Video: Michael Vick speaks to Chicago youth about dogfighting

Michael Vick returned to the football field last week in a preseason game between his new team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.  But the convicted dogfighter is also busy off the field, fulfilling his end of the bargain he struck in May with the Humane Society of the United States to work with the group on its End Dogfighting campaign.

Anti-dogfighting advocate Tio Hardiman said he was moved by Vick's recent Humane Society-sponsored appearance in Chicago, at which he spoke to young people about the perils of the blood sport. "I saw tears in Vick's eyes," Hardiman told our colleague Kurt Streeter. "You could see him struggling with the emotions when he talked to the kids. He told them what he did was something they shouldn't follow. These kids, some of them had never heard this message put the way he did."

Of course, not all animal advocates are convinced by Vick's apparent change of heart; after his appearance last month on "60 Minutes," American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals President Ed Sayres was one particularly vocal critic of Vick and CBS News' portrayal of him on the program.

The show "provided a convicted criminal a national platform to selfishly focus on his own recovery when, in fact, the animals, the victims who cannot speak for themselves, should have received the attention," Sayres said in a statement. "CBS did a grave disservice to the animal welfare community by failing to show the ugly truth of Mr. Vick’s actions and the horrors of dogfighting and animal cruelty in this country."

Francis Battista, co-founder of the group Best Friends Animal Society, which cared for a number of the dogs rescued from Vick's Bad Newz Kennels, expressed similar skepticism about his image overhaul in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece published last week. "Vick certainly appeared concerned about returning to football as soon as possible," Battista wrote. "We would like to be more convinced of his concern for animals, if only he could humble himself by changing water, scooping poop, or sweeping floors at a local shelter -- where dogs slated for deaths more merciful than those Vick meted out wait hopefully for simple acts of human kindness."

Sayres and Battista noted that representatives for Vick had contacted their respective groups while he was still in prison to explore the possibility of a partnership similar to the one he eventually forged with the Humane Society. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was apparently contacted by Vick's public relations staff as well, but the Humane Society was the only animal protection group that took him up on his offer. That move has polarized many animal lovers.

Responding to criticism about the decision to work with Vick, Humane Society President and Chief Executive Wayne Pacelle said the football star had "asked for an opportunity to help. I want to give him that opportunity. If he makes the most of it, and demonstrates a sincere, long-term commitment to the task, then it may prove to be a tipping point in our campaign to eradicate dogfighting. If he demonstrates a fleeting or superficial interest, then it will be his own failing, not ours."

The Humane Society recently made available the above video, which shows a portion of Vick's Chicago speech.  Pacelle also notes on his blog that the Eagles organization -- perhaps stinging a bit from the negative press that followed their signing of the troubled quarterback -- "is going to invest in anticruelty and anti-fighting programs in the [Philadelphia region]."

Does the video change your opinion of Vick at all, one way or the other?

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-- Lindsay Barnett

Video: Humane Society of the United States

Comments

[Aussie Stevo]

I would just like to say vick stuffed up but his definately learnt by this and thank god someone has given him the chance he deserves to redeem himself, his still hall of fame material

[Barbara]

No it doesn't change my opinion. Vick is using his partnership with the Humane Society to make millions of $. He is acting, and doing a very poor job of that. He has not changed. He just wants to get better things for himself. I don't believe he is sincere or remorseful. He's a fraud.

[Marty Rondell]

Everyone knows Vick is just acting the role of a supposedly reformed animal abuser but what this also shows is that HSUS is just as phony - c'mon - they're looking to make a buck and bolster their membership at the same time by reaching out to a community they've never "invaded" before. It's just like the legislation they pass - it falls far short of the mark and they sell out the animals to pass something - ANYTHING - just to say they passed legislation, issue press releases with the hope of gaining new members and their dollars. It's no big deal if the laws that are passed are lousy or can't be enforced as is especially the case in Pennsylvania.

[BJR36JRG]

Nothing about this sham of crocodile tears and blatant public relations ploy by Vick changes my mind about him. Trying to pass him off as an inspirational speaker is a travesty.

[James Moran]

Very savvy of Mr. Vick to place himself before the Holy Cross. Still playing the martyr, the victim. No - the dogs were the victims, and there will be more unless he can be a more convincing than in his previous role as a dogfighter.

[virtuous]

This video brought tears to my eyes. As a Georgian who attended a couple of Falcons games in past years to see the amazing Vick, AND a dog owner, I was so disgusted at him when the dogfighting story came out. Looking at the kids on the edge of their seats listening to Vick, I realize Vick has the power to speak to this issue, and I applaud him for doing it. Only time will tell if he is sincere, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The pit bull training sessions on the video were great--kudos to the HSUS for reaching out in this way, to help the owners have pride in their animals for obedience instead of fighting prowess.

[L.A. Voter]

The problem with Vick is not dog fighting, for which a case can be made that it's a cultural issue, although you have to wonder why any creature's pain is fun to watch.

Dog fighting is cruel, but you can almost understand how young men get caught up, and believe the dogs are eager to fight.

But Michael Vick killed dogs with his own hands. He strangled them, he drowned them in a five gallon bucket of water. He picked up one dog and slammed it to the ground repeatedly until it was dead. He ordered his employees to electrocute dogs. When one employee asked if they could give a dog away instead of killing it Vick insisted the dog be killed.

