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From a Former Dogfighter: Michael Vick Encourages Philadelphia Teens to Be Leaders

September 8, 2009

"Be a leader. Make sure you do all the right things." These were a few of the messages approximately 200 incoming freshman at Nueva Esperanza Academy in North Philadelphia, Pa., heard from Michael Vick today, their first day of school.

The students listened intently as Vick, who spent 18 months in federal prison for his involvement in dogfighting, encouraged them to avoid peer pressure and speak up if they knew someone involved in illegal or immoral behaviors such as animal cruelty. "My future was promising, " Vick said. "At some point, I got sidetracked. I started listening to my friends and doing some things that were not ethical and not right."

For the past three months, Vick—who now lives by the vantage, “each one, teach one”—has worked with The Humane Society of the United States' End Dog Fighting program, addressing at-risk youth in Atlanta and Chicago. He has committed to participating in two events per month, indefinitely.

HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle, anti-violence advocate Tio Hardiman, and other anti-dogfighting advocates also addressed the audience in Philadelphia today, encouraging the students to love their animals and treat them as members of the family. "It's really a test of our character as individuals, about being good to those who are less powerful," Pacelle said.

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