Greater Awareness of Puppy Mills and Laws Regulating Breeders
Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States has compiled a list of the top ten animal stories of the first decade of the new millennium. Among the top ten animal stories of the past decade are:
Hurricane Katrina, which “resulted in the largest animal rescue operation in history.” The disaster spawned an outpouring of donations to animal rescue organizations and influenced the passage in Congress of the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS), as well as new legislation in a number of states that sets policies on responding to the needs of animals during a disaster.
Michael Vick’s arrest for dog fighting, which brought to light the horrors of forcing animals to fight for sport. According to Pacelle, “The Vick case resulted in more than half of the states upgrading their laws and a doubling of arrests, as well as an upgrade of the federal law against animal fighting.” Partly owing to the Michael Vick case, animal fighting is now illegal in all U.S. states.
More Humane Treatment of Animals Used for Food Production
Advances in the treatment of animals used for food production, including a federal ban on the mistreatment of “downer cows” (cattle too sick or injured to walk on their own), and state bans on the long-term confinement of animals on factory farms.
Oprah Winfrey’s series on puppy mills. In 2008, Oprah Winfrey did a series of programs on her influential talk show exposing the horrific realities of puppy mills. Since the broadcasts, HSUS has rescued thousands of animals from puppy mills, ten states have approved legislation imposing stricter standards on large-scale breeding operations, and public pressure has caused pet stores to either close altogether or to stop selling puppy mill dogs.
We hope that the coming decade brings about further advances in how we, as a society, treat the animals in our care and at our mercy.
The hilarious dog blog, Life With Dogs, has a commentary on Michael Vick’s 60 Minutes interview with James Brown over the weekend. We at Frankie the Law Dog couldn’t agree more with their assessment.
Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated is reporting that James Brown has one regret about an unasked question during the interview. Vick indicated that he “allowed” things to happen to the dogs. Brown regrets that he did not follow up on that with additional questions, seeing as how Vick actually killed dogs with his own hands.
Suggesting that he “allowed” things to “happen” to the dogs is a cop-out and not an acknowledgment of responsibility. It certainly is not an indication of remorse. Apparently, Vick is still reluctant to fully acknowledge that he personally – with his own hands – tortured, maimed and killed dogs.
Mason Lerner of thefastertimes.com says he believes (or wants to believe – Lerner admits he’s skeptical) that Vick’s statement “I could have put a stop to it” amounts to putting “all the blame squarely where it belongs.” In other words, Lerner believes that statement is a full acknowledgment of responsibility.
Judge for yourself. The entire interview is embedded into the article.
Boycotting the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles Over Michael Vick’s two-year deal to play for the team.
Here is an informative blog called sackvick.net. They have information about how to voice your concerns to the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles over Michael Vick’s multi-million dollar deal to play for the Eagles.
The site also has information about Eagles’ sponsors for those interested in boycotting the products of those sponsors. If you scroll down into the comments section, a helpful reader posted contact information for the sponsors.
Former Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick’s federal prison sentence for running a brutal dog fighting ring ends Monday, July 20. Now, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell must decide whether to lift Vick’s suspension and allow him to resume a sports career that not only rewards Vick mightily with money, but also necessarily places him in the position of role model to young people.
And sports stars cannot just disclaim that role model status. We all know kids look up to sports stars. They just do.
Please Petition the NFL to Keep Michael Vick Out
Now is the time to let Mr. Goodell know that you think Michael Vick is not fit to resume a career as a sports star. What he personally did to the animals in his dog fighting operation is unconscionable. Michael Vick personally tortured and killed numerous dogs. For SPORT. For his AMUSEMENT. And for MONETARY GAIN. Look what he and his cohorts did to his victims. But be warned that these photos graphically illustrate Vick’s brutality.
His actions mark him as an inhumane individual who has forfeited any right to be placed on the pedestal to which our society elevates sports stars.
Please take the time to let Mr. Goodell and the NFL know that Michael Vick should not be reinstated by the NFL. Please sign the following petitions:
And on a happier note, take a look at the “Vicktory Dogs,” victims rescued from Michael Vick’s brutal dog fighting operation that have been rehabilitated at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
