WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INFAMOUS MICHAEL VICK FIGHTING DOGS?

The football star’s drama may be out of the headlines, but stories of the four-legged victims resurface in upcoming specials. Yesterday, Animal Planet gave a sneak-preview of the show Animal Witness in which its season premiere featured the horrifying details of the Michael Vick case. What started as a narcotics related case quickly spiraled into a federal investigation of dog fighting suspicions once more than 60 dogs were discovered on his property in Virginia. Though initially denying involvement, Vick eventually pleads guilty to an array of stomach-churning charges. Not only did this include the gruesome acts of actually fighting dogs, but also the shooting, hanging, and electrocuting of dogs that did not perform in the ring. Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2007, but questions of the fate of his dogs remained.

In many dog fighting cases, the animals are deemed a threat to public safety and are humanely euthanized. But in this high-profile case with national interest from PETA advocates and thousands of animal lovers, investigators decided to evaluate the dogs. Animal Witness included footage of the evaluators’ first impression of some of the Vick dogs, many of whom bounded around the dog run with tails wagging and tongues licking. Only one of the 66 (almost all of which were Pit Bulls) was deemed too aggressive, with the rest split up and sent to rehabilitation centers around the country. The show profiles some of the success stories of the renewed lives of the Pit Bulls. These included dogs that have been integrated into families with children and other pets, and even one that is now a certified therapy dog.

These outcomes may be a shock to some, but I believe that almost any dog can be rehabilitated with proper leadership and training. Pit bulls in particular are generally portrayed as vicious and aggressive. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) explains, “even though it was bred as a fighting dog—or perhaps because of that—the American Pit Bull Terrier was one of the most popular dogs of the time [in dog fighting], noted for its strength, intelligence and devotion to its master.” They continue to make a vital point in saying “it is important to remember any dog can become aggressive, depending on its upbringing and environment.”

I can testify to this point with my nearly three years of experience as a PetSmart Grooming Salon Professional Bather (yes, very official). Working with dogs on a daily basis taught me that size does not matter and it’s usually the little ones you need to watch out for. I even had a regular client named Tyson, an intact, beefy male pit bull that would whimper if the water was too cold and cry in his cage until his equally beefy “dad” would pick him up.

I think that a dog’s behavior (good or bad) is reflective of its owner. The Vick dogs are prime examples of an animal’s ability to live in the present and learn to trust humans again. For more about the history and future of these dogs, don’t miss the encore presentation of Animal Witness Wednesday, August 27 at 9 p.m. The National Geographic channel will also showcase the current lives of Vick dogs in the season premiere of Dog Town Friday, September 5 at 9 p.m.