What I think...

I feel that Michael Vick is the lowest example of scum. How could anyone mistreat innocent animals? Pitbulls are not vicous dogs by nature, they truly are products of their environment and people like Vick should not be allowed to own any kind of animals. What kind of "person" can take this...

and turn them into this.......

Starving Animals Near Barnesville

Georgia
January 31, 2007 : 12:00 AM
One of the worst situations that the Department of Agriculture has ever dealt with---that is what Tommy Irvin, the Georgia Dept of Agriculture, stated about the situation found in Concord near Barnesville last week. More than 200 starving goats, horses, dogs, and cows were found on the Concord farm. There was no explanation of why the owner allowed the animals to get in this condition. At least half of the 100 horses found scored a 2 on the equine body scoring system. These animals were literally starving to death. Not only were these animals found, but the remains of other animals and animal graves were found. Dogs were killing goats for food. The farm was in an unimaginable state. The Department of Agriculture received complaints on the condition of the animals last week and this prompted the discovery. When officials arrived at the farm, they were made to wait at the gate for several hours before allowed in to see the damage. Inspectors and veterinarians have been at the farm and volunteers brought in food on Monday.Kristen Reid, the owner of a local horse farm, has been rounding up supplies for the animals. Reid’s concern at this time is the dropping temperature and inclement weather expected in Georgia tonight. These animals have no shelter and are in such bad shape, she worries for their survival. She is currently looking for places to board the horses until more permanent help can be found.Update---Starving Horses Remain OutsideThe horses on Concord Farm near Barnesville will remain outside tonight despite the frigid temperature and icy weather rolling in. Tommy Irvin of the Georgia Dept of Agriculture said that the state did not have the money or resources to move and provide for the horses. Instead, they are requiring Roger Pratt and his wife to Bobbie Allison, the owners to provide feed, supplements, and medical care. This still does not negate the fact that there is no shelter on the farm and these horses need some type of shelter from the cold. So far no charges have been brought on the owners. The Pike County Sheriff’s Dept. is investigating the case and states that if the evidence warrants charges that they will be filed on the farm’s owners.Both, the Dept of Agriculture and the Sheriff’s Dept. have been slammed with people wanting to help. Anyone wanting to help can make a donation to the Dept of Agriculture horse rescue fund by calling 404-656-3671. Donations of high quality feed will also be accepted.

Filthy, starving animals found inside Tampa home

By JUSTIN GEORGE and CASEY CORA, Times Staff WriterPublished February 2, 2008
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TAMPA - When the dogs heard human voices, some of them jumped through an open window and ran to help on Friday.
Surprised Hillsborough County Animal Services agents were waiting for a search warrant. Once they got it, they entered 8202 W Crenshaw St. and found that the home was covered in animal waste, with three cats and 16 starving dogs. The animals had been abandoned for an unknown number of days, Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan said.
The power was turned off in the house, and fur, bones and other remains of one dog were found in a crate.
The pets' owner, Cynthia Cuervo, 42, was not found Friday. She faces 20 felony counts of animal cruelty and 20 misdemeanor counts of improper confinement, Ryan said. The home is owned by her parents, Eduardo and Evelyn Cuervo, Ryan said.
Most of the animals were malnourished and appeared to be ravaged by parasites, Ryan said. Most seemed social, but veterinarians and Animal Services will later determine whether the pets are adoptable.
Jail records show that Cuervo was arrested in May on a felony animal cruelty charge. In that case, six dogs were found emaciated in a shed without food or water. Ryan said the charge was dropped after a judge felt that Cuervo would be better served with psychological treatment.
Cuervo was evicted in November from an apartment for failing to take care of her pets, Ryan said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Animal Services at (813) 744-5660.
[Last modified February 2, 2008, 00:49:52]

