does not have a conscience and never will. Some things are simply not forgivable, just as some people are not deserving of forgiveness. Why would anyone waste their time and energy worrying about forgiving someone like Michael Vick anyway? Does anyone really believe that he even cares about whether or not people “forgive” him? All he cares about is that he got caught and how much money he’s lost because of it.

Please continue to fight against Michael Vick having any animals. How he has a family is beyond me, that is sick. It is sad that the world we live in today doesn’t feel more compassion for those who are less fortunate, be it an animal or a person, but if you play sports and preform criminal acts, you apologize and you are back on top. It’s all about the money.
Please keep speaking out against him, he should never ever be allowed to have an animal and no one related to him should own an animal. Thank you

If he is truly Sorry for his actions and what he has done, he could certainly do a lot of Good for rescue groups and animal advocacy organizations around the world. He can certainly come here to Guam where it’s only been a few years since Dog fighting became illegal but is still prevalent around the island with back yard fighting and gambling being a “cultural” obsession. That is, of course, if Mr. Vick can spare the time from his terrific season he’s been blessed with this year. I too believe in Second Chances, when one is deserving. I don’t think he has proven himself worthy of a Second Chance yet…Maybe a visit to Best Friends Animal Society should be #1 on his list.

Mr Battista, sir; you will never be satisfied, let it go. Worse things happen every day and I’m sure you’re not as concerned about that as you are about Vicks history. Your self-righteous words are only slightly amusing anymore. Let it go. I forgive you Francis, I hope our Lord does too.

Hey, Francis! When is your country going to apologize to the people of Iraq for killing tens of thousands of their children? When Francis? What Vick did to these animals was insane and he deserved what he got and perhaps more but, it does not approach what U.S has done to devastate this planet. Get of your high horse buddy; you’re not a moral compass!

I STILL CAN’T EXCEPT HIM I STILL HEURT FOR ALL THE ANIMALS AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL IT MAKES ME VERY SAD TO THINK ABOUT IT.

I was wondering if you ever extended a personal invitation to Michael Vick to join you in your efforts to rescue and care for animals. Perhaps he would accept and that would be a win win situation for everybody.
If you cannot reach him personally, perhaps you could extend your invitation in the form of an
editorial in a newspaper. You could research ways to contact him – perhaps an agent, through his team etc.

I suggest watching Invictus for inspiration. http://invictusmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/index.html

Mandela was able to unite people around a common goal to achieve understanding – he used sports as his arena.

We can forgive him but we will never forget what he done and never will! Now he got at second chance from the NFL, he should be grateful for that and prove that he is grateful, not ask for more. They say that Dogs are a mans best friend, well not for everyone especially Vick, he’s a dogs worst nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe you should take a trip to a animal shelter and see frist hand what the slimy ilk of the like minded of Vick has done to harmless animal’s especially pitt’s. The shelters are full of Pitt Bull’s who were taken by law enforcers because of neglect and horrible actions of these people. Yes I am a animal lover..I am proud of the fact that my 2 dogs and 1 cat or not my possession or or anyone propety…they are part of my family who love and respect them and they in turn love me and my family!! There is no forgiveness for Vick..he says and does only what the NFL tell him to say. Even when he speaks it is a unemotion speach that Laurie or Reid writes up for him! As for him getting another dog..ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I do not believe the dog will be in a safe enviornment..as for the dog being for his son, well God know what the child has learned from his daddy..he may very well being a abuser in training.

Say what? All these issues are important. They all should be discussed. One issue is not less important than another.

This issue is no less important than another. People have a right to discuss it.

The problem is that I don’t think someone who is that cruel to an animal or human can “learn to love an animal or human”. Did you ever hear of Ted Bundy?

God Bless you for taking care of the stray kitty.

This is the typical train of though of “Money”..throw enough of it around and the Vick’s of the world think they can get away with anything..I tell the NFL to go pound sand with their check. All the money in the world will not help the dogs that were tortured and murdered.

Well put… Id also like to add that if he truly felt remorse for his action then maybe we wouldnt see a smurk on his smug face everytime he addressed the public!

That is an amazing and well written blog…..I personally will NEVER forgive OR forget what he has done to all of those poor poor babies….it litterally brings tears to my eyes evertime I think of how they suffered. He on the other had has no soul, no remorse…and you hit it no concious. He does not serserve a “second” chance, he should not be able to live this life of luxury AGAIN….if those had been 8 plus people he murdered so brutally no one would be saying give him a second chance why are the dogs looked at like they didn’t matter? I have a hate for this man that makes me feel like a bad person and I wish bad things for him and I know that isn’t right either but I can’t help the way I feel…..I think that his remorse is because he got caught and that he would do it again.

Great article. My issue with the Vick thing, is that unlike stealing, corruption, fraud etc etc. his crime involves torturing, killing and harming another living being. I’ve worked with enough dogs to know they feel pain. They feel fear. I have to question the character of anyone who can look on another sentient being and see that you are causing it pain and continue. He is clearly missing a sensitivity chip. Many people who hurt humans start out hurting animals. To say it’s OK because it’s a cultural thing and he didn’t know any better is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to the African American people everywhere. They’re not any less intelligent than other cultures. They know the value of life.

Of course he says he is sorry. If I had a NFL career on the line I’d say whatever my PR person told me to. The bottom line is that personally, I don’t believe someone capable of hurting another human, child or animal is ever cured, because there was something very wrong psychologically in the first place for them to be able to do that. That’s not something jail time or even basic therapy can fix.

I get that he’s not working with dogs in the NFL and he’s this great player. But the big problem is that too many youngsters idolize those players. How is it any different than letting a rapist back on the field? It’s like saying oh, it’s wrong to torture living beings but do a little time and there will be no consequence? I don’t think the dogs are OK. If they can’t forget about it why should he be able to? Do we really care more about sports and touchdowns than the message we are sending by letting him play?

I too thank you Francis for you bringing out what so many of us are thinking or want to say but could not have worded it quite so eloquently. Thank-you again for standing up for our beautiful 4 legged friends. You are my kind of people.
Elaine

i agree, i could forgive him if he had once mentioned the animals, but he never did. he does not understand that he murdered innocent beings

Punishment and prison sentences don’t “cure” a sociopath.
It’s not about forgiveness. It’s about NEVER forgetting what a sociopath is always capable of.
It’s about being wary, cautious and angry because one who exhibited previously inhumane behavior can’t be magically transformed into an empathetic soul. Worse, as a society, we are complicit if we then celebrate the individual as a star and as an animal advocate. None of it makes sense.
We wouldn’t laude a child molester who “served his sentence.”
We wouldn’t think it was merely “odd” if he then said, “I’d love to babysit a child again in a future” Very similar parallels in Vick’s psychology and post-incarceration “redemption”…
Being sorry isn’t enough when an individual has not shown compassion and empathy towards other living creatures. Children and animals need us as advocates. Those who are compelled to torture them need us to be cautious of them and SPEAK OUT … in disgust, not hero worship and praise because they can throw a ball and run fast.

You’re both wrong about the facts, so let’s set them straight.

First, Obama called the owner of the Eagles and thanked him for hiring Vick back. The owner then told reporters about the call, saying Obama was “passionate” about Vick’s return to the game, because he said so many other non-celebrity ex-felons never get a second chance.

The president did NOT mention *anything* about Vick’s crimes being heinous, or even mention his crimes at all. He was just glad Vick was back in the game, getting back his fame and his millions and his status. So he DID support Vick, and he did not even mention the crimes at all.

When the Eagles owner then told reporters about the call and how the president was so passionate about Vick being back in the game, some people were upset, so THEN, in damage-control mode, the White House (not Obama himself however) issued a statement saying “of course the president condemns Vicks crimes” (whatever they were, let’s not dwell on it) but believes Vick “paid his debt to society” and deserves his second chance at fame and fortune as a football hero.

They also said that supporting giving Vick, or felons in general, a second chance was not the even the main purpose of the call, it was about energy use at the stadium; and the president’s love of seeing Michael Vick out on the field again was merely a side topic that ‘came up’ during the conversation.

