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Eliminating Misconceptions and Becoming Canine Good Citizens

January 31, 2008, 2:23PM MT

By Denise A LeBeau

How the other Michael Vick dogs are progressing.

How the other Michael Vick dogs are progressing.

By Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Staff

One would have to have been living in a cave to avoid the media frenzy regarding the pit bulls seized from Michael Vick in July 2007. While Best Friends Animal Society received 22 of the dogs, the remaining 25 have been taken in by other various organizations from around the nation.

At long last those shelters and rescues can now talk about the canines in their care. This is the first in a series of three articles about their stories and how they are changing America’s perception of former fighting dogs.

Recycled Love, Inc.:
Recycled Love received three of the former Vick dogs. “As in instances of people recovering from a traumatic and abusive environment,” Recycled Love Vice President, Karen Reese, says “It requires patience, love, understanding, and not moving too quickly.”

(Sweet Jasmine on her first day in her foster home. Photo provided courtesy of Catalina Stirling of Recycled Love.)

Paul De Santis, President of Recycled Love, wishes to keep the identity of one of the dogs anonymous. This particular dog had the advantage of being fostered for approximately six weeks at Animal Farm Foundation, prior to her transfer to Recycled Love. According to Bernice Clifford, Behavior and Training Manager of Animal Farm Foundation, she was originally so fearful, she would move by crawling around on her belly and had to be carried in and out of buildings. During her time there, she received a lot of positive reinforcement through clicker training, which helped her work through her fears, particularly of men. When she left the facility, she was leash trained and able to walk on her own.

Now that she is at Recycled Love, she is still scared, but “she’s learning to trust,” according to De Santis. She takes long walks with other dogs and instead of being fed meals; she receives her food throughout the day as continued positive reinforcement. She may begin her Canine Good Citizen courses as early as this weekend, if weather permits. “I believe she will progress very nicely,” says De Santis, who also states that there is a family who has already shown interest in adopting her.

(Sweet Jasmine has now overcome many of her fears. Photo provided courtesy of Catalina Stirling of Recycled Love.)

The other two dogs, Sweet Jasmine and Sweet Pea, were completely “shut down” when the organization received them from Washington Animal Rescue League. Foster mom, Catalina Stirling says that Jasmine had been so terrified; she had required a tent in her kennel for her to feel safe. In fact, when first brought to Stirling’s house, Jasmine had to be carried out to the back yard, because she could not be leashed. Now a routine has been established for the two girls, which has given them confidence. They are taken, along with her own dog, on long two-hour walks. These strolls have now become the highlight of Jasmine’s day and Stirling says “She really transforms when we go out there. The fact that we have found an outlet to release any extra energy helps her to work out her fears.”

Sweet Pea is a bit more social and she too enjoys the daily walks. To keep her occupied, she has been given a job, and now carries everyone’s water bottles in a backpack.

Little by little, Stirling has been exposing Sweet Jasmine and Sweet Pea to all aspects of society and they will soon be attending obedience school. She wants people to realize that these dogs are individual beings who were put into a bad situation, through no fault of their own. They are not monsters; anyone’s pet could have been forced into the same circumstance. Stirling notes, “They have proven that they have life in them and that they want to love. What ever happened to them in the past is over. They just like to move forward.”

She is amazed at the progress the girls have made in such a short time. For weeks, Jasmine would not make eye contact and just the other night she came upstairs and gave Stirling a big kiss on the face. Overjoyed with the breakthrough, she comments, “She could not have given me more.”

(Sweet Jasmine and Sweet Pea are enjoying their new lives. Photo provided courtesy of Catalina Stirling.)

Animal Rescue of Tidewater (A.R.T.):

“What is so inspirational to me is that these dogs had a chance, that the judge had the courage to appoint an advocate and direct that they be assessed individually,” states Debra Griggs, Founder of Animal Rescue of Tidewater (A.R.T.), a group that received one of the Vick dogs. “In my opinion, the future for all dogs confiscated for dog fighting operations is changed by that single act, and that shelters who had used the excuse for decades that because dogs came from dog fighting operations must be systematically killed, are now compelled to reassess that practice.”

(Sox is now learning how to be happy dog. Photo provided courtesy of Debra Griggs of A.R.T.)