He can get all "remorseful" about dog fighting in front of an audience, but you will never see him admit in public that he personally killed at least six dogs, and ordered many more killed. Michael Vick's dogs weren't killed because they were injured, they were killed because they didn't fight viciously enough. The dogs weren't killed quickly and painlessly, they were killed in terrifying ways that took several minutes. Vick watched dogs struggle, terrified, to live, and then he killed them.

He also admitted to taking family pet dogs and putting them into the ring with trained fighting dogs because he and his friends and employees thought it was funny to watch them get torn apart by the bigger dogs.

He thought watching a dog who had no chance of defending itself being killed was FUNNY.

He admitted to all this in court, but has never said word one about it in public. He hopes very much that the public never finds out how many dogs he killed. He picked methods that would take several minutes, like hanging dogs from a 2x4 and watching them strangle under their own body weight. Imagine how long it would take to drown a dog in a five gallon bucket, and how hard you would have to restrain that dog as it fought to live and you held its head under water until it died in your arms. That is Michael Vick.

He's not simply a dog fighter - a victim of some "culture" that he could have chosen to reject, certainly by the age of 27. He's a dog killer - not once but thirteen times that we know of. And if you watch this video you'll see his main message is "don't end up in jail."

There's a reason his message isn't "don't deliberately and viciously kill a creature who loves and trusts you." The reason is he doesn't even understand why what he did was wrong. He feels no shame and no pity for the dogs he tortured and then killed.

All he knows is that if he's going to get his multi-million dollar career back he needs to pretend he's sorry. But to be sorry he needs to admit the full extent of what he did - to the public, not just in a court of law.

His P.R. people will never let him do that because they know that once people understand the true extent of his sadism and cruelty he will be justifiably hated and ostracized. He won't get his millions, and they won't get their cut. This isn't about betraying and killing dogs, it's about money.

[C]

This whole deal shows that if you make the wrong choices, you better be prepared to pay the consequences. But more importantly, it shows that it's not the end of the world. So many kids get into trouble once and feel like they have to continue down that road. I have 3 kids and I would like them to see that even though they might make a bad decision here and there, there are good decisions to follow. Vick is trying to make the good decision, we should be supporting him not mocking him.

[Sarahhsus]

It's important to try to put aside personal anger toward Vick, and look at the good that come from this whole situation. The fact is that no other animal welfare organization with an entire unit focused only on combating animal fighting, and the HSUS has worked tirelessly to put a dent in the problem of dogfighting. Still, there is disturbing growth of the activity in urban areas. We need new ways to address the problem, and we seized on the opportunity to put Michael Vick to work because his celebrity and his unique story have the potential to turn thousands of young people into anti-dogfighting advocates. I recommend anyone that has questions how the Humane Society is working with Vick visit our Vick FAQ sections at http://www.hsus.org/acf/fighting/dogfight/vick_faq.html

[MrUniteUs]

Let he who never ate meat cast the first stone.
We don't need to eat dead animals to survive, but millions of Americans chose to.

Dogfigthting was brought over here from England back in the 1700s and has been going on ever since. Yet most Amerians never complained about dog fighting until Vick was arrested.
Why?

[L.A. Voter]

No, "MrUniteUs," in fact MANY people complained about dog fighting before Michael Vick. That may explain why it's a felony in all 50 states. This may be the first you heard anybody "complain," but people of good faith and compassion have been fighting inhumane treatment of animals for centuries.

As for the history lesson, you know what else was brought over here in the 1700s? Slaves. But we have changed as a society and we no longer think it's acceptable to enslave people. We are (hopefully all of us) justifiably ashamed of that very appalling period in our history. The point of history is to learn, not to use it to justify cruelty.

Sarah - I can't speak for all Vick critics, but I don't post comments here to express personal anger at Vick, but because the Humane Society of the U.S., of which I am a member, has chosen to help Vick conceal the true nature of his crimes. You made a deal with the devil, and you accepted the devil's terms. That is unconscionable.

It is particularly so because the HSUS has also never admitted it was WRONG to insist that all the Vick dogs needed to be killed. Two of them are now certified therapy dogs, but HSUS has yet to publicly admit its error. In fact, even after Vick, HSUS insisted that all the dogs seized in a dog fighting bust in Wilkes County, NC had to be killed. In fact, HSUS insisted even puppies born AFTER the raid, who had had no fighting training, must be killed. The court listened to supposed HSUS "expertise" and now HSUS has the blood of 150 innocent dogs on its hands and no moral high ground left regarding humane treatment of Pit Bulls.

I'm not an HSUS hater. As I say, currently I'm a member. It seemed like a no-brainer. But HSUS' dishonesty re the true extent of Michael Vick's crimes, and their intractability and inhumanity regarding Pit Bulls may well mean that I, along with many others, will not be members much longer.

It's not about anger, it's about telling the truth.

[Dawn]

No football in this household while that serial killer/mass murderer is near a field. He can start over again but not at over 5 million in pay!!! great message for the young...

[C]

Dawn-If I were a mechanic and I was going to start over, I wouldn't start over as a chef. He is starting over using the talents that he has - which for him it just so happens to pay 5 million. We've all made bad choices in life and we all deserve a new start if we truly realize the wrong in it. No one truly knows this but Vick. The only way we can make a fair determination is by his actions - and right now his actions say "sorry, what do I need to do to fix it"