They barely acknowledged the crime at all, didn’t name it or strongly condemn it, and didn’t even acknowledge the ongoing damage to the victims.

The president did not do this to make a statement about supporting ex-felons in getting hired and getting second chances. If they wanted to do that, there were obviously a million better ways to go about it, and the WH even said that was not the primary reason for the call. They didn’t seem to even be fully aware of what Vick had done, or didn’t think it worth mentioning anyway. And the president never personally said a single word about the crimes. He and the WH are also unaware, or don’t care, about Vick’s lack of remorse and failure to take responsibility for his actions or make amends, and that he has not changed in any way. He’s still a self-absorbed sadist and has made zero effort to rehabilitation anything except his public image. He got his second chance because he’s a celebrity athlete. So he’s hardly a decent role model for felons in general returning to good citizen status, on any level. That’s just clearly BS.

What this all says about Obama is that he’s very shallow. He cares more about football and Michael Vick’s fame and fortune than he does about the brutal torture and murder of dogs and other people’s family pets, or about condemning dog fighting, or about supporting criminals getting rehabilitation or earning second chances. He apparently thinks that a few months in prison is all it takes to make whatever was done be forgiven, no matter what it was. As long as you’re a star athlete anyway.

To me the point is not whether Michael Vick should be allowed to have a dog for a pet, it’s whether he deserves the privilege of sharing his life with a four-legged loving, companion. It’s simple – he doesn’t.

Yes, I do believe that once his parole is over and he gets more dogs, he will abuse them and torture them. Why would he not? There are no cameras in his private residence. No one will see what he does to them.

And he gets off on animal torture, he’s like a pedophile, he will do it because he loves the feelings it gives him. He has had no therapy or mental health breakthrough to change that. He’s a sociopath with no empathy for other beings, and he **enjoys** inflicting brutality and extreme suffering on an innocent animal. What has he done to change that? Nothing!

To let him EVER have more animals and be left alone with them for even a minute is unbelievably stupid, and the fact that he will be allowed to, starting next year (and he’s complaining about having to wait even that long) just shows how broken the system is. Convicted child molesters are not allowed to adopt young kids or be left alone with children again, because we know they do not change. Vick is the same way with torturing dogs. He still doesn’t even think it was wrong to do it the first time.

Oh good lord, are you being paid by Mr. Vick to come on here and spread this bullshit? No one has done more?!?! What an absurd statement.

My anger is focused on the continuation of dog fighting in this country. And letting a famous athlete/celebrity off with a slap on the wrist, and who is not even sorry for what he did to those animals, sends the message that’s it really is just a minor crime, nothing serious to have any lasting consequences. Vick’s apology tour was a PR stunt and anyone who watched any of it can see how scripted and totally insincere he is. He can’t wait to get back to torturing animals again and he has never once shown any sign of true remorse for his actions — like sadness or shame. Because he doesn’t have any. Patting a remorseless torturer of dogs and other people’s family pets on the head like he’s a suitable role model was stupid and wrong.

Thank you for mentioning Sean Moore. I’d never heard of him, but searched for information and found a YouTube video of him talking about it. He is unlike Michael Vick in every way; he appears very sincere in having changed his ways, and it seems he stopped fighting dogs because he realized it was wrong, not simply because he got caught. And he is doing real work now to try to end the practice in these neighborhoods where it’s prevalent. He is completely the opposite of Vick.

I have to say that watching his video did help me feel less like ALL dog-fighters are unredeemable monsters and psychopaths. I’m still mystified at how the transformation occurred in his mind, to the point that he did ‘terrible things to dogs’ even though he started out with a good relationship with his first dog, and clearly he does have a conscience and believes now in being good and kind to them and stopping the fighting culture.

I do not understand how any human being divorces themselves from the suffering they are inflicting, or how they don’t care about or even enjoy inflicting pain and suffering on helpless animal. I doubt I will ever grasp how that’s even possible. But Sean Moore shows that some people can do that and yet still have a heart in there somewhere. And they can find it again and change. I’m glad to see that.

I’m also glad to see that the HSUS is actually working to change this practice too. I’m very upset at them for providing cover for Vick because of a large sum of money from his football team. But they are also working with and supporting people who really are helping to change things too.

Sean Moore shows that a dog fighter can change, and can be a good and caring dog owner, if they have an awakening like he did. And he shows even more how Michael Vick is NOT a person who has done that, and why he’s a terrible role model.

Well said…I think the fact that he and his friends found joy, amusement and entertainment at the indescribable suffering of these animals, speaks volumes for his character. I don’t care how many pathetic excuses he makes regarding his upbringing, evidentally he has no conscience and is just paying lipservice to continue his lucrative career. Actions speak louder than words.

His talents as an athlete are staggering. His past actions truly suggest a man with a serious character flaw. This was not a one time isolated bad decision. It was repeated horrific acts. I choose not to watch the Eagles. I certainly hope he never is allowed to own another animal ever again.

I haven’t heard him apologize once to the dogs he has hurt!! Its all about him, that is why I cannot forgive him

very well written truth Mr. Battista. I just got done reading the book about the Vicktory dogs and was very moved by the courage, support, and downright thoughfullness of the Sheriff department, and all the law enforcement agencies and others involved in the “raid” of the house and the findings on the property. They were relentless in finding the truth and never gave up. Then a big high 5 paws up to the animal agencies that were willing to take on this risk in sheltering these animals and going through the very long process of rehab. I do believe though that a “press conference” or other means of communication about what happen has not been expessed by the owner of the property. He is more worried about his stature in the NFL than about the chaos he caused and the animals he harmed. Karma will eventually come back to haunt. And I hope it is in a form of a four-legged canine.

I dont believe one word Vick says about how sorry he is. He is a degenrate and will always be a degenerate. I have written to Michael Vick through his web-site and told him what I thought of him. I did not get a reply. I have written to Obama, also, telling him what a thought of his stance for Michael Vick. I did not get a reply from the White House, either. Wonder why these people will not reply??

Thank you for addressing this as I have also struggled with forgiving him. I agree with you talk is cheap, lets see how Michael Vick will make amends to the animals. Then I will think about forgiveness.

Again, very well said – the sadistic violence shown to the dogs leaves us with a queasiness that nothing Mr. Vick has said or done so far can put right.

MV enjoyed every minute he tortured those poor dogs. You can’t do something so cruel repeatedly if you aren’t getting your kicks from it. He is only sorry he got caught. He is a sick human being and deserves no pity or forgiveness. HSUS is a joke. I hope every animal lover stops supporting them. Let MV give them money since they’re such big fans of his Maybe we should let pedaphiles open day care centers

This is the best statement/article I have read on this topic to date. I think you are incredibly well spoken and I thank you for giving animal welfare advocates/activists a positive representation when speaking for us. I appreciate this and I agree 100%. Very well done.

mr batista u did a very good job of identifying what most people are feeling. i however, even if Vick were to address the situation directly, i would still never forgive. i have seen sooo many times how those who portray brutality on animals go on to do the same with children and humans who are weaker and that, i can just not forgive. there are just some things you cannot forgive. ever. as far as i’m concerned, he should hang his head in shame and go hide under a rock!

i also say this as someone who’s gone from being pitbull breed ignorrant to learning about their dilemna and taking one myself.

as far as the HSUS is concerned, if u want to support a humane organization that really is concerned with humane-ness then support best friends and the american humane society. you will find a huge difference between the american humane society and HSUS.

I agree with the others Francis, you have a way of putting into words what the rest of us have on our hearts and minds but just can’t put into writing. Very well said.

