The Lost Dogs Finds Redemption for Michael Vick's Pit Bulls

This past Sunday, I was captivated by an article in Parade Magazine, delivered to 32 million homes in the U.S., entitled: Can You Teach a Bad Dog New Tricks?. It was by Sports Illustrated writer Jim Gorant on the dogs rescued from Michael Vick's dogfighting ring. His new book, The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, will be on bookshelves September 16, 2010.

Gorant's description of the pit bulls in this article and his upcoming book is honest and forthright. He lets the readers see these canines as individuals; dogs who were victims of cruelty and greed, some suffering from post traumatic stress, others resilient and happy despite the violence they were subjected to.

Among the "mixed bag" of canine personalities, we learn of the "pancake" dogs, dogs so frightened of humans that they flattened and just wanted to disappear into the ground when someone approached. Many of the former "pancake" dogs taken to Best Friends Sanctuary have thrived and have been adopted (like Oliver in the photo).

The book also follows many of the normal, resilient fight-bust dogs. Little Jonny Justice, who went to the California-based pit bull rescue, Bad Rap, was once a caveman with no manners. He is now a therapy dog and quite a ham. Jonny has even appeared on the Rachel Ray Show. Georgia, who still lives at Best Friends, has become a diva dog and has appeared on Ellen and Larry King Live. The list of individual dogs' triumphs and challenges goes on. 

Gorant's honesty is not limited to the dogs. He correctly identifies the heroes in the case and the villains. Villains include the politicians who just wanted the case to go away, "humane" organizations like PETA that blindly called for the mass euthanization of the dogs because that was the status quo, and some inept animal control wardens who damaged the dogs and their image through their actions and their words.

This case broke new ground for how we handle dogs from fight busts. There's still a lot to learn, but as Gorant says, "We now know for certain that while it may be faster and easier simply to exterminate dogs recovered from illegal fighting rings, it's not the only option." In more recent dog fighting cases, courts and law enforcement agencies have embraced the humane trend of giving these dogs a second chance.

The handling of the Vick dogs reflects what is right in America and our judicial system. Through the courts, justice for all — including fight bust victims — was achieved. The Lost Dogs does justice to the American Pit Bull Terrier's image and the Vicktory dogs' incredible journey.

Photo Credit:  Tim Racer of Bad Rap, Guardian/Special Master with Oliver, one of the pancake dogs