Pit Bull Dog Fighting
By
U.S. Football Hero...
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and is one of the highest paid NFL players and earns huge sums of money endorsing commercial products.
On July 21 st 2007, Vick plus three other men, Purnell A Peace, Quanis L Phillips and Tony Taylor faced federal charges involving a dog fighting venture called “Bad Newz Kennels which was based at Vicks 15 acre estate in Virginia in the US . Authorities believe that Vick purchased the estate specifically for dog fighting venues that are banned in the States. Each man if found guilty will face up to six years behind bars and a fine of 350,000 dollars. The hearing is set for July 25th.
The dog fighting activities were discovered by local police under a search warrant following the arrest of Vick's cousin Davin T Boddie on several narcotic charges. It was discovered that the property was the main staging area for housing and training Pit Bulls for dog fights that took place in seven other states as well as at the property. An 18 page federal indictment document has been filed painting a graphic picture of Bad Newz Kennels dating from 2002-2007 and showing that dogs had been mistreated and destroyed.
It is claimed that two or three fights would take place late at night. Bets were placed on the dogs with the winner taking purses ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars with one win alone stated as being 23,000 dollars. The losing dog was killed by strangulation, hanging, shooting or electrocution. Investigators have uncovered the graves of seven Pit Bulls and are searching for more.
NFL spokesman, Brian McCarthy said:
“We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him. The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not been proven and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts.”
John Goodwin of the Humane Society, (similar to the RSPCA in the UK ) said:
“Some of the grisly details in these filings shocked even me and I'm a person that faces this stuff every day. I was surprised to see that they were killing dogs by hanging them and one dog was killed by slamming it to the ground. Those are extremely violent methods of execution…they're unnecessary and just sick.”
Vick and his cohorts are accused of “knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting an animal fighting venture”. The indictment also states that after a Pit Bull from Bad Newz Kennels lost a fight Peace asked Vick about the losing dogs condition then executed it by wetting it with water and electrocuting it.
The NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodall has banned Vick from training camp although Vick is not officially suspended from playing for the Atlanta Falcons. This gruesome and barbaric case has shocked American sports fan and the general public. Michael Vick is one of the most marketable athletes in American sport and is hailed as a role model for youngsters many of which worship him.
Michael Vick claims that although he owned the property he let his family use it and did not know what was going on. It is clearly a case of: When the going gets tough…blame the family!
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