Very well put … I have no problem with Vick having his second chance to play football … what I DO have a problem with is him wanting another dog..
Us animal loving people hate what he did, but many were content to “let it be”
Until he mentioned he wanted a dog ….
The darkness with-in him which allowed him to run a dog fighting ring and to kill those dogs in such horrific ways doesn’t go away with a little prison time…its psychological, deep seated into his personality … its not going away over night if ever.
Michael Vick has his second chance..he’s playing football making tons of cash. But no second chances should be afforded to him when it comes to owning a animal of any kind.
No one caught fighting dogs should be allowed to have any pets ever.
Its not going to help their rehabilitation, any more then giving an alcoholic a bartending job or putting a pedophile in charge of kids

Very well put … I have no problem with Vick having his second chance to play football … what I DO have a problem with is him wanting another dog..
Us animal loving people hate what he did, but many were content to “let it be”
Until he mentioned he wanted a dog ….
The darkness with-in him which allowed him to run a dog fighting ring and to kill those dogs in such horrific ways doesn’t go away with a little prison time…its psychological, deep seated into his personality … its not going away over night if ever.
Michael Vick has his second chance..he’s playing football making tons of cash. But no second chances should be afforded to him when it comes to owning a animal of any kind.
No one caught fighting dogs should be allowed to have any pets ever.
Its not going to help their rehabilitation, any more then giving an alcoholic a bartending job or putting a pedophile in charge of kids

I believe what we are dealing with is a sociopath. In which case, there will never be a conscience, sadly, nor an apology. I, too, don’t think I will “get over it” or “put it behind” me. I suppose the only thing left to do is rescue and rehabilitate and love all the innocent victims. Thank you for all you do. I look forward to the day I can visit your beautiful facility and help out in any way I can.

I think Michael Vick and others like him should be put down period. No room for forgiveness in this heart, not for a cold calculating killer…

I am a dog lover too. In fact i am an active dog advocate who also contributes to animal advocacy groups. I understand you don’t want to ever forget what happens.Nevertheless your continued hate, bitterness is troubling. Am i the only dog lover who feels this way i know for SURE i am NOT people who feel like i do are afraid to post anywhere. I personally know very prominent well known dog lovers who feel like i do. You are a troubled and vindictive to continue stir up hate 3 years after the original incident. Stop the hate. Follow the forgiving nature of dogs and stop the madness

While the HSUS may have helped with laws, they still (originally) believed that all dogfighting victims should be euthanized because there was absolutely no chance of rehabilitation. The HSUS does not help one-on-one as much as most believe. Hardly any of their money even goes to help animals!

Michael Vick is still a personality because of his football playing prowess. The whole concept of forgiveness here is, to me, a moot point. Roger Goodell simply made a calculation: is the National Football League financially more viable with of without Michael Vick. To Goodell and the capital interests he represents, the answer was that the NFL was more prosperous with Michael Vick. Vick exhibits total denial, in the form of cash donations to whatever high profile animal organization his public relations people say will make the biggest social impact. Have you ever stopped to consider what a drop in the bucket a million dollars is for Michael Vick? A million dollars is what the judge demanded Vick pay for the ongoing care of the dogs that were rescued by Best Friends, Bad Rap, and the other animal rescue agencies. A million dollars to Michael Vick is similar to when you pick up the morning coffee tab for you and your comrades. To Vick, a million dollars is chump change. Don’t even think he was pained by being separated with his precious cash.His salary as a quarterback for the Eagles, combined with his endorsements (Yes, there are companies that have hired Vick to be a spokesman, check out http://www.woodburynissan.com
Unless people stand together and say “We are very sorry Mr. Vick, but you are a poor example of a righteous human being…wait…Mr. Vick, you are a waste of human D.N.A.” I am a huge New England Patriots Fan and always will be, but I feel betrayed by the fact that Goodell of the NFL, and Jeff Lurie the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles acted only in the interest of capital, leveraging the very short term memory of the NFL fans (typically one season is the extent of my long term memory when considering all things NFL) to justify their cash-centric decision.
What I know is that I cannot afford to buy tickets to see my beloved Patriots, and I am not the only one in this predicament, but I don’t see the NFL, or any NFL francise crying poverty.
Also here are a couple of things to consider:
Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy after Atlanta terminated his contract. The court put him on a very strict budget, as they would anyone who filed for bankruptcy. Eventually Vick was employed by the Philadelphia Eagles, and now makes more than 99 percent of us, but that does not negate his responsibilities to pay back to creditors, including us, the United States Internal Revenue Service. Violations to this agreement typically result in subpoenas being issued. It has been reported that Michael Vick recently purchased a pair of $100,000 cars for his brother Marcus, and Marcus’ fiancée. I can’t conceive that those purchases are part of the very strict budget. Assuming that the bankruptcy agreement was made part of his parole agreement, as it has been reported that it is, he is now in violation of his parole.
If you and I had committed such a heinous felony, it would be very difficult for us to find work. For anyone so quick to “forgive” this criminal, would you hire “Joe the average animal abuser” to work in your company?
If this case of animal abuse had been perpetrated by Jeffery Dahmer, or Ted Bundy, or David Berkowitz, would you have forgiven any of them? Why not? All of those people were animal abusers before they were serial killers. Would you say “this can’t happen to Michael Vick”? Are you sure?
What if the killings and abuses had been levied on people by Vick instead of dogs. Would you still feel the same? Does your maker differentiate between his creations on judgement day? Mine doesn’t.
Think about it.

Michael Vick is still a personality because of his football playing prowess. The whole concept of forgiveness here is, to me, a moot point. Roger Goodell simply made a calculation: is the National Football League financially more viable with of without Michael Vick. To Goodell and the capital interests he represents, the answer was that the NFL was more prosperous with Michael Vick. Vick exhibits total denial, in the form of cash donations to whatever high profile animal organization his public relations people say will make the biggest social impact. Have you ever stopped to consider what a drop in the bucket a million dollars is for Michael Vick? A million dollars is what the judge demanded Vick pay for the ongoing care of the dogs that were rescued by Best Friends, Bad Rap, and the other animal rescue agencies. A million dollars to Michael Vick is similar to when you pick up the morning coffee tab for you and your comrades. To Vick, a million dollars is chump change. Don’t even think he was pained by being separated with his precious cash.His salary as a quarterback for the Eagles, combined with his endorsements (Yes, there are companies that have hired Vick to be a spokesman, check out http://www.woodburynissan.com
Unless people stand together and say “We are very sorry Mr. Vick, but you are a poor example of a righteous human being…wait…Mr. Vick, you are a waste of human D.N.A.” I am a huge New England Patriots Fan and always will be, but I feel betrayed by the fact that Goodell of the NFL, and Jeff Lurie the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles acted only in the interest of capital, leveraging the very short term memory of the NFL fans (typically one season is the extent of my long term memory when considering all things NFL) to justify their cash-centric decision.
What I know is that I cannot afford to buy tickets to see my beloved Patriots, and I am not the only one in this predicament, but I don’t see the NFL, or any NFL francise crying poverty.
Also here are a couple of things to consider:
Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy after Atlanta terminated his contract. The court put him on a very strict budget, as they would anyone who filed for bankruptcy. Eventually Vick was employed by the Philadelphia Eagles, and now makes more than 99 percent of us, but that does not negate his responsibilities to pay back to creditors, including us, the United States Internal Revenue Service. Violations to this agreement typically result in subpoenas being issued. It has been reported that Michael Vick recently purchased a pair of $100,000 cars for his brother Marcus, and Marcus’ fiancée. I can’t conceive that those purchases are part of the very strict budget. Assuming that the bankruptcy agreement was made part of his parole agreement, as it has been reported that it is, he is now in violation of his parole.
If you and I had committed such a heinous felony, it would be very difficult for us to find work. For anyone so quick to “forgive” this criminal, would you hire “Joe the average animal abuser” to work in your company?
If this case of animal abuse had been perpetrated by Jeffery Dahmer, or Ted Bundy, or David Berkowitz, would you have forgiven any of them? Why not? All of those people were animal abusers before they were serial killers. Would you say “this can’t happen to Michael Vick”? Are you sure?
What if the killings and abuses had been levied on people by Vick instead of dogs. Would you still feel the same? Does your maker differentiate between his creations on judgement day? Mine doesn’t.
Think about it.

