Michael Vick's Former Dogs Meet in a Touching Reunion

Six families who adopted dogs meet at a Utah rescue group, sharing stories of recovery.

Michael Vick has been in the news quite recently, showing up at PetSmart to train his puppy and getting his book tour canceled by angry dog lovers. Though it remains to be seen whether anything positive comes from the anger, one group involved with Vick appears to be feeling just fine.  

His former dogs. 

This week, six families who adopted "Vicktory dogs" (so-named after being resuced from the dog-fighting operation) met at Best Friends' Animal Society of Kanab, UT, to mark five years of freedom. 

“The Vicktory Dogs, the dogs from Michael Vick’s kennel, really helped us truly understand that all dogs are individuals,” Judah Batista, the facility’s director of animal care, told Fox 13 News. “To convict the dogs based on their owners is an incredibly unfair thing to do.”

The dogs arrived from Vick's Bad Newz Kennels battered and bruised in 2008, and as they regained their health they were slowly adopted out. The families kept in touch throughout the years, but never met -- until now. 

"It feels like as much of a growing and healing occasion for the people as much as it does the dogs," Richard Hunter, who owns a Vicktory dog named Mel, told ABC News.

Paul, who owns Cherry Garcia, said, "It's been amazing. We're all staying in the same place -- so we have six ex-fighting Pit Bulls staying in the same place -- and you'd never know that these dogs were born, bred, and trained to fight; the furthest thing on their mind is fighting."

The families spent the weekend together at the sanctuary, and the dogs -- Cherry, Handsome Dan, Halle, Little Red, Mel, and Oscar -- got along great.

"They have just had such a great time together. The families have had such a great time meeting in person," said Paul. "Really, to come together as one big family has been a magical moment."

On Monday, the group invited the public to visit the dogs, and more than 150 people showed up. One by one, the families took the stage and related stories about how their dogs came out of their shells, changing from the shy and shutdown animals they were. 

“We want to show the world that they can become adoptable; we want to show the world that they can become normal dogs and be positive influences in their community,” Paul said.

Watch a video of the event: 

Via ABC

Read more about Michael Vick and BSL:

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Former Mexican Cowboy Lassos Drowning Dogs, Saves Lives

Farmworker Jesus Villanueva saved two dogs from drowning by using long-dormant lassoing skills (Photo: Andy Sawyer, Yakima Herald-Republic)

Jesus Villanueva hadn’t brought out a lasso since he worked in a cattle ranch in Jalisco, Mexico, 30 years ago. But you couldn’t tell he was out of practice when he took over a deputy’s failed attempts to rope two dogs being carried swiftly down a steep-banked concrete canal in Yakima, Wash.

He lassoed the dogs in rapid succession, hitting his mark both times and pulling them to safety within seconds of each other.

“I was amazed,” the dogs’ owner, Noya Deats, told the Yakima Herald-Republic. “He just kind of came out of nowhere. It was amazing how fast he lassoed them.”

The dogs, who ran into the water when Deats let them off-leash three miles down the canal, would not have lasted much longer, deputies say. The farm laborer heard the commotion and came running to see if he could help. All other attempts to save the dogs had failed, including when someone clung onto a canal ladder and tried to grab them as they whooshed by.

Deats is deeply grateful to Jalisco and his incredible skill with the lasso. I hope she gave the 54-year-old good Samaritan/angel some kind of reward, since farmworkers generally aren’t paid well. A story in the Yakima Herald-Republic says Villanueva’s reward is that “I felt happy, especially when I saw the woman who looked hot after running from far away.”

From now on, Deats will keep her dogs on-leash whenever they are anywhere near the canal.

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Former Shelter Dog Shines On Broadway

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Fred the dog, former shelter dog and most recently the star of the hit musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” now enjoys the posh life of a pampered Manhattan pooch. Found wandering the streets of New York, this amazing pooch was discovered at an ASPCA shelter by Bill Berloni, a theatrical animal agent. Read more about this wags to riches story here.

posted 2010 Mar 02 by Leslie Hayes

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