I criticize the American Kennel Club from time to time... ahem... but allow me to give credit where it's due. Via my colleague Cheryl Cooper at PetHobbyist.com, news of a letter (PDF) that went out from AKC chairman Ronald Menacker and president/CEO Dennis Sprung to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, with a copy to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation, carefully connecting the dots between animal abuse and that of children:
On behalf of the American Kennel Club, our 5,000 clubs nationwide, and the millions of responsible dog owners we represent, we are writing to ask you to withdraw Michael Vick as the Philadelphia Eagles’ recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.
We understand that his teammates selected Mr. Vick for this honor, but in doing so they are demonstrating a lack of understanding about the nature of both animal and child abuse, and are trivializing Mr. Vick’s heinous actions. Michael Vick horrified the world, and especially those of us who devote our lives to promoting the health and welfare of dogs, with his engagement in dog fighting. In addition to the bloody fighting contests, reports indicate that many dogs were electrocuted, drowned or hung for underperformance.
A man who has been convicted of these atrocities should not be held up as a role model of sportsmanship and courage. Further, Ed Block, the award’s namesake, dedicated his life to ending the vicious cycle of pain and despair suffered by children at the hands of their abusers. It is unconscionable that a man who tortured and abused helpless animals be honored by an organization dedicated to ending abuse.
Please take a stand against ALL forms of abuse by selecting another player to represent the Philadelphia Eagles at the 32nd Annual Ed Block Courage Awards.
No comment from me today, other than: Bravo, AKC.
Photo: One of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick's dogfighting operation, courtesy of Bad Rap.
Exactly Gina.
Posted by: schnauzer | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
excellent point, Gina.. in fact AKC has probably opened themselves up to a libel suit should Vick's handlers chose to focus further attention on this.
"these" atrocities clearly refer to the drowning etc in the preceding sentence. If they had just written "atrocities" it could have referred to the crimes for which he WAS convicted.
Posted by: EmilyS | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
As ususual, the real stuff is swept under the carpet with these people and it's business as usual...plus awards. When people are still joking about this situation on TV, the seriousness has not be realized by many - and giving him this award is a slap in the face of every person who walked on his property and found the carnage. He doesn't deserve that award!
Posted by: Jade Hawks | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
Thumb's up!
Posted by: Kathyb | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
I'm glad the AKC did this, and good on them. But would it be too much to ask that someone check the facts before sending the letter? Vick was not convicted of the atrocities his associates said he participated in with delight. He copped to lesser charges.
That distinction is important, to counter all those who say, "he did his time."
No, he did not. He got off easy, and is now making the big bucks again, mouthing the carefully crafted words of image-handlers hired to put a pretty new veneer on this rotted soul of depravity and cruelty.
Posted by: Gina Spadafori | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
I still don't get how his team mates selected this Vick anyway. They want to forgive and let live. Serve his time so no more crime. In my heart of hearts I do not believe Vick comprehends the atrocities he committed and evidently neither do his fellow football players.
But kudos to the AKC.
Posted by: sandrafx | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
Kudos to the AKC - and thanks for bringing it to wider attention.
Posted by: DianaG | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
And now Vick apparently has a ten-part tv series coming up. Ready, set, boycott.
Posted by: Susan Fox | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
Giving up sanity for ratings. In what universe is this okay? Never mind what he did or did not get convicted of--he was associated with animal abuse which has been linked as a precursor to child/human abuse--someone puh-lease get that on those higher levels.
He will be laughing all the way to the back.
Bleeccckkk!
Posted by: Ark Lady | 23 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
How'd that one get by the spam filter?
It is, in fact, the header text for this person's new "blog."
Posted by: H. Houlahan | 24 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
We have been fighting here in Baltimore to also get this award revoked. If this does not happen, we will be protesting the night of the dinner. Please sign up at the causes website on Facebook! This man is not courage material!
Posted by: Darlene Harris | 25 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
I was appalled to actually hear that someone had the nerve to vote Vick in for this award.
The man placed himself in a very infamous/notorious position and does not deserve a Courage Award!!!
Posted by: Sharon Devine | 25 January 2010 at 07:00 PM
I cross-posted this blurb and someone reported me for copyright infringement (see message received below)...I will be very disappointed and am hoping it wasent PetConnection who reported me as I believe the idea is to GET THE WORD out so cross-post may fall within the fair use act; Please advise if it was NOT you who would stoop so low as to complain about someone cross-posting your blurb FOR THE CAUSE
"...We have received a DMCA complaint for your blog, Animal-Kin-Folk-News. An e-mail with the details of the complaint was sent to you on Feb 4, 2010 , and we reset the post status to "Draft"; you can edit it here. You may republish the post with the offending content and/or link(s) removed. If you believe you have the rights to post this content, you can file a counter-claim with us. For more on our DMCA policy, please click here. Thank you for your prompt attention...."
Posted by: Chris Jubic | 04 February 2010 at 07:00 PM
First: "Stoop so low?" You STOLE from us, and you're complaining that someone popped you for it? Puh-lease.
Second: It wasn't us. I never even heard of your blog until you contacted us. Believe me, if we looked for people who routinely lift our work we'd never get any work done.
However, "cross-posting" is in fact against the law -- it's the stealing of another's work. There's no "for the cause" here, so don't hide behind that: "Fair use" guidelines allow you to spread the word legally.
The solution is simple: Review the "fair use" rules and follow them. We do on our blog.
It's not up to writers to request that you remove a post. That's like hiring a detective to figure out who stole your car so you can ask the thief to please give it back.
Quit stealing entire posts off other blogs and you won't have a problem. Keep stealing them, and you'll likely have more DMCA complaints.
Though, again, this complaint is not from us. We don't have the time to deal with content thieves.
Does make kinda me curious who DOES have the time. And considering how lawyered up Michael Vick is ... hmmmmm?
Posted by: Gina Spadafori | 04 February 2010 at 07:00 PM