On Friday, the New York Jets signed Michael Vick to a one-year contract worth $5 million. His return on that investment is unknown, and frankly I don’t care.
Vick is free to do as he pleases both on the football field and off. But one thing he can’t do is absolve himself of his direct participation in horrific and fatal animal torture and abuse. And whether he takes our home team to the Super Bowl or spends the season riding the pine, we’re not obligated to forgive, and it’s essential we don’t forget.
History bears repeating: The Michael Vick investigation began in April 2007 with a search of Bad Newz Kennels, located on Vick’s Virginia property. We at the ASPCA were involved early on, assisting in the recovery and analysis of forensic evidence from Vick’s property, including carcasses and skeletal remains of numerous dogs.
The ASPCA also led a team of certified applied animal behaviorists in behavior evaluations of the rescued dogs, making recommendations to the USDA and US Attorney’s Office regarding the dispositions of the dogs.
It became clear over the course of the investigation that this was not a crime of passion or a case of obliviousness. Michael Vick was fully involved in a six-year pattern of illegal activity that included dogs being savagely electrocuted, drowned, and beaten to death.
We fully acknowledge Vick has “done his time” and even participated in some public outreach, but that does not erase the crime.
We’re not motivated simply by a desire to see Vick further punished. But dog-fighting participants and spectators — including veterinarians, coaches, lawyers, judges and teachers — carry a shame that is critical to the blood sport’s demise.
Dog-fighting is now a felony in all 50 states, yet the activity is still both ongoing and lucrative. Last year alone, we participated in two major raids in March and August that involved the seizure of hundreds of dogs. Clearly, there’s more work to be done. We must remain dedicated and vigilant.
Before becoming our organization’s CEO, I spent several years overseeing the ASPCA’s anti-cruelty group, where I witnessed or heard firsthand accounts of unspeakable acts of dog-fighting cruelty.
We found dogs ranging in age from several days to 12 years emaciated and bearing scars typical of fighting, left to suffer in extreme temperatures with no visible fresh water or food. Some were tethered by chains and cables to cinder blocks and car tires. We’ve also discovered the remains of dead animals where the dogs were housed and fought.
Dog-fighting represents the ultimate betrayal of the unique relationship that exists between humans and animals. Manipulating a dog’s desire to please its owner to perpetuate a life of chronic and acute physical and psychological pain is the most horrific form of animal abuse.
Shockingly, some remain unmoved. Some think dog-fighting is just a problem in tiny corners of the country, or restricted to a specific class of people. Neither is true.
Every American should look at dog-fighting as more than just a crime, but as a deep stain on our national character. Until we reach this point — which would bring an overdue end to this reprehensible practice — its perpetrators must bear the burdens of that stain, lest we signal the weakening of our resolve.
And there’s just too much tragedy, torture, and depravity in our midst — and not enough touchdowns in the world — to even consider that.
Matthew Bershadker is president and CEO of the NYC-based ASPCA, a national animal-welfare organization founded in 1866 as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.