Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Michael Vick's Saga Continues

In case you had forgotten, Michael Vick and his three partners in crime are scheduled to appear at the Surry County Circuit Court tomorrow to face local charges in the dogfighting case.

Today, however a "team of dog behavorial experts assembled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" found that 48 of the 49 pitbulls seized from Vick's property in Surry County can be placed in adoptive homes or with law enforcement officials.

Only one dog was deemed to be dangerous enough to be euthanized.

According to a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court, the dogs fall into five categories that include eventual adoption and specialized training for law enforcement work. Some of the dogs either exhibited fear toward people or suffered from a medical condition

The motion doesn't indicate how many dogs were placed in each category other than to suggest one, identified as number 2621, is an immediate candidate for euthanasia because its aggression toward humans made a complete examination unsafe.

There isn't any word on how the other 11 dogs seized, there were 60 total taken, have fared, or if any of them will need to be euthanized. It does make you wonder, though if these findings will have any bearing on how hard the local authorities come down on Vick.

Killing and/or maiming dogs is not right, and Vick deserves to be punished for his involvement in that type of activity. However, his chances of seeing some type of leniency possibly go up with every dog that's deemed not dangerous or aggressive. In this case, I wonder if the ASPCA's findings, an organization that probably wants Vick to suffer the harshest possible consequences, will actually help Vick out in the long run.

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