Sports Illustrated features Michael Vick's pit bulls

Sports fans might have been a bit surprised by the choice of cover girl on the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated.  It wasn't Anna Kournikova or Nastia Liukin but Jasmine, one of the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennel.

So, aside from the obvious connection to the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, just how do pit bulls relate to the wide world of sports, exactly?  The article explains:

"A pit bull is like a Porsche. It's a finely tuned, highly muscled athlete," says [Stephen Zawistowski, an executive vice president of the ASPCA]. "And just like you wouldn't give a Porsche to a 16-year-old, you don't want just anyone to own a pit bull. It should be someone who has experience with dogs and is willing to spend the time, because with training and proper socialization you will get the most out of them as pets."

The pit bull's p.r. mess can be likened to a lot of teens driving Porsches -- accidents waiting to happen. Too many dogs were irresponsibly bred, encouraged to be aggressive or put in situations in which they could not restrain themselves, and pit-bull maulings became the equivalent of land-based shark attacks, guaranteeing a flush of screaming headlines and urban mythology....

Ten of Vick's pit bulls were taken to the BAD RAP rescue group in Northern California.  BAD RAP chronicles their progress on the charming and frequently-updated Vick Dogs Blog.

--Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Meryl, one of the pit bulls rescued from the Michael Vick dog fighting ring, runs through an agility course at Dogtown, part of the Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah.  Credit: Molly Wald/Best Friends Animal Society.

Comments

[DeWayne Stark]

Have you or your pet ever been attacked by a pit bull?
I have.

[L.A. Voter]

So DeWayne, should we kill them all?

Some pits are animal-aggressive, many aren't. Not many are human-aggressive (which is a major distincton from animal-aggression for dogs) unless they've been specifically trained to be human-aggressive.

I'm sorry you and your pet were attacked, it must have been a very scary and painful experience. But the issue with the Vick dogs is not what they did to anybody, but what was done to them. The survivors are the lucky ones, no matter how badly scarred they are. They don't deserve to die because some other pit attacked you.

Vick and his minions hanged, drowned, electrocuted and beat several other dogs to death. You know how strong a pit bull is. How much must Vick have wanted to kill those dogs to be so successful so many times, in so many ways? He's a truly homicidal sadist, and that's also what this story is about.

[DeWayne Stark]

My dog loves to chase rabbits and squirrels and sometimes she catches them. She is also very good at herding. Nobody taught her that, it is in her blood line. Pit Bulls were not bred to be lap dogs and the comparison to Porsches is plain stupid. A Porsche never mauled anybody walking by it and a teenager might be safer in a well engineered car than a giant SUV. Some people need vanity dogs or macho dogs. Our dog came from a cardboard box in front of a Stater Brothers Market a week before Christmas and we kid that her cousins are still somewhere in the neighborhood. Over time the popularity of pit bulls will die out and they will not be needed to be destroyed. Animal regulations and education will help the pet bulls but nobody will come up with a plan to deal with idiots that remain.

[Steve Anderson]

To Dewayne Stark: read more on the breed than the corporate media will tell you sitting in your easy/lazy chair.
check out numbers you fools statistics. Am I more likeley to be visciousley attacked by lightning or my child killed by a pit bull ?

[Sarah]

I think some of you should really read up on what the american pitt bull terrier breed is really like. They are not born with an urge to attack anyone or anything. That is simply taught. Herding and chasing something small and fast is just a little different that attacking someone for no reason. They are either provoked or taught to attack.

The saddest part about this breed is that they will do anything to please their owner and for someone to take advantage of that is the worst thing you could possibly do!

Maybe some of your own research would be helpful also. Don't just listen to the media. If you researched anything on your own you would find that there are more dog bites reported on cocker spaniels than pitt bulls, they just aren't spread negatively all over the media.

In early December there was a pitt bull that saved his family from an intruder and was shot three times by the intruder. He is luckily still a live. The worse part is that the news story said "the family dog", not once did they mention that it was a pitt bull. If that would have been a negative story the pitt bull breed would have been brought up numerous times.

[Kim J Graves]

Ban stupid People, NOT dogs.

"Pit Bulls are famous, in circles of knowledgeable dog people for the love and loyalty they bestow on anyone who shows them a smidgen of kndness." --Linda Wilson-Fuco

[Buddy Buddy]

thanks for the tip on the Vick dog blog. I was instantly addicted.

[Chrystal]

DeWayne,

A Porsche never mauled anyone "walking by it", but I can probably gaurantee that an innocent person has been badly injured or even killed by an irresponsible person driving it. Should we ban all Porsches? I think that is the connection the author is trying to make and is by no means stupid.

Have you ever been attacked by another human being?

I have.

Does that mean they are all bad and deserve to be banned? No.

[Lauren]

A dog's behavior -- any dog -- is a reflection of its owner's behavior. If society were to understand this concept and start punishing the owners of dog's who attack, as opposed to the dog itself, we might see a change in the way pitt-bulls (or any other breed) are perceived.

Dwayne, I do not know the circumstances surrounding your attack. But assuming nothing was done to the dog or to its owner that provoked the dog to try and protect the owner, the owner of the dog that attacked you should have been penalized, and forced to attend and complete a dog training course aimed at untraining dogs taught to be violent and/or have had his animal(s) taken away. It is a horrible thing, for both the person attacked and the animal (who is euthanized is most cases) when animals are taught or allowed to be human-aggressive.

[Unconcerned Citizen]

Michael Vick should not be allowed to play in the NFL. If the NFL has any footballs, they will ban him for life.

