Michael Vick's Participation in The HSUS' End Dogfighting Program

	The HSUS intends to save dogs like Two-Tone from dogfighting. If Vick can help, he should. ©Jeff Jenkins/The HSUS

The following are frequently asked questions about The HSUS' decision to allow Michael Vick to participate in our anti-dogfighting campaign.

Is Vick a spokesperson for The HSUS?

No, he is not a spokesperson for The HSUS or our anti-dogfighting campaign. We have experts on animal fighting who represent The HSUS in an official capacity. Vick has no particular designation or title.

Do you think Vick got a slap on the wrist for his crimes?

If someone commits a crime against animals, here's how events ideally unfold.

1. The person committing the animal crime is caught and successfully prosecuted and pleads guilty to a federal felony.
2. As the case plays out in the public domain, there is a wave of widespread social disapproval expressed about the conduct and a new awareness of the gravity of the problem.
3. The HSUS drives a raft of political reforms to passage, and there is a new attitude and resolve in dealing with this crime across the nation.
4. Finally, after the perpetrator is released from prison, he comes knocking and wants to do the equivalent of community service and help the leading anti-dogfighting group attack the problem.

And that's how the Vick story progressed.

Is any money changing hands?

No, The HSUS has not received any contributions from Vick, the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles, or anyone else in exchange for his participation in our community-based anti-dogfighting program. Nor is The HSUS paying Vick or anyone else for his participation. Vick pays his own expenses when he speaks at anti-dogfighting forums.

What has The HSUS done to leverage the Michael Vick case?

Since the Vick case put the spotlight on dogfighting, we have worked with lawmakers, law enforcement officers, community organizers, and others to end dogfighting.

In the last two years, we've upgraded 26 laws (state and federal) on animal fighting. The HSUS has trained more than 1,000 law enforcement officers on investigating animal fighting and paid out 50 rewards for tips leading to arrests in animal fighting cases. We have worked with law enforcement on more than 200 raids on animal fighting operations.

Dogs like Big Bo learn constructive ways to compete in The HSUS's End Dogfighting program. ©Jeff Jenkins/The HSUS

We also launched programs in Atlanta and Chicago to reach at-risk youth. Hundreds of people have participated in our pit bull training classes, which teach dog owners that their pit bulls can be friends, not fighters. We hope to expand these community-based outreach programs to other major urban areas.

There is no other animal welfare organization with an entire unit focused only on combating animal fighting.

While these efforts have put a dent in the problem of dogfighting, there is disturbing growth of the activity in urban areas. We need new ways to address the problem, and we seized on the opportunity to put Michael Vick to work because his celebrity and his unique story have the potential to turn thousands of young people into anti-dogfighting advocates.

Is Vick handing over a list of the dogfighters he was involved with?

This issue certainly came up with federal prosecutors during his trial. We doubt that prosecutors would disclose any intelligence they gathered from Vick, for obvious reasons. The HSUS never discloses our intelligence-gathering efforts in bringing these violent criminals to justice, although we constantly feed intelligence to law enforcement officials toward the goal of busting animal fighters.

Since Vick is back in the NFL, doesn't your work with him signal that dogfighting is okay and that the penalty is weak?

Given the penalties available at the time he was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson meted out a strong penalty to Vick. He paid a steep price for his crimes, in addition to serving his prison sentence. The HSUS has worked to upgrade the federal animal fighting law twice in the last two years. The penalties are much more severe now than in April 2007, when Vick's home was raided. The HSUS has been pushing for felony-level penalties for animal fighting crimes for years because that's the only way to drive criminals out of this business.

Why didn't we choose a different celebrity to connect with urban communities?

Vick was a role model for many young people, and he lost everything because of what he did to dogs. His story is the strongest possible example of why dogfighting is a dead end. Just as former drug addicts are able to reach people struggling with addiction, former dogfighters are some of the most effective voices against this crime. We realized the potential that Vick has to reach at-risk youth and pull them out of the quicksand of animal fighting. That said, we constantly attempt to recruit celebrities and others to join us in our crusade to end dogfighting and other forms of animal cruelty. We want to use all pathways to stopping the problem.

Did Vick approach you or did you ask him to help you?

When Vick was close to finishing his prison sentence, his representatives approached HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle. He dismissed their first offers, but agreed to meet with Vick after considering the potential that Vick had to reach the estimated 100,000 participants in urban street dogfighting. If there was a chance that Vick could save one dog from suffering the same abuse he inflicted, the proposal was worth our consideration. After meeting with Vick and hearing him express his remorse, Pacelle consulted with The HSUS' board of directors and staff. Despite our utter disgust with what Vick did and our leading role in making sure he was convicted and punished for his crimes, we decided that shunning Vick forever would do no good for any animal. We all thought it was significant when Vick donated $1 million for the care and rehabilitation of the dogs at Bad Newz Kennels. Now, we want him to contribute his time to attack the problem by reaching inner-city youth.

What exactly is Vick doing with The HSUS?

Vick has pledged to do at least two community-based events every month to reach at-risk youth in cities across the country. He has committed to the NFL that he will fulfill this pledge, and he has now made this pledge to the Philadelphia Eagles as well. The events will criss-cross the country during and after the football season, and should continue for a number of years.

Has Vick acknowledged that what he did to dogs was wrong?

Yes. Over the course of several face-to-face meetings and during appearances at our End Dogfighting programs, Vick has apologized and acknowledged the suffering he caused. He has expressed his remorse and his desire to help more animals than he harmed by being an advocate for the humane treatment of animals. We only agreed to give him an opportunity to speak with kids if he was committed to the goal of ending dogfighting and recognized that his past actions were cruel and unacceptable.

Are you supporting Vick's return to the NFL?

We did not take a position on Vick's reinstatement to the NFL, and we did not lobby the NFL or any team to hire him. We planned to put him to work whether he returned to the NFL or not.

Why were so few people allowed to attend the first Vick appearance in Atlanta?

The goal of the End Dogfighting program is not to reach the general public or the media, but to engage young people at risk of involvement in dogfighting. These are not events for Vick to bare his soul to people already committed to ending dogfighting, but occasions to talk with young people who may not have thought about the moral and legal elements of dogfighting and turn them into advocates for our position. We expect to expand the audience size greatly at many future events, but these events are not for football fans, curiosity seekers, or paparazzi.

Is The HSUS going to boycott the NFL or the Philadelphia Eagles?

No. We have decided to try to engage the NFL and the Eagles in an effort to attack the problem of dogfighting. We'd like to get more athletes involved, and to urge the teams to invest in this important anti-cruelty work.

Read more about how The HSUS' End Dogfighting program turns lives around for youth and dogs.

 

 

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