I agree 100
% I am NOT that good of a christian to forgive and forget deliberate cruelty to the helpless

The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creatures that cannot. ~Mark Twain, What Is Man, 1906

Many people inclding the owner of this blog incite HATE and will have blood on their hands if Vick is killed. From reading the hate on this board I can just feel the hate the blog oner promotes. Blog owner you may have blood on your hands withe the HATE you express.

i agree with you fully. and you are right, we all carry regrets of what we did or did not do and the pain we caused or a death that occurred because of our actions or lack of. the key is – we had to go back, look at ourselves honestly and w/o denial and find the lesson to be learned. we cant always make amends, but we can learn the lesson. i saw Vick in a TV interview last spring when i was in Hampton, VA. his body language spoke volumes. he was mimicking what his handlers had told him to say and his body language was clearly lies and denial. he kept shifting his weight, rocking back and forth, licking his lips and never any eye contact with the TV reporter. it showed me that he didn’t get it. he was going through the verbiage in order to get back his career (i.e. money) and that was all. i do hope he ‘gets it’ at some point.for himself as well as the dogs who survived and found peaceful homes.

Sam, 3 years later, the people at Best Friends are still cleaning up Vick’s mess, not to mention countless other messes left behind by less notable monsters. While I am confimred carnivore, and not a “tree hugging animal rights whacko” as many have attempted to portray me, I agree with Francis that Vick has shown zero remorse, believable or otherwise, for the animals he abused. And I think the reason his handlers have not had him speak out as Mr Battista suggests is because he truly is not remorseful for his behavior. And he is not capable of lying about his remorse successfully, so it’s better to remain silent and be thought unrepentant by some than to open his mouth and remove all doubt from all.

Very well said and exactly where I am. He has not confronted himself that is for sure.

I too am disgusted by the support football fans give him. I am a Packers fan since I was a kid, and I’ll tell you what….if the Packers would support and back somone of his nature, that will be the last day I support the Packers. Period. It is truly a shame what many sports fans will support all in the name of a win.

You have to be kidding me. No one should hate Vick. They hate his actions. What Tucker Carslon said was over the top and he should have known better. No one should be executed. It is about compassion towards humans and animals. All cruelty is wrong. Vick deserves a life but not praise. You cannot be disgusted by his horrific acts towards those dogs and turn around and root for him in football. It means you weren’t really disgusted by his actions. I’ll say it again, you cannot separate a man from his act. The cruelty Vick imposed on those dogs is the same pathology that is in people who inflict the same cruelty on humans. It is a fact. It means something is seriously wrong with you that won’t go away. Vick has shown no concerns towards his surviving dogs, the victims, which shows he is not sorry for what he did. He is sorry for getting caught. If he was truly sorry for what he did he would have done all he could for the rest of his life to help dogs. It would never be enough. His crime was that vicious and that serious. His victim of choice was dogs whereas another person might pick humans. Dogs give unconditional love. Could you do what Vick did to a dog? Read The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant which is the true story of what happened. It might give you some perspective on Vick and other animal/human abusers and killers.

Yea goody for the pres, too bad he didn’t call Best Friends Animal Society who took in most of Vicks abused dogs and congradulate them for giving Vicks abused dogs a 2 chance at just living a normal life.

Shame on him

i just would like to know,what happened to the other people that were involved in this dog fighting thing? and the vet that pulled the dogs teeth? what happened to them. did they all get time? or just vick?seems like he just supplied the place, the other people did the damage no?

Very well said Francis. This is the issue I have been trying to raise over and over again with people I know. They always say the same thing “he served his time, just let the guy move on.” No! He can never serve time for what he has done. Not every African American young man who comes out of the projects participates in dogfighting. He was an incredibly lucky young man to be so very gifted in his football abilities. He took that gift and abused it! Many young men in the projects would give anything to make it to the NFL (I was an elementary school teacher in South Central LA for several years). Michael Vick achieved that dream, but it was not enough for him. Something in the hard wiring in his brain is very wrong. He was able, as we all know, to violently torture and kill innocent animals who only wanted to please their people. The horrors that he inflicted upon these animals is unspeakable. Yet, he never mentions them or even seems the least bit horrified at his actions. He is sorry his daughters can’t have a dog in their home…that is part of his punishment (not to mention the safety of an animal in his home which can’t be risked), yet his arrogance does not seem to grasp the enormity of what he has done. We may be labeled “crazy animal people” but this is a much larger issue. Michael Vick is a violent criminal – dogs just happened to be his victims of choice, but I have no doubt he could have been violent toward people as well. Something is either missing in his brain wiring or he is so incredibly arrogant that he is unable to see or care to see where his life went so terribly wrong. He clearly only hears the praises from his fans and believes that erases all the crimes he so coldly committed not very long ago. This is more of a commentary on our society than of the actions of one violent criminal absolved of his crimes due to his athletic prowess. The only silver lining to emerge from the darkness is a call to end dogfighting in our country. Our animals and young people deserve better!
Thank you to Best Friends for giving the Vicktory dogs a second chance…who needs Obama’s praise, you have ours!

“Many tell me to just forgive and stop judging….Well let me tell you that the world was judge a long time ago by the Lord, I’m just going along with the program. According to my ‘Word’ it says ‘Thou Shall Not Kill’. My thoughts are very scattered on this matter. I am at a loss for words many days, and believe I am never at a loss for words. I think if he only let us know how much remorse he felt for what he did. Not only to the Pits but to the countless many who’s dogs were probably stolen off the streets and used as bait animals. Remorse is a feeling of quilt and I just do not feel that he has any. To change you have to feel remorse and then make restitution for what you did. He did what the courts ordered him to do. After he got out of jail he was put back whole like nothing ever happened. I read somewhere that he has not even paid all the bills to rehabilitate the animals that they managed to save (very few I might add). The law gives justice, well mr. vick got his but what about the poor defenseless animals? Where is the justice for them? Many Pit Bulls and Bully Breeds suffer still the repercussions for what this monster did for so long. Hence ‘PARROT’S LAW-STOP BREED PROFILING’. But how long was it for the NFL and even the President to restore him back to his old status? When I open my paper, or turn on the television, or sign on to my computer and see all the titles where mr. vick has visited a ‘Kill’ or a ‘No Kill’ shelter or a ‘Pit Bull Rescue’ to donate some of them millions he is making now or that he has held a seminar (not ‘Court Ordered’) to talk to young people about the torture and killing of defenseless animals and how inhuman it is, then maybe, yes I say maybe I can ‘Forgive’. ‘Forget’ well that is another story.”

Read Jim Gorant’s The Lost Dogs. Vick has “blood on his hands,” (and not by proxy).

Francis, i couldnt agree more with the way you feel. Heres the thing…Vick shows no remorse. I understand he served his time and is currently paying fines and what not but the problem lies with his attitude. Has he spent time working in a shelter or helped with the rehab of other abused dogs??? He still doesnt get it. He still doesnt understand the scars he has left on these dogs. i will have a hard time forgiving this man unless he starts showing some real remorse.

Even better than your last blog. Thank You.

where the heck do you live? and kudos to you for not sharing the cruel mentality of your neighbours

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

I think I could believe this organism ( I just cannot bring myself to call it a person) if it chose to donate some of his millions to animal rights groups and anti dog fighting organizations, took the time to talk to kids about this abhorrent act and how wrong it is, volunteered on a continued basis in a shelter and publically accepted the horror it perpetrated. As far as I know he has only said he wants a puppy, most likely a way to suck people in that he is a nice guy now ’cause nice guys like puppies. The ability to torture is learned and clearly it liked it. It has not demonstrated it has changed. Second chances are earned, not given as a right. Sadly Obama doesn’t get it either. Poor, poor example.

Thank you Mr. Battista for your poignent writings about this subject. I sickens me that the media does not follow this side of the story and now only focuses on Vick’s “comeback”. Doesn’t research and history demonstrate that most derranged serial killers start out torturing animals? start with defenseless animals then graduate to people? Where will the next outlet of Vick’s evil land? children? homeless people? bald eagles? I believe that if Vick had not been caught he would still be fighting and killing dogs and that perhaps during the NFL’s off season someone should be monitoring his rage.

LOVE the “it” reference – perfect!

