Andrea Rosebrock 
Historic Organization Seeks Prison Time, Fines, Banishment from NFL
The American Humane Association, in a statement today following Michael Vick’s plea hearing in Richmond, Va., issued the following statement:
Vick Penalties Should Be Appropriately Severe
Having admitted his guilt to dogfighting-related charges as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, professional football player Michael Vick must now pay the price for his role in those horrific activities. American Humane believes that price should be appropriately high, to fit the extremely serious nature of the crime.
American Humane strongly urges U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson and the National Football League to impose harsh penalties on Vick, including significant prison time and a ban from playing in the NFL. American Humane also believes Vick should be given the opportunity for rehabilitation and education, through mandatory, meaningful community service and through humane education and empathy counseling.
“The Michael Vick case is about much more than the horrors of animal abuse and dogfighting. It’s also about empathy, compassion and humanity — and what can happen when those qualities are lacking,” said Marie Belew Wheatley, American Humane president and CEO. “Mr. Vick will be changing more than his uniform as he is held accountable for his crimes. In the public eye, he is also changing from role model to ‘example.’ We can only hope that he will quickly realize how inhumane his actions and attitudes toward animals have been. If he is willing to learn from his mistakes and chart a new, positive course going forward, he can still salvage his life.”
When Vick’s sentence is announced, American Humane is hopeful that Judge Hudson will impose a prison term that is proportional to the crimes committed and which reflects the amount of suffering that was inflicted on the dogs.
“We also encourage the judge to include productive rehabilitation activities as part of the sentence,” Wheatley said. “Those activities should involve community service in which Mr. Vick would educate his fellow inmates and the public — and young people in particular — that dogfighting is inhumane and terribly wrong. If he can use his influence to help prevent the next generation from engaging in dogfighting and going down the destructive path that he followed, he could yet regain the stature of a positive role model.”
American Humane’s director of public policy, Allie Phillips, who is a former assistant prosecuting attorney, was present when Vick entered his guilty plea today. “Although the prosecutor has asked the judge for a minimum sentence at the low end of the sentencing guidelines, the judge has the discretion to sentence Mr. Vick proportionate to his crimes,” Phillips said. “We are confident that once Judge Hudson reviews all the information contained in the pre-sentence report, he will give Mr. Vick a sentence that speaks directly to his pattern of criminal behavior and lack of humanity to living creatures. We emphatically recommend that the judge prohibit Mr. Vick to own or be around animals for the term of his probation, as is currently the law in 14 states.”
With Vick’s formal admission of guilt in hand, and in light of Vick’s earlier statements to his team and to the league denying any wrongdoing, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should take the next step and ban Vick from the NFL. The commissioner should also impose a substantial fine that could then fund humane education programs, both for players and the public, about the brutality and inhumanity of dogfighting. The NFL Players Association’s Conduct Policy states, “Any Covered Person convicted of or admitting to a criminal violation will be subject to discipline as determined by the Commissioner. Such discipline may include a fine, suspension without pay and/or banishment from the League.” American Humane encourages the NFL to use the entire playbook on this one.
Dogfighting is a brutal, inhumane blood sport that has no place in any society. It is illegal in all 50 states and is a felony in all but two. A recently signed federal law, the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, has increased the penalties for people who violate federal animal-fighting law. And newly introduced federal legislation, the Dog Fighting Prohibition Act (S. 1880/H.R. 3219), would improve the ability to prosecute dogfighting cases, would widen the net to include people who attend and otherwise support dogfighting activities, and would increase the penalties for those found guilty. American Humane strongly supports this legislation.
Although Vick pled guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture, he has admitted to having been more directly involved in dogfighting activities in a Summary of the Facts document submitted by the U.S. Attorney and signed by Vick. This includes having ‘agreed to the killing of approximately 6-8 dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions…and all of those dogs were killed by various methods, including hanging and drowning.’ The signed document also states ‘in or about 2002′ Vick and others ‘œestablished a dogfighting business enterprise,’ and it lists specific dogfighting activities over a period of years. Therefore, in the interest of justice, we encourage the commonwealth of Virginia to proceed with its own case against Vick to fully charge him for his crimes.
The only positive outcome of the Vick case is that it has focused intense public and media attention on the brutal activity of dogfighting. Unfortunately, that attention may be short-lived. So, regardless of whether dogfighting stays on the front page or is quickly replaced by another issue, American Humane will continue working diligently to abolish dogfighting — through public education, legislative advocacy and other actions that have been effective in protecting children and animals, promoting compassion, and advancing humanity since the organization was founded 130 years ago.
For all the background and information as well as the full indictment, plea agreement and Vick, Pernell, Peace and Taylor’s “Statements of Facts”, please see – Michael Vick and Dogfighting
[...] American Humane Association Urges Severe Sentence for Michael Vick Appropriate to the Severity and I… [...]
I also agree. In my opinion I don’t think there is enough years in a lifetime to give him the appropriate sentencing. You are much kinder than me because I would not give him a chance to rehab himself. When it comes to dogs and the way they should be treated, I do not have it in me to forgive what he has done. I love my two so much and I cannot believe someone would do something like he has done. I have also written a letter to his Judge, Judge Henry Hudson, pleading with him to give him the harshest sentence possible and to please remember the horrors those dogs were put through that no dog should ever have to endure. It makes me physically sick to my stomach to imagine that happening for one second let alone a couple years. Those poor innocent dogs had to die because he is less than human. Dogs will love you with everything in them until the day they die. Vick says he’s sorry. Bull. He’s sorry he got caught. Thats all. He lies to the world about everything. People as they call themselves who support him are asking the judge to go easy on him. Why? Was he going easy on those dogs? No. He deserves nothing but the worst possible punishment. He NEVER deserves to play in the NFL. He is a disgrace to the human race and the NFL. The judge needs to make an example of him because this goes on way too much in the world and it needs to be put to an end. If I were the judge, he would get the death sentence. He killed dogs so what..dogs are less than people? I don’t think so. I know a lot of dogs I like better than most people. People get the death sentence for murder so why should he not get it for all the murders he committed? He deserves nothing as far as leniency. He ought to be glad I’m not his judge because he’d never see the light of day again if I had my way. He’d be locked away so far he’d froget who he was. He deserves no leniency, and there are not enough words to describe how much I hate him.
Sara, I am applauding you! I so agree! This whole vile situation has sickened me from that start and it angers me that he will basically be getting what amounts to a ’slap on the wrist’ for the horrific crimes he and his cohorts committed. Sadly, for far too many, they were and are ‘just dogs,’ but like you, I would choose the companionship of my furbabies over most of the human beings I know any day!
This is yet another animal abuse case where justice will never be served! And one of the saddest things is that he is not even being punished for his cruelties to the dogs, only for ‘federal charges of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.’ The innocent and defenseless dogs that were beaten, abused, starved and killed are getting no justice at all, they are just a side note.
I agree too!
I’ve written letters to both his Judge, Judge Henry E. Hudson, address is :
Honorable Henry E. Hudson
United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia
600 East Main Street
Suite 1800
Richmond, Virginia 23219-2447
and also the State’s Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter, address is:
Gerald G. Poindexter
P. O. Box 358
Surry, Virginia 23883
I wrote these letters pleading with them not to give Vick any mercy. I would suggest that everyone who hates Vick do the same. The more letters they get in support of punishing Vick the more serious they may view his crimes, and punish him to the letter of the law. Lets get writing!