Michael Vick's Pit Bulls Given Second Chance

It seems like forever ago when the whole Michael Vick story aired and it is even harder to believe that some of the Pit Bulls trained to fight to the death are being given to good homes. But that is exactly what is happening to the rescued Pit Bulls. It is a miracle these dogs are even alive let alone well enough to be placed in permanent homes! Let's take a closer look at their story and talk about what is happening to them since the raid.

I am going to focus on one story of one rescued Pit Bull, I am hoping this will help tie up some loose ends for some of us left wondering what happened to the animals after the raid on Michael Vick's property and his subsequent jail sentence. The dog I am going to be talking about is Hector a 4 year old Pit Bull saved from certain death by rescuers. Pit Bulls that are bred to fight are killed for a variety of reasons including: losing a fight, being executed by his owners for losing, or euthanized after being rescued. It is amazing that Hector is alive and well, and I am so happy to be able to share his story with you.

Hector's life at Bad Newz Kennels was undoubtedly very rough. Today he enjoys a great life - he spends his time playing with his owner, her roommate, and their other 3 dogs. He was rescued and transported thousands of miles to get where he is today and he couldn't be happier!

Hector's story begins with the raid on Bad Newz Kennels - during which over 50 Pit Bulls were seized. The dogs were held as evidence in the criminal proceedings and then were taken to half a dozen cities, shelters, and pounds across Virginia.

Hector was sent to Hanover pound along with others from the raid. One of the dogs, named Uba was very anxious and clearly stressed out. An evaluation team assembled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals dealt with each animal on an individual basis to determine which could be rehabilitated.

Uba came around eventually, wagging his tail at a 4 foot doll (used to gauge the dog's reaction to children) and getting into a play position when the evaluators brought out a dog. Advocates for animals are pretty much split as to what to do with fighting dogs - especially Pit Bulls. Some think they should all be destroyed as a precaution - saying you never know when one of them will attack. Others think they should be dealt with on a case by case basis. The evaluation team had to put one dog down because of his aggressiveness - but the other animals (over 4 dozen) are alive and well to this day.

Half of the dogs went to a Utah sanctuary called Best Friends Animal Society where they will be able to interact with trainers who will prepare them for adoption. The other half were declared ready for adoption and they went to several other groups.

Hector was immediately ready for adoption, and he can thank BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls). The group based in Oakland, CA asked the Assistant U.S. Attorney for permission to evaluate and rescue as many of the dogs as possible - with the goal to eventually place them in adoptive homes.

The Attorney General said yes, and many of the dogs are up for adoption now. What a great ending to a terrible story! When I first heard about the dogs being seized, I pretty much figured they would all be euthanized, that's just how society is today with Pit Bulls. I am so glad there are organizations around to help these animals recover and place them in loving homes. It would have been terrible to find out that all of them were euthanized just because of their breed. Please leave me your comments - I am curious to know how many of you think these dogs should have been euthanized. Hector is living proof that dogs can be loving and caring in the right environment. Also, it is amazing to me to see how quickly they were able to get over their ordeal and most of the dogs harbor no ill will towards humans. Let me know your thoughts on this topic!!