Their group is no stranger to the canine causes. “We love all dogs, we do not focus on pit bulls, but we do focus on underserved animals. In our opinion, pit bulls are the most underserved and maligned.” Her stance is so strong, A.R.T. is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Loudoun County, for not complying with Virginia statute 3.1-796.93:1, which states “no canine or canine crossbreed shall be found to be a dangerous dog or vicious dog solely because it is a particular breed.” The municipal shelter has a policy against rehoming pit bulls or pit bull mixes, resulting in their deaths, unless reclaimed or transferred to another shelter or rescue. It is the hope of Griggs and A.R.T. to force a policy change, so in the future, pit bulls will receive the same opportunities for adoption as the other shelter animals.

Sox, the Vick dog who had been awarded to A.R.T., is being fostered by Nancy, who has chosen to remain anonymous. From the moment she arrived in December, Sox was cautious, yet confident; however, she did not care to be touched. A little over a month later, she plays in groups of up to 15 other dogs, both large and small, without displaying any kind of aggression. In fact, that is when she seems happiest. With the exception of her foster family, Sox seems to prefer the time spent with other canines to that of humans.

(Sox is looking good in her new sweater. Photo provided courtesy of Debra Griggs of A.R.T.)

Nancy says “Her personality is numb;” any touch will cause her to tense up. To try to get her acclimated to people, Sox spends time with each of the guardians who bring their dogs to obedience class. Sadly, Sox has yet to show any form of affection, other than a nose bump. Nancy hopes that once Sox realizes that people will not hurt her, she can relax and learn to love.

Signs of progress are now becoming apparent. Although her tail is not yet wagging, it has come out from between her legs. Like many people, she enjoys watching television, and is particularly interested in the horse scenes in the movie, The Last Samurai. Sox has begun to show excitement when Nancy returns to a room, and with some encouragement, she will even come to her lap to be rubbed.

For now, Sox is continuing her lessons. She is far more eager to please Nancy than motivated by food. She has learned her manners well and is now beginning her basic obedience. Nancy wants to take her for her Canine Good Citizen test in March, however, understands Sox’s progress may still be a while. “Whatever time it takes, it takes. We can’t rush this.”

Our Pack, Inc. (Pit Bull Advocates for Compassion and Kindness):

In only five weeks, Leo (formerly Bouncer), the only Vick dog signed over to Our Pack, already has a job as a therapy dog. His foster mom, Marthina McClay, President and Founder of Our Pack, knew immediately that was her goal. She states, “I feel pit bulls are the best breed for therapy work because of their human loving temperament.”

(Leo posing in his therapy dog scarf. Photo provided courtesy of Stephanie Lam of Our Pack.)

When he first came to her in December, she treated Leo the same as any other rescued pit bull. He did not understand proper behavior in a home environment and she compared his initial conduct to that of a toddler at a dinner party; not deliberately bad, but ignorant of the necessary social skills.

She started his development by speaking to him quietly, putting on soft music and low lights, and was able to calm him. Her next step was Leo’s introduction to her own dogs by “packing up,” walking them together side by side, in a non-confrontational manner. The more he progressed into a routine, the more relaxed and secure he became. He learned his basic commands very quickly and she could tell he was intelligent and loved training. She has been taking him to pit bull education classes, where he has excelled.

(Leo snuggles with his new canine friends. Photo provided courtesy of Stephanie Lam of Our Pack.)

Pleasing her was his motivation and he has learned all his lessons quickly. The team’s hard work was rewarded when Leo passed the tests necessary to become a registered therapy dog, which in addition to basic skills, exposed him to a variety of startling noises and distractions common to a medical facility. Now he takes weekly trips to an area hospital and brightens the days of everyone he visits. “He loves it. It’s like he was born for it,” says McClay. She even received an e-mail from one of the patients who said, “I will never look at pit bulls the same way again…ever.”

“One thing that this will teach all of us is that a puppy needs to have a good owner with good intentions,” comments McClay. “Their core temperaments speak for themselves. They’re resilient, they’re optimistic, and they bounce back.”

(Leo performs his duties as a therapy dog. Photo provided courtesy of Stephanie Lam of Our Pack.)

