[Marty]

GA, USA -- A Roswell veterinarian believes he can rehabilitate at least some of Michael Vick's pit bulls that mainstream animal-rights advocates want put to death. And he is not alone. Pit bull experts say the dogs are getting a bad rap.

I work with Fulton and Cobb counties and we've take in injured pit bulls all the time and we've adopted a lot of them out to good homes," said the veterinarian, Michael Good, who heads up the Homeless Pets Foundation. "It is the nature of the breed to be very loving toward people. They are a very subservient breed. They are intelligent and they respond to man's affection."

Not everyone agrees.

Some animal-rights advocates are calling for authorities to kill the dogs seized on the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's Virginia property. A spokeswoman for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the dogs "ticking time bombs." Officials with the Humane Society of the United States said the animals should be put down. Last month, federal prosecutors filed court papers asking permission to condemn the 53 dogs seized in April.



Friendly temperaments

That makes sense to a lot of people — including the man who once examined the dogs and found them gentle toward people. Derrick Moore, the former animal-control officer in Surry County, Va., said the dogs allowed him to pet them when he inspected Vick's Bad Newz Kennels, which was licensed by the county. Moore said other pit bulls he seized a few years ago in a dogfighting investigation had similarly friendly temperaments but the county still put the dogs down.

"Every one of them, including the puppies, we put down," he said. "I wouldn't take a chance on adopting them out. I doubt they would hurt people but if one did bite somebody, and even if it didn't have anything to do with the way they were raised, you're still liable and people have their hands out [for money]."

But pit bull advocates said the government is indiscriminately condemning the same dogs it is prosecuting Vick for abusing.

"They say they rescue the dogs from dogfighters and then they kill them," said Diane Jessup, a nationally recognized expert on pit bulls in Washington state who trains dogs for law enforcement. "If they are just summarily killed, it sends a message that pit bulls are expendable, which is the same message that dogfighters are sending."

On Thursday, the save-the-pit bulls arguments carried the day — at least for now. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered the U.S. Marshal service to "protect and maintain" the dogs recovered from Vick's property.

Pit bull groups have been maneuvering to get permission to evaluate and save at least some of Vick's dogs, said Donna Reynolds, executive director of Bad Rap, a California pit bull advocacy and rescue group.

"We expect to have an announcement next week," she said.



Evaluate, rehabilitate

Generally, even pit bulls that have been trained to fight have a good disposition toward people but are often a danger toward other dogs, experts say. Trainers, such as Good, Jessup and Reynolds, say they can easily identify a vicious pit bull that can't be rehabilitated. But they said Vick's dogs should be sent to organizations that will evaluate the dogs, rehabilitate the ones deemed salvageable and then screen potential owners to ensure the animals end up with the right people.

Good said he owns three pit bulls, once fighting dogs but now socialized, that have become great pets. Reynolds said she has a battle-scarred female she rescued and it doesn't attack other dogs on impulse. She keeps it out of potentially provocative situations.

"No matter what the public decides to think about Vick's dogs, I think we can learn a lot from this situation, if we can get past the stereotypes that they're ticking time bombs or fighting machines," Reynolds said. "As long as the dog is going to be well-behaved on the leash, it can go on walks. They don't have to go to the dog park. Dogs don't have to be friends."

Ann Chynoweth, director of the animal fighting and cruelty campaign for the Humane Society, maintains that Vick's dogs need to be destroyed for public safety.

"Dogs that come from generations of fighting dogs are too aggressive to put back into the community," she said. "They're a danger to other animals. Temperament testing on pit bulls is very difficult. They can suddenly turn on another animal or a child."

Even some pit bull admirers caution that rehabilitating fighting dogs can carry more risk than reward.

Marcy Setter, director of Pit Bull Rescue Central in Missouri, said few dog lovers are equipped to take in a pit bull that has been trained for fighting.

The owner would have to be heavily involved with the dog and ensure that it wouldn't be in the position to attack another dog, Setter said.

Vick's dogs pose a special problem because of their celebrity status, she said. She suggested killing them humanely.

"You have with this particular case a lot of yahoos who would want a 'Michael Vick dog,' and you have the responsibility issue with a fighting dog at this level," she said. "I know people who have ex-fighting dogs, but they are also people who have been involved with the breed for 15 years and know what they're getting into."

Jessup said she was willing to evaluate Vick's dogs and retrain some for police work.

"I think it is easy to brush these dogs under the rug when there are groups out there who are willing to step up and help," she said. "If these were German shepherds, this wouldn't even be part of the discussion."

http://www.ajc.com/wireless/content...kdogs_0825.html

[Michele]

PETA is the ticking time bomb, not the dogs. They should be rehabilitated or at least try to rehabilitate them. Punish the DEED, not the breed!

