Not much leaves me speechless, but this story at CNN sure did.
Based on the history of cases like this in the U.S., I was not expecting a positive outcome for the dogs.
Most of Vick’s dogs will go to families and a ‘sanctuary’
Thanks to KC Dog Blog and Donna at Bad Rap for this info. Bad Rap had a lot to do with the evaluation process.
I’ve only been able to find one other newspaper that has mentioned this story, the Daily Press, a local Newport News newspaper. The town is called Newport News and is in Surry, where Vick was charged.
I’m really hoping that other media organizations besides CNN will cover this, but the story’s over a day old, so maybe not. They’re so quick to jump on the negative stories, but here’s just about the most positive story you could find about the breed and there’s virtually nothing out there.
Even the local newspaper’s headlines were negative:
Judge orders Vick dog to be euthanized
Aggressive Vick dog may die
Both news organizations have clearly missed the point and it’s becoming obvious that the rest don’t care.
49 dogs, specifically bred and used for dog-fighting, have been evaluated for temperament with people, kids, and dogs. Only one of the 49 exhibited enough aggression that it was ordered destroyed.
Of the remaining 48, it seems that some were great and some were just OK. Some were probably happy and outgoing. Some, according to court documents, need further work to overcome their fear and lack of social skills.
Hey HSUS! Hey PETA! Hey Michael Bryant and Kory Nelson! Where are you now? Why aren’t you in front of the cameras now?
Shouldn’t you all be spouting your usual rhetoric?
Ticking timebombs. A breed apart. Inherently dangerous. Unpredictable. Unstable.
VICIOUS.
We tried to tell you. We showed you dogs with Canine Good Neighbour certificates, therapy dogs, obedience champions, search & rescue dogs, family pets. You didn’t want to see (or hear).
We told you that an average of 86% of all “pit bulls” temperament-tested by the American Temperament Testing Society passed the tests, better than many “typical” family breeds.
Now, I’m not saying that every one of these 48 are going to turn out great or even survive the next round of tests and rehabilitation, but one thing they are NOT doing is lashing out with serious aggression, despite the abuse that they’ve suffered.
If you believed everything that Michael Bryant and his ilk tell you, they would be trying to kill everything they see simply because they’re genetically programmed to do so.
If you believed everything that PETA and HSUS tell you, they would be reacting with extreme aggression and unpredictability because of the terrible things that have happened to them at the hands of Vick and his cohorts.
And yet, they’re not!
Hold on! 48 out of 49. Isn’t that 98%? I’m sorry. Did I hear that right?
NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT of these dogs are now being considered as possible candidates for adoption or law enforcement and have not yet shown any aggression significant enough to have them killed.
Yet these same dogs would be confiscated and killed if their new owners dared to step foot inside the province of Ontario.
By the way, you want to know why these dogs weren’t destroyed? Because the “Humane” Society of the United States and the People for the “Ethical” Treatment of Animals weren’t allowed to get their hands on this one.
God knows, they tried. But the ASPCA and Bad Rap and the U.S. Attorney’s office can be thanked for saving these dogs’ lives.
We all know, based on past similar events, what would have happened to these dogs had HSUS or PETA been asked for their “expert” opinion.
I also hope that anyone who donated money to either of these two organizations to help house and feed these dogs has asked for their money back. The dogs were housed and fed by the local Animal Shelter.
FYI, here are copies of the court documents, courtesy of the Daily Press.
District attorney’s motion, not only for the destruction of the one dog, but more importantly, for the preservation of the other 48.