For more information:
• Stop Breed Specific Legislation Campaign
• Canine Good Citizen
• Association of Pet Dog Trainers
• Therapy Dog
• Clicker Training

How you can help:
• With all of the media attention these Michael Vick dogs have received, numerous people have expressed interest in adopting them. However, there are many other pit bulls, not famous but just as wonderful and deserving, who also need a family to love. If you are interested in providing a home for a bully breed, please adopt a homeless dog from a local rescue or shelter.

• Support the lifesaving efforts of the organizations who were given custody of the other Michael Vick dogs:

Recycled Love, Inc.
P.O. Box 6476
Baltimore, Maryland 21230

Animal Rescue of Tidewater (A.R.T.)
PO Box 11535
Norfolk, Virginia 23517

Our Pack, Inc. (Pit Bull Advocates for Compassion and Kindness)
708 Blossom Hill Rd. #128
Los Gatos, California 95032

• SPCA for Monterey County
• Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls (BAD RAP)
• Richmond Animal League
• Georgia SPCA

Lead photo shows Leo and Marthina McClay. Photo provided courtesy of Stephanie Lam of Our Pack.

Comments

Posted January 31, 2008, 6:50PM by Engled974

Their lives and stories are helping the cause against BSL. What a learning experience to share with others!

Posted February 01, 2008, 8:18PM by tammyddb

Wow, I am amazed and touched by the way they've come back. This is very eye-opening, even to people who've been in rescue for awhile!

Posted February 02, 2008, 7:17PM by pattycatty

Really enjoyed this Jennifer. It's heartwarming to hear the particulars of these wonderful but wounded dogs bouncing back.

Posted February 02, 2008, 10:2PM by Jacks

Great news about the Vicktory dogs. I wanted to let everyone know there is an article on MSNBC.COM about one of the Dogs sent to BAD RAP. It's a good story and good news on their end also. Absolutely wonderful what everyone is doing to help these beautiful animals. Thanks!!!

Posted February 03, 2008, 1:31PM by parkcityladydoc

Thanks to all of the shelters who are helping to rehabilitate these wonderful animals. The more awareness and education made to the public about the TRUE good nature of these amazing dogs, the less abuse will continue to occur. Thanks to all of you again.

Posted February 03, 2008, 6:54PM by bogiedew

All of these dogs are so beautiful. It is wonderful to know that they are doing better and that they are loved. I really enjoyed this article. Cant wait to read more about them.

Posted January 31, 2008, 4:50PM by jennifer

Jennifer - what a great article! It's nice to know how some of the other Vicktory dogs are doing. What gorgeous babies they all are!

Posted November 22, 2008, 7:18PM by thewarmnose

I am all for salvaging all dogs if possible, including pit bulls. However, what happened at "Recycled Love" in Baltimore is tragic. After ousting the founder of the organization, Sally Jennings, over a petty disagreement, Paul DeSantis moved the focus of the organization to the 3 Vick dogs from the hundreds of dogs in Baltimore shelters who needed homes. Interest and support for the organization have waned as the perception that only "the 3" dogs mattered. Instead of using the Vick dogs as ambassadors- celebrities such as Rachael Ray tried to highlight the organization but were rebuffed b/c of the dog's need for anonymity- huh?). I, like many others have shifted my donations to other organizations that we feel are more in line with the old philosophy of Recycled Love. The point of all this is, when saving high profile animals, organizations should not forget their mission nor loose their soul.

Posted February 02, 2008, 12:7AM by yvette

great article!! Thanks Jennifer!

Posted December 30, 2008, 6:46PM by stop_slandering

As someone who works closely with Recycled Love in Baltimore, I would like to respond to the vicious lies that are being posted about this group of hard-working individuals.

First: no one was "ousted" this is a lie and the person who is making these false allegations is guilty of slander.

The allegation that RL only cares about the Vick dogs is outrageous. They save animals locally nearly EVERY DAY.

Maybe this coward who is writing this should spend his/her time going out and saving some animals instead of spending his/her time sitting in front of a keyboard slandering a hard working group of volunteers who fight to save dogs and cats that are discarded.

Posted February 10, 2008, 3:55AM by joneeyu

thank you for the great updated stories.I so agree this breed is so resiliant and loving,no breed should be judge to be put to death just because of the breed.That is insane and RACIST.

Posted November 11, 2009, 8:18AM by CDrate

Wow, eye opening article!