I heard he wants to get a dog for his children!!!! Unbelievable and inconceiveable that he would be even considered to own a pet!!!!!!!!!!

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head Mr. Battista. I have been waiting for some admission to his darkness and an apolegy to those animals. The fact that those acknowledgments have not come to light bother me to my very core. So far I feel he is only concerned with keeping himself in a positive light for his fans rather than really apoligizing or facing his demons as to why he performing those horrific actions.

Regarding Michael Vick….I do not forgive him because his body language and his eyes say he is not sorry! Surely all of us who work with the animals know that the body speaks volumns when words do not. I will never forgive him, and I pray he will have the same pain happen to him that happened to the abused dogs!

This is exactly how I feel. Well said.

Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals.

There is a very strong Biblical case to be made for caring for animals and avoiding cruelty. I wrote a paper on this for college. Unfortunately, she is mistaken in her view of scripture and her attitude towards animals comes from Descartes more than historical Christianity. You might suggest she study 1st century Christians and their view on animals as well as a philosopher named Porphyry. If I remember correctly, he shed some light on early vegetarianism and animals care by Christians and Jews.

I told one of Vick’s fans off on Facebook Thursday….so today (days later) he shows up on a thread that was about the shooting in AZ — had nothing to do with football or the Dog Killa — and started trashing me on that thread.

Seems a good many of Vick’s apologists are as cowardly as he is. They can’t stand to be told they are wrong.

I look at my chihuahua Zoe every day and thank God that she made her way into my home. I think of the dogs that were thrown into a ring – some just like my Zoe Bear – who were scared, hurt, maimed all in the name of “sport.” It’s that gut wrenching disgust and horror that keeps me from forgetting what Michael Vick has done. When I look into Zoe’s big brown eyes full of wonder when I give her a small piece of turkey bacon…or the wriggles she gives me when I walk through the door…or the adoration she has for me by sitting next to me as I peruse one more research article for my dissertation…I realize that she could have been that dog. Any one of my three dogs…could have been “that dog.”

I think about the character of an individual who would purposefully hurt an animal. I think about the integrity of someone who cannot recognize that what is being done is wrong. I think of that person playing in a high profile sport where people – child and adult alike – look up to this individual. Yes. We are all human. We all make mistakes. We all unknowingly and unwittingly hurt human and animal alike. The difference is exactly as Mr. Batista wrote: Our conscience. It’s that gut wrenching feeling that “oh gosh, that was wrong wasn’t it?” It’s the sincerity of the apology.

I doubt Vick’s sincerity. His turn of conscience is because he’s losing money. To those who say it’s time to move past it – dig deep. The words are exactly what the public want to hear – but the tone and sincerity are lacking. This debate would be raging if Vick was performing horribly on the field. No one wants to upset the apple cart when a team is doing well. Everyone wants a hero. So Vick’s jail time to prime time jump is the kind of story that people latch onto. Michael Vick. Poor soul. Did wrong. Turned it around and look what he’s done for himself. If these dogs had been humans he would be sharing a cell with Charles Manson. He would be vilified. Documentaries showing his devious behavior would be produced and aired over and over again. Serial killer. He’d be right up there with the worst of the worst…if these dogs had been human. But simply because these animals walk on all fours and cannot speak our language…because they have teeth instead of fists…they are somehow beneath “us.”

Is it any wonder the world is in the state it is in today? When such divisions exist between “man” and “beast”? Be compassionate. I feel sorry for Vick. I feel sorry that he doesn’t understand the ramifications of his actions. I feel sorry for him because his children will one day be old enough to understand that daddy is a monster. I feel sorry for his children because that innate lack of judgment does not go away…and the propensity to harm animals translates into other areas. I feel sorry for Vick. But he is a man. Feel worse for the dogs who met their death with cold, calculating cruelty. Feel worse for the last breath those animals took. Feel worse for every tear, every drop of blood, every howl, every cry that was ripped from the innocent animals forced to fight to their death. Applaud those who took in the survivors and gave them the lives they should have had in the first place.

I wonder why my outrage continues to run so deeply. It is as stated the dark acts perpetrated on helplessness time after time intentional torture and for what satisfaction, the simple satisfaction of being a he maggot/ possibly a tough guy? That certainly is not the acts of a man. I do not care for the political agenda of our president but had thought he may have had some moral compass, I was wrong!

I won’t forgive him never. He is a jerk

I was watching, think it was 20/20 or some show like that, and he was talking to the kids in the school, part of his rehabilitation, and one of the kids, looked about 10-12 years old, asked him if he hadn’t been caught, would he still be dogfighting, and his reply was “yes, I think I would be”

Why? Would they giva a child to someone who abuses children?What is wrong with this picture he should never, never, never have any animal!!!
Margie Murphy

You have explained perfectly my feelings on the matter that I have been unable to explain. Thank you. My only hope is that in talking to the at risk kids that may begin in dog fighting, he will be successful in changing them. Forgiveness NOPE

I too am confused with the public’s pleas for “us” to forgive him .. and now even more alarming he wants to own a dog again. I recently read “The Lost Dogs” and although I cried throughout the entire book I became even more connected to this story. The dogs that were able to physically survive the horrific days in Vick’s possesion are still fighting for their piece of happiness. They have constantly been compared to children who grew up with abusive parents. Why is it so easy for, in my opinion, too many people to turn away from this? Because it’s not in-their-face enough? I don’t understand his significance, and why we should all cheer at his sudden turn-around, if that’s what they want it to be called. I think he got caught, and has to play the good guy long enough to get some people off his back. I personally don’t think that he deserves a dog’s unconditional love or acceptance. I wish he’d just go away already!

Michael Vick is a sociopath who derived pleasure from torturing dogs and killing them by electrocution, hanging, or shooting. Yes, he served time in prison – said the “politically correct” things while in prison and when he got out. Does a sociopath change? No. Does he have a conscience? Absolutely not.

It is so easy for people to forgive him–he didn’t do anything to them! Since when do unaffected parties determine forgiveness? The dogs that he mutilated are the only ones who can forgive him. Oh wait–they can’t, they’re dead.

Dear Mr President did you know that Michael Vick took hold of the hind legs of a little red pit while his buddy held the front legs. They swung the dog up in the air, like a jump rope and slammed the body onto the ground, over and over till it finally died.
This after it wouldn’t die when they first tried to drown it, after it didn’t win in a dog fight.

Animals are God’s creatures just like us. Yes, some of them were meant for food. Animals DO have souls, they have emotions, they love, they are care givers, they are protective of us. According to Jewish law, they are not to be abused or mistreated BECAUSE they are God’s creatures. When it comes to the animals that we must kill in order to eat, it is Jewish law that they must be killed with the least amount of pain.

As far as Vick is concerned, he is UNeducated, Totally ghetto, and his treatment of animals is probably learned behavior from his family and his environment in the ghetto. Don’t know what his personal life is like but I would be willing to bet that he probably abuses his girlfriends, too. He’s an idiot, has no morals, no regard for any life whatsoever.

You don’t have to be smart to play football. He’s dumb. He’s all brawn, no brains, and yet he is rewarded with gazillions of dollars playing football. Great message to send to send to his younger ghetto ‘Brothers’. Commit a violent, heinous crime, and if you’re big like me (no education necessary) you can still earn millions playing football. BOYCOTT THE EAGLES!!!

Right On, Katrina! That person is an idiot.

The issue here is animals and has absolutely nothing to do with Iraq or Afghanistan. Stick to the subject Mr/Ms. Dismayed, or stay out, and get involved with some charity group for Iraqi’s & Afghani’s.

A note to Michael Vick: You are a piece of ghetto trash. I have picked up my dogs poop with my bare hands before when I didn’t have a plastic bag. Your poop however contaminates our good earth.

I don’t think that the question of forgiveness can even enter in sincerity. The real point is Michael Vick’s inherent state of mind and/or conscience – and regarding the latter, his actions seem to indicate that he does not have one, or he would never have committed such inhuman atrocities. And we know that you cannot grow a conscience!