[NcPrisonGuard]

I am interested in how some will respond to this thread... Personally the "humane" society and the rest of the AR nuts want these dogs killed. Just like PETA wants them killed. Personally I am fairly close to Surry county and if I had the money right now I would go up there and at least get one of them.. but I don't so sadly they'll be killed. I guess at least they waited alittle while before they killed them unlike F.B.'s dogs which were killed before he had his first day in court. Just another reason to wish everything bad in life happens to the AR nuts and only the AR nuts!

[airwalk]

Okay NC here's my take...we took down a wanna be about 2 years ago and ended up with 13 dogs (11 adults 2 pups) the wanna be was the human, not the dogs. While the 11 adults showed no HA - and I hate, hate, hate when folks that ought to know better say stupid things like "will snap and turn on another animal or child" like they have no idea that HA an DA are totally different - but....

We euthed 11 adults - we were able to save the 2 pups. Why..simply the adults are an extreme liability for placement. There are few enough homes for the best of the bullies we get...many end up euthed for lack of space and resources...why would I put heavy liability dogs out there and euthanize quality dogs?? Makes no sense to me.

I have a young dog - came to us at about 12 weeks - we've been playing shuffle the dog for almost 4 months now trying to hold out and find him a home...he's a brindle, cute, good boy, right now good with other dogs...and I'm playing shuffle to keep him alive...now why would I risk him any more than I have to - to place a fighter, whom I know is a liability??

If you could go get one with your knowledge, background and experience...you could probably make it work....are there very many folks that can do that - very few and far between.

[CynthiaATL]

I feel the same way as I stated in the fighting dog thread. It is not that the dogs are not adoptable it is the amount of homes able to handle a dog with DA and or prey drive. Now as I did state on there as well. When you adopt a dog especially an APBT there is no guaranty at whatever age that there will never be any DA.

But if some reputable organizations are willing to step up and try then I do not see a problem. And please PETA never knows what they are talking about. But they support ALF and that is a terrorist group. LOL

And airwalk that "wanna be" ya'll busted how do you know if they were truly game dogs. All you know is that they came from a house that was fighting them. They may have been curs. And if they had truly liable dogs. Then them pups should have been put down as well. From the AC standpoint they came from the blood that was on that yard. And as we all know it is genetics that cause DA with APBT. You can not train or love that out of them. You do not know. But that is another dicussion.

[airwalk]

Originally Posted by CynthiaATL IAnd airwalk that "wanna be" ya'll busted how do you know if they were truly game dogs. All you know is that they came from a house that was fighting them. They may have been curs. And if they had truly liable dogs. Then them pups should have been put down as well. From the AC standpoint they came from the blood that was on that yard. And as we all know it is genetics that cause DA with APBT. You can not train or love that out of them. You do not know. But that is another dicussion.

I know that we had 4 bust out of holding crates while we were processing specifically to get to each other...I know that while moving for kenneling while we held 2 others managed to get a go at each other....were they "game" in the truest sense of the word...you're right I don't know..do I know they were over the top DA - yep I'm very comfortable with that.

We don't know what the bloodlines of these dogs were...don't know if he bred them on site...we were very careful with the pups placement and made sure folks adopting knew exactly where they came from and what the possibilities were and told them if they ever decided they couldn't keep them, the shelter would take them back...no problem.

They showed over the top DA which made them a liability for me to place...and I regularly house much more solid dogs that I can't place due to lack of homes....for me, it's not a hard decision.

[NcPrisonGuard]

As much as I love this breed, where they come from, what they are..past and present. As athletes or as pets by far the greatest breed I've ever had the joy to call mine. .. I wouldn't touch a rescued fighter that AC, the "humane" society or PETA knew about, simply because I wouldn't want those crackpots sticking their noses in my life. I feel sorry that dogs are getting put down simply because of what they are but you're a better person than me if you can house them and not worry about PETA, or the rest of them checking in to see what you are doing... God forbid they see a parting stick or a treadmill, you'd lose the rescue and your own dogs too.

[Sean W.]

I don't think the dogs should be put down because of who or what they are however, I can understand the liability issue that comes out of dogs coming off that yard. If that dog ever bit anyone it would be hell on earth and everyone from yourself up the ladder would get sued. Better to put them down than to risk anything whether it be a dog attacking another animal or human. Not to say that dogs off of a fighting yard is anymore disposed to biting a human of course.

[CAROLINA]

I think the dogs could be saved but it take screening like Diane said and they could only be placed with owners who were informed with this breed and had ample time to train and work the animals to keep them out of trouble. I do believe a lot of workouts and play and these animals would be fine

[Pitty Princess]

IMHO, I feel we need to do as much as we can to protect the breed. I wouldn't want to put a fighting pit out there in the public that could possibly get away from it's owner and kill another animal, probably someone's pet. That would just be another bad mark against the breed. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that all the dogs taken in the bust aren't savable. Each one would need to be invidually temperment tested with other dogs, kids and people before it is determined that the dog be put down.