I’m having a hard time feeling sorry for Michael Vick in his effort to find gainful employment with the NFL. (See Bob Padecky’s column, August 4, 2009)
Several professional football teams have declined to hire the former quarterback, who spent 20 months in prison for running a dog fighting ring.
Those last words, running a dog fighting ring, doesn’t even come close to describing the horrors this man allowed to happen to sensient beings for blood sport and entertainment. Vick had no trouble with dogs being hung, drowned, hosed, beaten and killed. This was not a simple leash pop correction. He murdered living breathing beings.
As someone who works in the humane shelter field, I witness cases of animal cruelty. Often times neglect of an animal is out of ignorance. But Vick was not ignorant. He knew exactly what he was doing. The abuse he allowed to happen was so horrid in its scope, it makes one wonder about Vick’s moral core.
Michael Vick can and should work. He is young and should not sit idle for the 60 years. He has time to learn something important.
The trouble is finding something suitable to fit Vick’s skill set and a company willing to deal with what potentially would be a public relations nightmare.
My friend Larry, who volunteers at a local shelter, suggests Vick volunteer as a Schutzhund training dummy. That’s protection dog training but Larry says Vick should not be able to wear the protective body armor. Okay, that’s somewhat kidding.
Is there any way for Vick to redeem himself? How? What could he do to get back in the good graces of those he has most disappointed?
When and if he ends up back playing football, here’s a thought about what he should do with his spare time; volunteer at an animal shelter cleaning up after animals, caring for them and giving them walks until they are adopted.
Vick needs to really look in the eyes of the animals and apologize.