If you were working everyday with someone’s tortured victums would you be able to “let it go?” Just because other bad things are happening doesn’t mean another should be shoved under the carpet but that they should be brought to light and delt with, especially if they could encourage other horrific acts to happen. I’m sure whatever god there is, more then forgives Francis for all the work he does for and with those who cannot take care of themselves.

I am so grateful for your essays on this issue. Your work is such a light in the world. May Michael Vick find a way to take an honest look at himself and feel the pain he has created so he might begin walking on a different path of restoration.

I absolutely hate(d) Mike Vick for what he did; I thought he should be electrocuted. But that was then, and this is now, post jail (which wasn’t long enough, I thought when he was released. I vowed to quit watching pro football when he was re-signed, but that didn’t last.). Secure in the knowledge that nothing is certain but change, let’s take another view of Mike Vick, keeping firmly in mind that I am in NO WAY advocating – or even forgiving – anything Vick did. But as I said, that was then and this is now. Maybe asking people to forgive is too much; and actually, maybe forgiveness isn’t part of the answer since that’s looking behind; maybe looking ahead holds the key.

Best Friends, with help from supporters world-wide, took those vicious, supposedly irretrievable dogs and through patience, belief, love and commitment, have “fixed” them, helped them to see a very different world around them than the one they’d experienced up until that point, helped them to grow into brand new beings. I saw the Vick-tory dogs at BFs before they were ‘healed’ – it took a huge commitment of time, effort, funds, and perseverance. Others said it couldn’t be done; it hadn’t been done before, and therefore it wasn’t possible – but indeed it was. If we can do that with animals, why can’t we do that with people? I don’t believe we will make the strides necessary in advancing human compassion, kindness and consciousness on any meaningful scale until we can offer the same kind of unconditional patience, belief and kindness to “bad” people that we do to “dangerous” dogs. Who knows the darkness Vick came from? Only Vick. Is he required to turn himself inside out to show the rest of the world what’s there, before we will extend our hands and hearts to him? Did we ask that of the dogs? We tend to think humans are very different from animals in so many regards, but maybe we aren’t. Maybe we need to open up our hearts here, expect the best, hope for the best, show kindness, and see what comes out the other side.

Allison Hamilton
Dallas, Oregon

Anyone that has to refer to the Bible or any other reference for there opinions about animals or anything else for that matter is ignorant and doesn’t have the ability to think for themselves. The idea of animals not possessing souls is an archaic one and has been replaced with centuries of philosophical discussion. Read anything by
Tom Regan for example if you want to get into a modern discussion about the rights of animals. As was asked by a philosopher, whose name escapes me, it is not the question if they have souls, but rather “if they can suffer”? As for the idea that animals are here for our disposal like some sort of inanimate object that can be tossed away like a dirty rag when we are finished with it is just a misinterpretation of the true message of the Bible and the meaning of stewardship. It is a disgrace that words can be twisted in order to commit evil and find justification for it. Not to offend “believers” but if you believe this garbage you do not have the love of God in your heart.

Animals don’t have a choice. They are innocent. Humans have good and evil inside them. A human chooses to be that evil or that good. Humans are not forced into being cruel. They choose to be that cruel. Vick has not extended his hand or his heart to his surviving dogs. You would think that if he was truly sorry for what he did to those dogs they would be the first creatures he would be concerned about when he got out of prison by contacting the places that were rehabilitating these dogs, the victims, to see how they were doing. People should stop justifying prison as the answer to a horrible crime. It punishes but does not reform a person. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know when someone is truly sorry for what they did. I don’t hate Vick, I hate what he did and I hate how society doesn’t like to face or deal with the horrible things someone did because they want to watch a football game. A football game has more importance than the suffering of a human or an animal. That’s why it is so easy for ex-convicts who are athletic to play sports because a lot of people just don’t care enough about the victims.

Being a person of color & a lifelong dog lover, I am truly torn on this issue. I know some would ask what race has to do with it- and to a certain extent it doesn’t. It is more of a socio-economic issue, but honestly if you look at the socio-economic status of many men of color in our society, the ven diagram is clear… Even growing up privileged & in rather a white environment, I don’t need a “ghetto pass” to see that males in that environment are not socialized for loving- or even really considering animals as sentient beings -in any viable way. Look how they are forced to live. I say “forced” because the lifestyle is usually generational, so they are born into it. Look at how they treat each other – & themselves. Do you really expect them to care about animals?! It’s a mentality that runs SO deep!! Love for animals is something that I believe is inherent but can either be quashed- by a survival of the fittest, with a side of “they did it to me, so I’ll do it to you dog” mindset that is LEARNED (Darwin meets Fraternities), or nurtured.
There are definitely no easy answers as to how to overcome something so institutionalized, but I believe it would definitely help to start young…

Thank you, Mr. Battista. You eloquently put into words thoughts that have been tumbling around in my head, unorganized, and certainly not eloquent.

What you say is so true. It is all about his conscience and ability to feel. He seems devoid of emotions and his face is a mask and his mouth just says what he is expected to say to be forgiven; yet I never once believed that he FELT it or meant it deep down.
Without intensive therapy to come to grips with the horrific acts he committed I do not believe he will ever really face what he did. Likely he lives in denial and being successful at football enables him to live in a world of wealth, privilege and power where he can hide from his feelings.

Perhaps Vick has no feeling about the dogs he murdered and that is my fear.
A person untreated for animal abuse can easily go on to become a wife or child beater.

I truly believe the man has not confronted his demons because deep down He probably does not think he did anything wrong. I just haven’t heard or seen anything in his demeanor to demonstrate meaningful contrition. There will be a day in a more evolved future when , if an animal is murdered, abused or stolen , it will be a severely punishable crime.
Many social deviants and serial killers abuse animals in their childhoods. The studies are there to prove this.
Will Vick’s rage continue elsewhere and be manifested in some other way?
Guess time will tell but meanwhile he need to know that most of us out there do not believe his hollow apology.

I read “Lost Dogs” and skipped the hard parts. But even then I got a brief glimpse of his heartless disconnect. Michael Vick doesn’t deserve the kindness and selfless love of an animal. But unfortunately, the animals never really get a say. I can only hope that if he gets the honor of the friendship of a dog that he learns a deep and soul-resonating lesson and becomes a changed man.

But for the most part, as I am not as forgiving as a dog, I continue to wish him double the pain and suffering he inflicted on those poor canine souls who were victim to his cruelty.

Thank you for expressing what I haven’t been able to.

what is stopping vick from doing this again? nothing Once a thug always a thug he can’t do enough good to make me forgive him. I think he should have been baned from playing football for life.

I agree with you on being done with HSUS- I used to contribute to HSUS, but have not since the whole Michael Vick affair. I am really disappointed in them and their association with Michael Vick as I agree with you in the fact that he is in no way repentant. He is only sorry he got caught – it was an inconvenience for him.

I love animals and would never do anything to hurt them. But there is so much still going on out there that to dwell on Michael Vick isn’t the thing to do. We need to continue to educate people. And yes, somewhere in our hearts we need to learn to forgive. We all make Terrible mistakes in our lives.

Thank you Mr. Battista. I am a psychiatric nurse and I have spent a lot of time trying to educate others about Michael Vick and his supposed “rehabilitation.” What you said is exactly the cold hard truth- to torture and to kill those dogs in the ways that he did, with such apparent pleasure in his acts of cruelty, and his ongoing excitement over the maiming and abuse of these animals (which is in the very nature of dog-fighting itself) speaks to a deviant and sadistic human who does not just lose those pathologies by being imprisoned. If you watch what he did both before and after his horrendous activities were discovered, as well as his activities after his release from prison, you will see the true definition of a sociopath- someone who is incapable of feeling any emotion towards others, who is only interested in his own pleasure and satisfaction and who will present whatever “picture” of normalcy he needs to in order to further his own gain. Sadistic sociopaths actually get their pleasure from hurting others and therein lies the greatest danger… Vick will never truly be “rehabilitated” from his core personality, one considered basically untreatable by the psychiatric community and one which will simply find a way to feed itself in a more hidden manner. It isn’t just a moral statement to say Michael Vick should never be forgiven or be supported in any manner whatsoever- it is a scientific reality and one all persons should be made aware of. It is just a matter of time, for all of his self-serving statements, before he begins torturing animals again. How pathetically sad that we, as a society, choose winning football games and becoming richer over doing what is right for others, including the most dependent amongst us. Shame on the Humane Society for giving him a supposedly remorseful forum to start his “rehabilitation”- and shame on all those who would encourage anyone to forget or forgive his actions. He is the TRUE animal, not the poor defenseless creatures he has tortured and killed for all these years without any feeling at all.

