I admit I have no use for Vick as a person or a QB. If I were in charge he would never have played another game in his life. Yes, I know the arguement that he did his time, paid his dues to society... cool.... let him find work elsewhere. I'm a nurse, there are plenty of crimes, that if I committed, that if I did my time and paid back to society the nursing board would not let me back in for a long long time, if ever. Plenty of other professions too. Anyhow.... curious as to other opinions on whether he should be allowed toown a dog or a guinea pig at any point in time. I still can't post links, so I C&P'd the article and will * decode * the link so you can find it if you like. Foxy _______________________________________________________________ Let me begin with a disclaimer: I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and an opponent of drowning and electrocuting dogs, so I have two reasons to be skeptical of Michael Vick, especially after he shredded the ’Boys’ secondary Sunday. So when I read this morning that the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback (seen above leaving a Virginia courthouse after his 2008 guilty plea) would one day like to own a dog again – well, I was more than a little gobsmacked. Surely, I thought, he was making a passing quip. Of all the hell that rained down on him after his conviction – the prison sentence, the NFL suspension, the checkbook full of fines and retribution – the lifetime ban on owning a canine was the only provision that seemed a strong enough rebuke for his crimes. Alas, it was no quip. Not only was Vick serious when he made the remark to thegrio.com, but he went into detail on how owning a dog could help him in his rehabilitation. “I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process. I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love, and my passion for animals,” he said. Um, what? Love? Passion? Really? I am all for redemption stories. I am doubly for second chances. I am as impressed as anyone with how the reportedly lackadaisical run-first Atlanta Falcons quarterback transformed into a potent and well-rounded gunslinger for the City of Brotherly Love. I also admire that he is voluntarily speaking to children on behalf of the Humane Society to warn kids that dogfighting isn’t cool. But I’m not buying love and passion. When asked by a child in the audience at a Newark, New Jersey, school why he took part in such an abominable pastime, he said he didn’t know, according to NBC New York. But when thegrio.com asked him how a purported animal lover could commit the crimes of which he was convicted, he blamed his upbringing and said no one ever told him it was wrong. “I hate to use our culture as an excuse,” he began before doing exactly that, “but it is what it is, and that’s what happened, and that’s the way I thought about it growing up. ... I love animals. I love dogs. I love birds. I love all types of animals, but this was just the way we was brought up.” Are we to believe that as he blossomed into one of the most dazzling quarterbacks to ever chuck a pigskin, no friends, no family members, no neighbors, no teachers, no one at Homer L. Ferguson or Warwick high schools, no one at Virginia Tech or in the Atlanta Falcons clubhouse ever told him that training dogs to fight to the death – and slaying them if they faltered – was a no-no? I know the Humane Society and many Pro Bowl voters might disagree with me, but I’m not moved by the culture victim argument. Nor am I swayed by his claim that his young daughters miss having dogs. “That’s the hardest thing: telling them that we can’t have one because of my actions,” he said. With all due respect to the puppy-cuddling aspirations of young London and Jada, how about a nice guinea pig news dot blogs dot cnn dot com /2010/12/15/opinion-owning-a-dog-would-not-aid-vicks-rehabilitation/
I tried... http://news.dot.bogs.dot.cnn.dot.co...ing-a-dog-would-not-aid-vicks-rehabilitation/ And nothing came up. What am I doing wrong???? hehehe
I just re edited it, my mistake..... I had " dot bogs " and it should have been " dot blogs " Sorry about that. Foxy
He's paid his debt to society and deserved the second chance he got. He doesn't deserve the privilege of ever owning a dog IMO.
If he owns a pitbull, it would fitting to see it push him into an electric fence, or into a pool deep enough to drown mike vick. Or give the dog thumbs so it can hook him up to a rape stand. OR the dog can just maul him and then go get a goddamn snack. I own a pitbull, so just imagine where I stand on this issue.
Fuck it. Let the man own a dog. Animals are animals, and the fact that so many people prefer to own dogs to other animals doesn't change what they are. Something tells me if he had shot the damn things cleanly or chopped their heads off prior to cooking them up with some noodles and soy sauce, people would still be crying foul as they enjoyed their chicken dinner. What he did was upsetting because it was torture. It was heinous because people love dogs. He served a LONG sentence because people love dogs. However, that sentence was served, and if we're going to abide by the concept of prison as a rehabilitative facility, he should be allowed to own a dog. If we're not going to abide by that concept, what's the fucking point of the pretense? Oh, and I'll just go ahead and toss out the "would you want a sex offender in the neighborhood" argument right now since I know someone's going to drag it out anyway.
He's paid his debt to society. Everyone is entitled to a second chance. Let him own a dog or dogs and if he ever screws up with them then ban him from the NFL and make him go to jail again.
Maybe he should try owning a plant first. He can prove that he's responsible by watering it every day. Then he can progress to owning small fish or maybe a hamster of some kind. And when the NFL feels he's ready, they can surprise him with a puppy on his birthday.
Rehabilitation, really? I feel for the kids but don't disagree with Vick's restrictions. It serves it's purpose as a reminder. Made me wonder though... What prevents the kids from owning a dog? I get exceptions to his personal residence. But if he could spend that much on kennels before, couldn't he afford a Dog nanny w/apartment set up or something simular? I am glad he got another shot with football, but personally think he is still badnewz.
I think he should be allowed to own a dog. It isn't like you can entirely stop him. His family members could always say the pet is theirs, etc. Id rather have Vick owning a dog or two then to have those two dogs be waiting to be put to sleep because no one will care for them at a possible shelter.
Humans are animals, too. Dogs and other animals feel pain, too. And the punishment for abuse of dogs is not purely because people like dogs. It certainly plays a role, but many varieties of animal abuse are punishable, especially because it's anti-social behavior and may be a precursor to other kinds of negative behavior. With all that said, if he's going to save a dog that's about to be put to death, I don't see how an "animal person" could argue against it.
Let him have a dog, just require visits from the humane society to ensure the dog is being cared for properly and make him pay for those visits.
In all seriousness, I am a huge animal person. I work with the Humane Society and a few local shelters and animal rights groups. Not a fanatic or PETA type, but very pro- animal. And I would rather see a dog put to sleep humanely than risk it's life gong to a home that may torture and or to person convicted of animal cruelty. YMMV Foxy
Let him have a dog from a shelter. No way he'd do anything bad to it...he's not that stupid, it'd most likely be extremely spoiled and extra cared for
