Michael Vick has a new dog. (The rant you were promised.)

Yesterday it came to my attention that Michael Vick, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and convicted dog fighter, is once again a dog owner (Source, Source). I would like to, if I may, point out why I have a HUGE problem with this. 

First of all, a recap: Vick was convicted in 2007 of both financially supporting and being directly involved in an illegal dog fighting ring called Bad Newz Kennels. Dogs who were "tested" and did not perform well were either killed by hanging, drowning, or electrocution, or were used as "bait dogs" for the stronger dogs to rip apart for practice. Trained dogs were often put up against pets or strays, as those involved thought it was fun to watch such an unfair fight. Females had claws and teeth pulled out and were strapped to rape stations and forced to bear litter after litter of puppies. Vick ended up pleading guilty, and served 18 months in prison in Virginia (Source). 

Lovely.

And, now that he's "served his time" and has taken a photo with PETA, he's decided to go and get another dog. In reading some of the comments on the ESPN article above, a lot of people seem to think that it isn't a big deal. According to many (even my own family), he's obviously rehabilitated and has turned his life around, so why not? 

Vick cites his children as the driving force behind his decision to bring a dog into the house. "As a father," he says, "it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals. I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God's creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family" (ESPN article). 

How nice. Except, as someone who was admittedly raised in a dog fighting culture, teaching his children to love animals is the last parental responsibility that Vick is qualified for. He needs to focus on teaching himself to treat creatures with love and respect before he can teach them anything. If anything, he should serve as an example of what not to do, and leave it at that. (Personally, I don't understand how his wife and children stay with him, but that's just me.)

My anger is not just at Vick and his supporters, however. I see this not only as a failing of human integrity on his part (and on the part of those who support him), but as a failing of our justice system. Dog fighting has only been a felony across our nation since 2008 (Source), and is not uniformly dealt with. My question is, why is someone convicted of this felony not stripped of the right to own a pet when they are stripped of the right to vote and own a gun? That's one thing that makes felonies different from misdemeanors: a felony conviction comes with the loss of certain rights, for life. There is no excuse for Michael Vick to own a dog with all the blood that's on his hands, and I fear for that poor dog. 

I know that I'll be watching this one closely, and I hope you guys do too. Maybe with enough scrutiny, Vick will feel some pressure to treat his new pet with some decency.