Dead, Starving Animals Found In Bannock County

Bannock County officials say they found 34 dead or starving horses and other farm animals in the worst case of animal neglect in more than a decade.
Sheriff's deputies found the animals Friday at a rural property north of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The owner has not been charged. Idaho doesn't have a felony law for cruelty to animals, so the incident is being investigated as misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
Sheriff Lorin Nielsen says a veterinarian will perform necropsies to determine whether the animals died of disease or neglect. He says the veterinarian had to put two animals down.
Nielsen says deputies will make sure the animals have food and drinkable water over the weekend.
This case is being actively investigated and the suspect in this case has been cooperative. There have been several animals that have succumbed to starvation or disease, but there are about 30 head of horses and cattle that are in desperate need of hay. It is beyond the owner's current capacity to feed these surviving animals, and we are therefore urgently requesting help from the public that may have some feed to spare. Any amount of hay, even one or two bales, would be gratefully accepted. The Bannock County Sheriff's Office is also working with animal welfare groups and veterinarians to assist these animals in their time of need. If anyone can provide some assistance, they can call the Bannock County Sheriff's Office at 208-236-7111, or deliver any amount of feed to the Bannock County Fairgrounds, building C (the blue building). Just open the overhead door and leave the feed inside

Vick's fighting dogs get second chance at life

By Dan SimonCNN



KANAB, Utah (CNN) -- Ellen doesn't look like a top-fighting dog.

Michael Vick agreed to pay nearly $1 million to subsidize the various facilities caring for his 47 pit bulls.
She wags her tail and gives kisses to anyone who greets her. But the deep scars on her face are permanent reminders of her difficult and violent past.
Ellen is one of the 47 pit bulls seized from an illegal dog fighting ring on property owned by disgraced NFL quarterback Michael Vick.
The dogs were bred to fight to the death. Of course, if trained properly they can be gentle loyal pets.
Twenty-two of the pit bulls now reside at sanctuary at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in the mountain town of Kanab, Utah. The 25 other dogs have been placed at rehabilitation shelters across the country.
All of them are lucky to be alive.
The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wanted the dogs euthanized. But rescue operations won their fight to give these animals a second chance at life.
"There's a belief by a lot of people that these dogs cannot be rehabilitated," said the facility's veterinarian, Dr. Frank McMillan. "It's true that they can't all be [rehabilitated], but we're finding out here and elsewhere, that they can and they become very nice pets." Watch how the dogs are learning to interact with people »
The dogs have only been at the shelter about a month and their caregivers have already seen signs of progress. "I was surprised at how many were shy. There were quite a few that were under socialized and pretty shut down," said Michelle Besmehn, who oversees the dogs at the sanctuary.
"I've been really pleased at how quickly they're coming around. It's actually been fun to see personalities are starting to show. "
One of the most affectionate and lovable dogs at the shelter is Lucas -- Vick's champion fighter.
Shelter staff believes the scarred, brown 65-pound pit bull won praise and special treatment for winning fights and money, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars for Vick and his associates.
Despite his good nature, a court ruled that Lucas can never leave the sanctuary because of his violent past.
Dogs that didn't fight well were beaten, drowned, shot and even electrocuted by Vick and his associates, according to court records.
Thought it's nearly impossible to know the extent of the emotional and physical abuse these dogs endured, in some cases it's apparent.
One dog, Georgia, had all 42 of her teeth pulled. Caregivers believe it was to prevent her from attacking male dogs during forced breeding.
"We don't know who did it. We assume it's because she was such a valuable breeding dog," McMillian said. "Very often females will not accept males in breeding and will attack."
The National Geographic Channel will profile Georgia and three of the other pit bulls as part of an ongoing television series, "Dogtown," which follows the rehabilitation and resocialization of the worst cases.
The hope is that six months from now, some of the dogs will become normal, lovable pets that are safe enough to adopt.
Even if they never get adopted, the dogs will always have a home at Best Friends, which doesn't euthanize for behavioral reasons.
The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback is serving a 23-month sentence at maximum-security prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. The NFL suspended Vick indefinitely without pay. He agreed to pay nearly $1 million to subsidize the various facilities that are caring for his former pit bulls."To me, and to those of us that care about animals, it's more than fair and maybe not enough," said McMillan.
"If he wants to play football, none of us here care about that. But we don't want him ever owning a dog again."