Life is “rough-rough”,

Rover

[BRIAN WILLIAMS]

BAN THE STUPID PEOPLE, NOT THE DOGS! ONLY "HUMANS" CAN BE SO EVIL AND DESTRUCTIVE ON THIS PLANET! ALL ANIMALS ARE VICTIMS OF A SICK AND DISTURBED "HUMANKIND"! - VICK SHOULD STAY IN JAIL FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 30 YEARS! HE IS A CRIMINAL AND HE REALLY ENJOYED TO HAVE INFLICTED SO MUCH SUFFERING, PAIN AND BLOOD ON THOSE POOR PIT BULLS!
LOVE AND RESPECT GOD AND HIS CREATION!

[harloejoe]

Pits are one of the greatest breeds there is. The dog isn't the problem: an insane refusal by state and local legislatures refusing to require mandatory spay and neuter laws doesn't help, and neither does irresponsible owners. The problem is human, not canine.

[Raven]

"Have you or your pet ever been attacked by a pit bull?
I have. Posted by: DeWayne Stark"

Comments like this drive me absolutely nuts! Seriously, did you actually think before you put pen to paper? So you were 'allegedly' attacked by a pit bull, this is bad, but is this a valid reason to judge every pit bull and want to see every pit bull banned in the USA. Give me a break. I have been aggressively chased/attacked/threatened by a weirmaraner, boston terrier, akita, dalmation, labrador, pointer, cocker spaniel and a 'rabid' (my assessment) maltese terrier. Now, should all these breeds be euthanized/banned - NO - the individual owners should be heavily fined for allowing their dogs to roam off leash. I might add while these dogs were harassing me, my two CGC/TDI pit bulls sat calming by my side. Would your dog/s be so well behaved!

Also, I might like to add that I was stabbed many years ago by a white man between 30-40yrs old. Does that mean that all white men between these ages are bad and should be punished. No, stereotyping is wrong and fails to get to the root of the issue. Wake up!

[Patrick]

So what's your point DeWayne? I've been bitten by numerous breeds/types of dog. I have raised Pit bulls for over 10 years and have never been bitten once.

Again... your point is?

Oh wait, you just want to jump on the "I hate Pit Bulls" bandwagon.

Troll.

[Nic]

So...Let me get this straight. First off you are imlying that not just one pitbull attacked you but every single pit did. Thats the same as racisim. Somebody from another race threatens your life and all the sudden they are all a threat. I understand what you are saying. But pitbulls genetically live to please their masters. They learn that for what they are rewarded to do. Now if you wanna say kill all the idiots who trained dogs to fight, I would support that. As far as animal regulations, that seems ignorant. That is the generation x way. If you dont have to look at it or deal with it, it doesnt exist. What if you messed up and did something that you were under the impression that it was right, shouldn't you be punished, and outlawed. No, because humans have the justice system and are most generally offered a second chance. The only difference is when people commit crimes they know that what they are doing is wrong. And just a side note. I own a pitbull which im sure your not surprised by the way I am defending the breed. But my dog is the most loyal and loving dog. He came from a rescue, and you could see every bone in his body. So regulate people, and dont punish the breed, punish the deed.

[Leslie Anderson]

I have been bitten by dogs a few times in my adult life. It was never by a pit bull. And it was almost always because I got over-confident around a dog I didn't know.

Pit bulls and rotties are 'mouthy' by nature -- like a two-year-old child they just put everything in their mouths. Unfortunately, they're a lot stronger, and have much pointier teeth, than a two-year-old; you can get hurt even when the dog means no harm. This trait can be used to make them into biters, or they can be taught -- like that two-year-old -- to overcome it. As several other posters here have noted, it's on the owners, the supposedly intelligent half of the partnership, to decide which.

[thecanimalshusband]

Ban Vick the Punk Thug who tortured dumb animals from Football.

[Julien Sylvan]

A dog's behavior -- any dog -- is a reflection of its owner's behavior. If society were to understand this concept and start punishing the owners of dog's who attack, as opposed to the dog itself, we might see a change in the way pitt-bulls (or any other breed) are perceived

^^ that is only true to a degree .. we can teach them how to act towards humans ..

"Typical" American pit bulls are tough and intelligent animals, historically bred for a willingness to test their mettle against larger and stronger animals and against each other. It is not uncommon for an adult pit bull to be very quarrelsome toward other dogs while being very friendly to humans"

So we can only do so much to help a dog be friendly but sometimes its in their nature - You cant stop a dog from being a dog

[Courtney]

DeWayne, I have been attacked as well. Not their fault. What part don't you get? They were TRAINED to do so. If a pit bull is trained to protect his homestead and not trust any other human but his or her owner, then that dog will do so. There's no reason to hate a breed just because of one dog. That's like saying I hate all asians because one attacked me once. If that is stupid, then so is saying all pit bulls are violent.

[Courtney]

Another thing- I just recently took a pit bull into my home a month ago. I found him abandoned at an apartment complex. Upon asking around about the dog, I learned that he was used for fighting and just left in an apartment to starve after the owner moved out. Animal control was trying to catch him because he was, indeed, violent.

It took me one day to get him to trust me enough for me to put him in my car and take him home. Do you know what I found? Razor cuts on his stomach. Cigarette burns on his ears and his neck. Bites all over his ears and face. A stomach so small I could wrap my hand around him. Not only was he used for fighting, but he was beaten and starved as well. All it took to train him and help him was food and kindness. After I was able to show him that he wasn't going to get hurt anymore, he responded very well to my little sister, my mom, my fiancee, my three dogs AND my two cats. Don't ever tell me that dogs are violent by nature. It's how they get treated. A little help and understanding goes a long way.