Thank You, Michael Vick
With the recent signing of Michael Vick by the Pittsburgh Steelers many of my fellow animal rights activists are up in arms at the Steelers and the NFL. I’m not, and I think as a society we owe it to ourselves to move past this story and onto the next chapter.
I forgave Michael Vick a longtime ago because I knew that what he did would have a bigger, more positive impact on ridding our society of the negative “pit bull stigma.”
As Chairman of the American Pit Bull Foundation and Operating Officer I am an outcast in my views on this topic. Instead of continuing to condemn this man, I think our society (especially Pit Bull lovers) should focus on the positives of this story and put all of our energy into reminding society about how great these dogs truly are.
I am definitely not condoning dog fighting or the enterprise that Michael Vick was running. I am simply pointing out the fact that if we want to continue to make progress in the “eyes of society” about pit bull type dogs we need to embrace this story and make it all about what the dogs have accomplished, not vilifying Michael Vick.
What Michael Vick did was wrong, however, the light that he shined on dog fighting and pit bulls was brighter than any media outlet is capable of doing. For that, I say thank you Michael Vick.
Thank you for showing the world that monsters made these dogs fight.
Thank you for showing the world that these are the most resilient dogs on earth.
Thank you for showing the world that although all these dogs knew was fighting, that almost all of them are now in great family homes.
Thank you for showing the world that although all these dogs knew was fighting, some are now therapy dogs working with children.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity and public forum to talk about these success stories and share our passion.
Thank you for helping to remind the world what it means to be a pit bull.
The American Pit Bull Foundation is located in Charlotte, NC and promotes responsible breed ownership through providing owner and public education.
Our new program, Operation Sidekick, trains rescued pit bulls as service dogs for Veterans and children with PTSD.