Animal CSI: Solving horrendous pet crimes

By Maryann Mott
updated 1:12 p.m. ET, Fri., Feb. 15, 2008

Melinda Merck is a new breed of veterinarian.
In a 26-foot van equipped with state-of-the-art forensic tools, she travels to crime scenes throughout the country to assist law enforcement officials in their efforts to build cases against and prosecute animal cruelty offenders.
Merck is the only animal CSI specialist in the country.

She investigates about two cases each month that run the gamut from dog fighting and puppy mills to animal hoarding and bestiality.
“It’s applying all the forensic science that has traditionally been used on crimes against humans to animals,” Merck said of her job with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) headquartered in New York City.
Federal agents sought her help last year in the Michael Vick dog fighting case where she exhumed 12 animal bodies and examined their remains. (A state case is still pending against Vick so she can’t discuss her findings.)
The most horrendous crime she investigated, though, involved two Atlanta teenagers who hog-tied a 3-month old puppy, poured paint on her and tried to light her on fire. When that didn’t work they put the pup in an oven and baked her to death. Then they showed the dead puppy to neighborhood children and threatened them not to tell.
The young males, both with previous juvenile records — one for arson, the other for sexual assault — are now serving 10-year prison sentences.
Silent witnesses Animal cruelty cases are difficult to prosecute because the victims can't talk or point out the abuser, so Merck must find solid evidence that won’t leave any doubts in the jurors’ minds. So far, she has succeeded. Of the 25 cases last year in which charges based on her work were pressed, she said, all were either won in trial or the suspects plead guilty.
Animal cruelty is often linked to other crimes, such as domestic violence, or indicates the perpetrator may commit future acts of violence against people.
“Time and time again we see that our nation’s most appalling criminals have a history of abusing animals,” said ASPCA president Ed Sayres.
For more than a decade Merck has studied and investigated animal cruelty cases while running a private veterinary practice in Georgia. But it wasn’t until joining the ASPCA last year that she began working in veterinary forensics full-time.
This new and emerging field is needed, she said, because crime scene examiners don’t have the knowledge of animals or animal behavior to correctly identify and interpret their findings.
They also don’t have the country’s first Mobile Animal Crime Scene Investigation Unit. The $220,000 vehicle, unveiled in December, allows Merck to process a crime scene more quickly and efficiently.
Maggots to DNA The tools and tests at her disposal are the same ones used to investigate crimes against people. Merck analyzes blood splatter, examines bones for trauma and collects DNA samples. If maggots are present, she can accurately determine time of death or injury.
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After scouring the area for evidence and examining animal victims, she works with investigators and prosecutors to develop the case and bring it to court.
For now, Merck’s the only animal CSI, but it won’t stay that way for long.
Veterinary schools have begun offering forensic classes. And the ASPCA plans to break ground this year on an anti-cruelty institute in New York City to provide training for veterinarians and law enforcement. It’s slated to open in 2010.
© 2008 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Lab makes short work of Michael Vick toy

Lab makes short work of Michael Vick toy

Mutts
Mutts, a blog by John Woestendiek of The Baltimore Sun
This will be the last entry about my Michael Vick dog chew toy.
Magerk has seen to that.
Last week, you may recall (and if you don't, click here) I donated the Official Michael Vick Dog Chew Toy I received in the mail from the manufacturer to a group trying to start a dog park in Locust Point.
The raffle winners, Jason Powell and Ann Marie Morhiser, took it home and gave it to their Labrador, Magerk, a 1 1/2-year old Labrador the engaged couple adopted from Maryland Lab Rescue and named after the Federal Hill bar in which they met.
Here's a report from Ann Marie, who works as fifth-grade teacher in Ellicott City:
"She loves the toy and carries it (now just the head) around with her all the time. She even sleeps with it!
"Magerk got the toy last Thursday and each day she destroyed a little bit more. First it was one leg, then the next, and then his torso. All that is left is his head and shoulders. She is still chipping away at it but is struggling to keep her grip as the toy has decreased in size.
"She never ate the pieces, she just spit them on the floor. For the past week we have been picking up tiny remains of the convict. For Magerk, this toy lasted roughly the same amount of time as the rest of her toys. She loves to chew (luckily for us she only chews her toys!)"