I am pressed to remember that there is a vast difference between forgiving and forgetting. I am struggling to forgive, but will never forget. Viewing Michael Vick’s recent video footage I don’t see anything sincere about what he says. What I most want to hear is that President Obama called Best Friend’s and inquired about the Viktory Dogs and how they are doing with their second chance.

To Muzzy47. Vick has to be involved and the issue has to be discussed. It is a serious issue. He made it an ongoing issue by going back into the spotlight. There’s a lot of problems in this world and they are all important. Vick’s crime is no less important than another. If we don’t discuss it things won’t get better. We are going in the right direction in passing laws to help abused animals but we should never let up because society has a way of forgetting when a football game comes on.

Me too! I have been enraged since hearing of Obama giving this sociopath special attention. I have written to the White House and asked him specifically “What has Michael Vick given back to the dogs who actually survived his ownership?”
It seems that Vick held no reservations about the amount of time and money spent to torture and kill countless dogs. If he was sincere, he would be sending all of the attention and fame in the direction of the Viktory dogs. His so-called apologies fall on deaf ears.

The actions MV took paralleled those of a sadistic serial killer.Yes,these were performed on animals and not humans;but,that doesn’t lessen the pain,squelch the fear/terror,or wash away the blood.Though his actions are reprehensible,the only reason I can forgive MV is because it allowed Best Friends[and others] to step in,rehabilitate the dogs and disprove the PitBull myth.I do believe MV has a blackness to his soul that no amount of rehabilitation will change.He is sociopathic;the only difference between a sociopath and a psychopath is he hasn’t killed people[yet].The undying praise and hero worship that abounds for this male human makes me wonder one thing…what if Jeffery Dahmer could throw a football;would his crimes be forgivable,his actions less dispicable,his victims suffering lessened?He started his career torturing animals…but what if he could throw a football?

I have worked in the not-for-profit world for more than 22 years and I believe one’s commitment, interest, and passions can be tracked by one’s allocation of time and financial spending. It would be interesting to know how much personal financial resources and time Micheal Vick is dedicating to an issue that he is truly sorry about. One’s heart drives the allocation of time and financial resources especially as one matures and becomes more enlightened. Once truly enlightened such things are not mandated. They are given freely of the heart because one has the desire to create change and to pay one’s penance. I will never be convinced that this man nor any person participating in such a so called sport did not know his acts were cruel, inhumane and wrong prior to being exposed. Exposure does wonders or does it? D Wilkinson

Thank you! You have explained what I couldn’t explain myself. I’ve struggled with this Vick thing too because we do say that someone who has served their punishment must be given a second chance. Of course, Vick didn’t go to prison for dog fighting; he refused to acknowledge he was part of it. And there’s the part of us who think “If he hadn’t been caught, would we hear any apology?” Of course not. But that’s part of what you’ve said so well: has he really looked at himself and say “How could I do this?”

Here’s my other comment to the people who say let it go: if he abused children, raped women, would you still say he should be forgiven and buy his football jersey? Would the Woodbury NJ car dealership put him in their tv spots?

“Forgive and be free. Forget you have forgiven and be freer.” – The Buddha.

I would like for Vick to address how his view of dogs has changed too. Perhaps someone should ask. It’s the one hang up I have still. Did that really change?

But his situation is what it is due to the laws being what they are. Which are thankfully stronger than before.

But let’s not forget it’s a different world where Vick comes from. African-American ghettos have a different view on animals that needs to be changed. Dog fighting is merely a symptom of the black ghettos. Change has to be taught.

People eat animals every day that came from a “slaughter house” for crying out loud. Yuck. Let’s not single out the famous guy.

Be glad Vick is successful again. A popular figure speaking to school kids about the evils of dog fighting is more affective than another downtrodden, perpetually-punished, black man. He would play football again somewhere. Be glad it was the NFL, where he had to struggle as a broke, back-up before getting to where he is now.

Believe in rehabilitation. It’s critical to our society. We’re no better than the conservative “moral majority” if we’re bent on vengeance and decide what is right and wrong and who should be forgiven.

If you don’t want to forgive that’s okay. I’ve forgiven, but don’t know if I could root for him as a fan yet. But don’t tell others they shouldn’t forgive, or say he shouldn’t be allowed to play again.

If you knew Michael Vick before his imprisonment, you could see the difference in his behavior, demeanor… and in his eyes. It’s there.

I will qualify my slaughterhouse comment for the carnivores that there is a difference between killing for sustenance and sport. But slaughterhouses are part of inhumanely killing them for profit. So there’s definitely similarities.

It can open a can of worms, but you have to open up someone in surgery to fix a problem too. As someone who’s gotten through to a person with the same thinking, mention how black people were once thought of as inferior and property. And show/tell him how a dog can mourn and know guilt and excitement.

It’s an ingrained thing he’s never thought about is all. Like living in the south around racists, even if the individual is consciously racist, he make passively or subconsciously think it’s okay, because that’s what he’s around.

Again, it’s an ingrained thing he’s never thought about is all. Like living in the south around racists, even if the individual is consciously racist, he make passively or subconsciously think it’s okay, because that’s what he’s around.

Everyone has a conscience, but is he using it or analyzing the situation around him. People often just accept their environment for what it is and go about their day.

Don’t get me wrong, I hate what Vick did, and am glad he lost all his money. (I’m assuming agents fronted the cars he bought his fiance and brother)

But would we not try to rehab a dog that had maimed or killed other dogs or harmed people if it were possible? And yes, I realize that dog’s behavior would be attributed to bad ownership.

I hadn’t realized, however, that we humans are completely immune to bad parenting and our environment and can never be rehabilitated. Learn something new everyday I guess.

I wish all felons could go through an evaluation process and receive approval from some sort of commissioner type to be cleared to re-enter the work force. We’d probably have a lot less repeat offenders.

that’s true the only thing that keeps Vick from doing this again is the court order. once the three years are up what’s to stop him from doing this again? I will never buy anything thing that he advertises or support any football team he’s on.

God bless you Mr. Battista. Thank you

I agree with Mr. Battista 100%. I can’t forgive Vick for the horrible treatment of those beautiful dogs. In my opinion he is a monster to be able to inflict such pain and suffering. He for sure should never be allowed to own any animal. Through the years I have learned that most people do not change, you are who you are, sure you can make adjustments to yourself to suit a certain situation, but I believe people always go back to their original selves. My animals are treated as members of my family as all should be, Would anyone be so quick to forgive if he had done such horrific acts to a human???????

Sociopaths are not cured.

Hes still a piece of **** that should rot in hell”sorry” doesnt make up for those poor dogs

I totally agree with you. I do believe people should be given second chances, however, Vick didn’t just steal a car or commit robbery. He killed. With his own hands, he took a living breathing being and ended their life in a most horrible manner and he did this more than once. There is something very disturbing and very wrong with an individual who can do such a thing and prison, paying fines, and speaking about the illegal ways of dog fighting is not going to significantly change him, in my opinion. There are deeper issues that need to be dealt with and I hope he is getting the kind of help he really needs for his sake as well as for the rest of society.

