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Am I missing something here?
We know the facts. On Monday Michael Vick will plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges related to dog fighting. That includes funding a dog fighting operation and taking part in the decision to viciously kill several dogs that didn?t perform well in tests by methods such as shooting, drowning, hanging, electrocution, and even slamming them to the ground.
And some people are asking what?s so bad?
There?s nothing wrong with torturing animals? If a little kid is caught abusing the neighborhood?s cats everyone will say there?s something wrong with the kid. I don?t know enough about Vick to know what he was like growing up but hearing what he allegedly did churns my stomach.
And yet there are those that feel his crimes aren?t bad enough to deserve the punishment associated with the charges. It?s only dogs. They?re going after him because of who he is. Oh come on!
Some think dog fighting is like hunting for sport. That?s a clever comparison. I?ll even say dog fighting is more humane since it?s dogs killing dogs. But unless you?re Vice President Dick Cheney, hunters don?t hunt other hunters and get away with it.
As for all those who feel, "It?s only dogs," should say that to the millions of dog owners across the country.
For anyone who owns a pet, it isn?t property, but a part of the family. The dog is a companion, not a tool for competition. And when a dog is living with a family for 10 to 15 years, a strong bond forms between the animal and the family. Many people involved in dog fighting probably wouldn?t understand that because their bond with their dogs lasts until the dog loses, if not sooner.
"But it?s not like Vick killed somebody," they say? Well think of it this way. Michael Vick could get up to five years in prison for all charges related to dog fighting. If it was another person, we?re talking possibly 20 years in prison, life in prison, of even the death penalty. In other words, we?re talking two different crimes.
Yet Vick deciding to kill some dogs doesn?t bother you. Why? Because the dogs found alive on Vick?s property will get euthanized anyway. Does that mean Vick was doing the country a favor by killing the dogs before the government got their hands on them? Does euthanizing those dogs defeat the purpose of taking them from someone whom would kill the dogs anyway? Do you think that the government should do something with the 53 pit bulls trained to fight besides putting them all to sleep?
That?s actually the safest thing that could be done with those dogs. They?re too aggressive to be pets. Outside of a cage they would attack any other dogs with the intent to kill. Many times an aggressive pit bull will attack humans with the same intention. Not too long ago a woman was attacked by her neighbor?s pit bull and survived by locking herself in a room. The victim isn?t always a stranger, as pit bulls have attacked their owners or members of the family. And those are the pets. Imagine what a trained fighting pit bull would do if brought home.
Let me come clean for a moment. I don?t like dog fighting, but I also don?t care for horse racing and dog racing. All three involve making animals do something it normally wouldn?t do for the primary benefit of the owners.
But horse and dog racing are regulated to prevent the abuse of the animals. If greyhound abuse is found, actions are taken to punish those behind it. If a greyhound doesn?t perform well, there?s still a chance for adoption. If a horse is put to sleep, it?s because the horse wouldn?t be able to live a normal life after an injury.
You don?t have to like the rules, but everyone must abide by them. Vick didn?t, now he must pay the price like everyone else would.
Randolph Charlotin can be contacted at lordrc@netzero.net
