A follow up to the Michael Vick Case

I just started reading a fascinating book by Jim Gorant called, The Lost Dogs-The Michael Vick dogs and their story of rescue and redemption. I know the story about what happened has been told over and over. It can't be told enough as far as I'm concerned. I know that God says we should forgive, but I just can't in this situation. When I read the first two chapters of this book, it told it from the standpoint of someone who was actually at the fights and was involved with what happened to these poor dogs. And although I have seen videos, it is something you never ever get used to seeing or reading about. This barbaric blood sport is beyond cruel. People that do it or participate,or attend, should be put in jail for life. OR better yet, let their punishment be the same as their crime. Let's electrocute and drown them. Or make them fight to their death against their will....

But that is not what this blog is about today. It is about the dogs that DID make it out of there. One dog has gone on to be atherapy dogs. Most live normal lives in homes with children and are loved for the first time in their lives. 47 of the 51 dogs made it out. This book shows what happened to the dogs that did make it out. I suggest this book to anyone interest in learning what happened to these great dogs. Here is a link to an interview they did on the book and the Vick dogs last week. A great read and a happy beginning for these deserving dogs.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6884146n&tag=related%3Bphotovideo.

Just remember, The "fighting dog" has few friends.

They live lives of brutality and unspeakable cruelty at the hands of those who gamble on their deaths, while betrayal and death await them at "humane" societies if they are "rescued".

These animals are victims of cruelty. Help end this ugly sport and fight BSL.

These dogs deserve a chance like any other. Their only crime was being born a pitbull.

Don't support "humane" groups that don't include these dogs in their circle of compassion.

Read more about the Vick dogs by reading this book.

http://www.thelostdogsbook.com/bio_contact/

Remember Nico, the deaf Dogo Argentino?

Update: Nico, the deaf shelter dog whose photo inspired online rescue community, has a new home in Indiana

Last year, Janet Kinosian shared the story of Nico, a shelter dog who was rescued through the efforts of Southern California rescuers and a community of animal-loving Facebook users. Since then, Nico's story has gotten even better; here, Kinosian fills us in on what's been going on in the life of this hard-luck dog who became one of the luckiest couch potatoes in Indiana.

Remember Nico, the defeated deaf white Dogo Argentino at South Los Angeles animal shelter -- who moved so many people with the sad photo of him first posted on Facebook? Nico, the forlorn animal who evoked the agony and utter defeat so many discarded animals must experience? Well, it's a joy to update you on Nico's life.

Just look at these two photos before and after: Can this possibly be the same animal?

Photos like the one on at the top aren't anything new on the Web: Tens of thousands flood Facebook alone on a daily basis. What was different about Nico's photo, though, was what it captured: the loneliness of an animal that lay against the shelter's wall full of sadness, seeming to have lost all hope. That only spurred on Southern California rescuers.

And that's where the photo below it comes in.

Things have worked out well for Nico SwanGarris. That's his new name and he lives now with his two moms and new sister, Brisby, a pit bull mix who is also deaf and white, in Indiana. He still loves balls, baths and life as a major couch potato, says Bridget Swan, who, with her partner Melissa, adopted Nico in November 2009.

Last August, Southern California animal rescuer Nikki Audet first posted Nico's photo on Facebook, and Kelley Gibson, a rescuer and animal transporter based in a San Diego, helped get him to the Hamilton County Humane Society in Indianapolis. Nico likely didn't know how lucky a hand he'd been dealt.

He quickly went through training to help him with issues resulting from his deafness and teach him how to navigate in a world of sound. His bumps and nicks and battle scars were attended to. He was happy and safe when Bridget and Melissa decided they wanted to adopt a dog, and Bridget's friend said she should see this dog at the local humane society.

Swan remembers that, at first, the animal agency was a bit wary of her adopting Nico. She didn't understand why until she was clued in by shelter staff that Nico was a bit of a celebrity and they wanted to make sure she was adopting him for the right reasons.

These days Nico walks in parades with his new moms, “loves to sit up close on your feet so he knows when you are walking away,” says Swan, and “in general is 100% low-key. He'll get a wild hair in him once in a while, but he's a mellow guy, and he deserves it after all he went through back then. He just loves people -- despite whatever was done to him -- and gives lots of kisses. He's very generous and free with his kisses. He's just so dependent on us, and he likes to hang with you 24/7.”

Nico has had one setback: A cancerous tumor was discovered and removed shortly after his adoption. Recently, Swan and Garris learned that the cancer has returned, but they remain optimistic about his future. "We are attempting a holistic approach so that we can hopefully avoid an ear amputation," Swan says. "We know that he will beat this just like all the other terrible things he has put up with in the past. He is a loving fighter and is strong."

According to Swan, finding toys for Nico can be a bit of a problem, as he loves and chews up Kongs, bones and anything he can wrap his canines around. He also has hundreds of fans on Facebook who hear about his daily happenings and send him messages of love and support.

Asked what Nico might say now that he's safe and sound, Swan replies: “The main message is this: Just because it's a cute small dog or puppy doesn't mean it'll be your best companion. Go for the downtrodden, defeated dogs, look at the underdog, because they will give you all their love and gratitude and forever be grateful you literally saved their life.”

So this soulful, special dog, once full of sadness, now lives out the good life in the Midwest. It's the happy story ending all dog rescuers wish for but often don't always see -- though every animals deserve nothing less. We're wishing Nico a happy, healthy and cancer-free future!

Reprint courtesy of **Janet Kinosian-Voice of the Voiceless

Shelter Dogs-Buying vs Adoptiong

If I stated that I had just returned from a country that manufactured 20,000 "widgets" a day, even though they had hundreds of thousands of widgets sitting in the warehouse, and then also daily destroyed 16,000 widgets because there was no more room to store them, you would think I had visited a nation of backward morons. That is ecactly what is happening in this country every day, except the widgets are living beings who often suffer horribly before having their lives prematurely ended --Kris King

These dogs did not make it out.