I have had a difficult time with this myself over these past few months as some of my friends have been cheering him on during the football season. I found myself being disgusted over his name being mentioned. In my own life though, I have discovered that sometimes we must forgive the ones we love…even when they don’t say sorry, so that we can move on and not be held back. Sometimes, we have to take the first step and make things better. Sometimes, whether the person says sorry or not, is irrelevant. Now, I understand that I do not love Michael Vick and he is not my brother nor any close family member; however, I understand, through my Catholic belief, that we must forgive as God forgives…regardless of anything. Yes, what Michael Vick did was disgusting and awful and horrendous and not even words describe what he and his friends did. Yes, when I hear about him I still get angry…but a short while ago, after knowing I had to forgive him and found that it was so hard to and that I couldn’t, I finally did to forgive him. It was especially hard for me being that I love Pit Bulls and look into the eyes of one who has changed my life every day and I do everything in my power that I possibly can to do good for the breed. I know what it is like for all those who have a hard time with this; however, I realized it had to be done and I wanted to. I wanted to stop feeling bad about the fact that I knew I needed to get over this, forgive him and move on. That doesn’t mean that I will cheer him on or be a big fan of him, but that I have moved on from the matter.

God may not love what his children do, but God loves all his children. And so shall I.

That is where I stand in the matter.

Agreed that the focus needs to be on the dogs!

But as a collective group, we can also create public opinion and advertisers/commerce listens……. How about letting the NFL know that their ticket-holders won’t support mv or anyone associated with him and his lack of morals!

Studies show that violence toward animals is often a predictor of violence toward humans. So, who knows?

Without repentance there is no forgiveness.

Very well said. Thank you for expressing what so many of us feel but cant find the words to say.

i had a conversation w/ my cousin over the issue of whether he should be allowed to have another dog. she said, well, he served his time. i asked, if she would want to be michael vick’s dog. dead silence on her end of the phone. then a half hearted, “…um…”

i simply said, “oh. i see.”

Thank you Francis–beautifully and perfectly stated. I recently had a debate on this subject with my cab driver on my way to the airport! Second chances must be earned and demonstrating his remorse toward the animals and animal community would help me start to turn the page on my opinion of him.

Took the words right from my soul. I can honestly say, i will never be able to hear his name and not cringe. I will never hear his name and not get flashes of the the things that i have only heard about. I have been unable to read or view any material on this subject. It is just too much sorrow. I will never hear his name and not feel sorrow for those dogs and what they went through. I will never hear his name and not be angry at him. I will never forgive. And if that makes me a bad person, then that’s what i’ll have to live with. What he has to live with is so much worse. Who gives a crap about his fame or athleticism. He is a horrible human being. And if there is any justice he will answer to what he has done at the hands of the Lord.

I defy anyone to look into one of my dogs eyes when they light with pleasure upon seeing me home from work and tell my that dogs do not have souls. Shame on whoever said that!

I am pit bull owner, I love my dogs very much, they are, and will always be a part of my family! some people are so shallow and have zero compassion, that jerk that told you to open a bible needs to open it himself! we should nurture, love and care for things that cant take care of them selves. Some people will just never get it, because they are to self serving. It is said that people that like to inflict pain or death on animals will most likely be a serial killer.Wow some role model! Its scary to think that these people walk among us, and for the people that have a negitive opinion about the pit bull breed, have an uneducated opinion. Bottom line shame on anyone who is willing to harm or kill any helpless animal or child, you will have to pay for what you have done one day!!!!! I hope for your sake God shows you more mercy than you gave your victim.

I am so sorry that there is no “Death Penalty” for those that would abuse helpless creatures of the world. Their life (the abuser’s) cannot be of any benefit to anyone other than to be an example of what will happen if you do abuse God’s creatures. DEATH to abusers!!!

I can’t be worried about someone saying that dogs don’t have souls……..that thinking is simply stupid and nothing else. What worries me, is, does Michael Vick have a soul?
If he does, then show us that and stop talking about how sorry he is to have sold out his reputation. It appears to me that he sold his soul.

no can do. michael vick is barely literate. no excuse for his brutality, but the man can barely speak, let alone read!

As long as creatures like vick are given hero status, animal brutality will be downgraded to a”almost crime.” Anyone capable of the cruelty he has shown, is lacking, heart, soul,and/or conscience(sociopath.) Animals have a greater innate sensitivity to the world around them. I agree with Tallyluann; we cannot concern ourselves with the “question of dogs having a soul.”Anyone, who has loved an animal, knows the answer. My concern is the lack of empathy for the victims of monsters like vick. These seem to be the ones truly without a “soul.”

One of the most frightening things about Vick’s response to what he’s done is his repeated statement that he doesn’t know why he did what he did. If he doesn’t understand why he did what he did, it’s hard to believe that he is making any real effort to reform. Someone who truly wanted to be rehabilitated, who truly wanted to reform, would be trying desperately to discover why he behaved as he did, but we’ve heard nothing from Vick about that. Only excuses that it has to do with the “culture” in which he was raised, and no reporter has had the courage to ask him what he specifically means by “culture”? However he’s defining culture–African-American, rural, southern or some combination thereof–I find it extremely difficult to believe that everyone who belongs to that culture would behave as he did. If a significant enough number of them don’t, then the culture excuse flies out the window.

Vick needs to address sincerely why he was able to enjoy torturing dogs. If he doesn’t, he’s not really trying to rehabilitate himself no matter how well he plays football or how many pretty speeches he makes at schools. I, too, wonder if it’s possible for someone who could enjoy such a thing to be rehabilitated, but I’m quite certain it’s completely impossible if the person is content to say, “I don’t know why I did it” without that deeply troubling him.

I hope and pray that the judge in charge of his case understands that and continues his ban on owning animals of any kind past his probation. An inability to have a dog in his life ever again isn’t about punishing Vick further–it’s about protecting animals from someone who has been horribly cruel to them and who claims not to know why. If he doesn’t know why, then there’s no way he can guarantee that he won’t do it again.

Were to start…..
Vick number one isnt sorry for a thing that he did. His PR people are working around the clock to try to make him look good and like he feels sorry.
Vick DIDNT do any time for the crimes that he comitted. He should have been in prison for life for orginized crime. Lets not just focus on the fact on his actions towards the animals but the fact that he transported some of the dogs used in his fights across state lines for illegal actions (dog fighting).

He provided the property for the dog fights and was involved in the gambling.
I am sorry but there are people in prison right now for life for running a “backroom dice game” because gambling is illegal.

You said it! What’s a bit more disturbing is how most acts of violence towards animals are translated by the majority of councellors and shrinks in the world to be a prelude to something that person could and likely would do WORSE to a human. Not that I support the notion that human lives are more valued than animals but that being said. If they had seen this of an unknown lowlife out in the regular world away from bright shiny camera lights etc, they would have had the guy/girl in for serious rehabilitation and would have made sure they were monitored to be AWAY from animals forever…The sicko’s of the world who murder, rape or have domestic abuse issues, studies have shown that there is a relation to these and having a history in their lives of being violent to an animal. Some worse than others obviously. Why is it that the courts or lawyers, people who most respect or people in the decision making chair can so easily dismiss the unseen reality with Michael Vick here, that there is a phsycological tie to his history that will never ever stop even if he was to touch base with his heart and REALLY honestly regret about what he did to animals. There will never be a way to tell if he is being honest to himself or the concerned public. Just because his daughter(s) “miss having a dog” they should be the best candidates to seriously learn from this experience as a “we couldn’t have one because it’s not right to mis-treat them and now that I’m a responsible adult can make the decision on the proper steps to take to assure I don’t follow in the same path”. When we are children we are punished for the things we have done and learn from mistakes, not given another chance to say “oops”….Vick is only sorry that he got caught, that his cousin was a fool, his mom and family had to do without him and his fame for a while and maybe cry a bit…He has no shame or regret about the dogs themselves as it is a sickness and a mental disability to be unable to feel compassion for another creature they have helped murder/destroy, not just “put to sleep” or kill, tortured and amused himself to put dog(s) in their death bed. He should never get the opportunity for a dog, even once he’s done that sould searching.

I agree. Would people give a convicted pedophile a child just because he served time in prison and claimed to be rehabilitated? Not a chance. It is appalling to me that people think he has served his time. Where is the justice for the dogs lives he personally ended? or the ones he just watched rip each other apart? It is because of people like him that make others think Pits are aggressive dogs. Anyone who is smart enough to spend time with a pitbull knows that they are some of the most loving dogs you can find,