Best Friends Animal Society Archives

R.I.P. Cherry, One of the Last Surviving Vicktory Dogs

Nearly 13 years ago, Cherry was one of the 51 Pit Bulls rescued from a life of horror at Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia.

Prior to 2007, most dogs rescued from fighting operations were euthanized. Even Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States at the time, said the rescued Vick dogs would never be suitable as pets and thus should all be destroyed.

But dog experts at animal welfare organizations including the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS), Richmond Animal League and BAD RAP knew better. They took in the Vick survivors, rehabilitated them and found them loving forever homes in which these “unadoptable” survivors thrived, earning them the name “Vicktory Dogs.” Many of them became beloved therapy dogs. One of the survivors, Jonny Justice, was awarded the prestigious ASPCA Dog of the Year award in 2014.

Cherry, just a puppy in 2007, was taken in by BFAS. “Cherry arrived at Best Friends looking like he wanted to stick his head in a hole and never come out,” according to Julie Castle, CEO of BFAS, in The Best Friends Blog. “The word ‘withdrawn’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. He was living in his own world, trapped in a nightmare replaying over and over inside his head.”

Thanks to the tender, loving care he received at BFAS, Cherry eventually came out of his shell. He turned out to be a big ol’ snugglebug, wanting to cuddle with people, other dogs — and even cats.

“It was so wonderful to see Cherry become the squooshy-faced lap dog he’d always wanted to be — wonderful because it happened for him and wonderful that he’d come so far from his sad past of abuse,” Castle wrote.

Cherry was adopted by Paul and Melissa Fiaccone. He enjoyed a long, loving life in his forever home. He became a Pit Bull ambassador, helping people realize that it’s possible for dogs to be rehabilitated after experiencing such horrible trauma.

Tragically, many of the dogs at Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels never got a second chance like Cherry and his fellow Vicktory Dogs. According to the federal indictment, Vick himself killed poorly performing dogs by hanging them or repeatedly slamming them to the ground. When three dogs survived being hanged, Vick helped hold their heads underwater until they drowned.

Vick went to prison for 18 months in 2007 and was then awarded the second chance he’d deprived of all those dogs he killed. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles and quickly resumed his NFL career. Most recently the NFL has given him the honor of being a “legends captain” for the 2020 Pro Bowl. Over 1.4 million people have signed online petitions urging the NFL to choose a more worthy “legend.”

If anyone deserves legend status, it’s Cherry and the Vicktory Dogs. Sadly, Cherry recently had a mass growing on his spleen and had become lethargic. According to his dog dad, Paul Fiaccone, “the message was clear from him. He was tired, he was ready. Melissa and I held his paws and hugged him tightly as he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He was extremely peaceful and we are honored to have been with him at his time of need.”

Paul wrote that during their years together, Cherry taught him a very important lesson: to live. “Life will always throw you curveballs, but live it and live it well,” he wrote. “Cherry gave life all he had and he wrung every ounce out of his time here. He just loved life and loved sharing his love with his family, friends and whomever he met.

“Today we mourn the loss of Cherry, but tomorrow we live. We live for Cherry.”

Photo: Best Friends Animal Society/YouTube

Losers Break into 2 Animal Shelters Just to Harm Dogs

SEPT. 17, 2015 UPDATE: Jason Johnson, the suspect in the Riverside County Animal Services shelter break-in, has been arrested.

Some pathetic excuses for human beings have broken into animal shelters in Tennessee and California over the past few days, apparently for the sole purpose of harming and killing dogs.

Intruder Starts a Dog Fight in Tennessee Shelter

Late Thursday night, one or more intruders broke into the Best Friends Sanctuary in Jamestown, Tenn. The loser(s) removed a Pit Bull named Sam from his locked cage and placed him in a cage with a Boxer named Bucky.

Then the intruder(s) encouraged the dogs to fight each other. It must have taken a lot of persuading for Sam. Shelter volunteer Chrissi Colquitt told WBIR Sam is “the sweetest dog you could imagine.”

When she and other shelter staff arrived for work Friday morning, they found Sam and Bucky bloody and covered with puncture wounds. Bucky had to be euthanized. It will take several weeks for Sam to recover from his injuries.

“It’s just sad to see that someone would be that evil and put two dogs to watch it for a show, you know, to put them through that,” Sharon Cravens, president of the shelter, told WBIR.

The Best Friends Sanctuary is a nonprofit run by volunteers. A crowdfunding page that was originally created to raise money for a fence upgrade is now asking for funds for surveillance cameras. As of early Sunday afternoon, about $600 of the $3,000 goal has been raised.

There is currently a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the loser(s) who did this. Anyone with information is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department at 931-879-5871.

3 Dogs Dead, 12 Missing after Southern California Shelter Break-In

“We found blood spatter everywhere,” John Welsh, spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services, told KTLA today, describing the horrific scene this morning at its shelter in Jurupa Valley, Calif.

Staff arrived around 6:30 a.m. to find seven dogs roaming free. Two dogs — a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier mix — were dead.

“Their deaths do not appear to be consistent with bite wounds — in other words, the bigger dogs causing the injuries to the dogs,” Welsh told KTLA.

“There were some blood markings that were about 3 feet off the ground. We don’t know exactly what caused that, but we don’t suspect that an animal jumped into the air and caused that blood splatter.”

Dr. Allan Drusys, Riverside County’s chief veterinarian, will perform necropsies on the two dogs to determine the cause of their deaths.

The Press Enterprise reports that one of the two victims had been brought to the shelter yesterday to be spayed. My heart goes out to that dog’s owner, who has been notified.

A German Shepherd that had been in the shelter was also found dead about a mile away. It had been hit by a car.

Fortunately, this shelter does have security cameras. Surveillance footage shows a man in dark clothing cutting through the locks on the cages. This creep broke into a total of 22 cages, leaving 15 of the locks stacked neatly in a pile.

Welsh told the Press Enterprise the incident was extremely upsetting for Riverside County Animal Services.

“We’re in the business of trying to save lives, we’re in the business of getting animals back to their rightful owners,” he said. “Our team was devastated.”

This afternoon it was announced that two non-profit organizations that work with the shelter — Animal Solutions Konnections (ASK) and Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (START) — are offering a $20,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to a conviction. To contribute to the reward amount, call ASK at 951-777-5341.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 951-776-1099, or to fill out the Crime Tips form on the department’s website.

Photos via Facebook; Facebook

R.I.P. Ray, Vick Dog Who Became Vicktory Dog

Ray, one of the 50 Pit Bulls rescued in 2007 from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia, crossed the Rainbow Bridge last night.

He had babesia, a debilitating blood parasite that is common in fighting dogs, who transmit it to each other through puncture wounds. After undergoing surgery yesterday to have his spleen removed, Ray suffered a blood clot.

“I never, ever felt as if Ray were just our dog,” wrote his grieving dog dad, Kevin Johnson, on the Ray the Vicktory Dog website today. “It was as if he felt he had a mission to meet and touch as many people as he could.

“When we would be having lunch on the deck, he would watch intently for people coming out to take a seat. He’d stand, his ears would fold back and his tail would start tentatively wagging side to side. His yearning expression pulled people in again and again. I am eternally grateful for all the people who set down their plates to come over and give him a pat and a kind word. Every time that happened, it confirmed his belief that he was special and that people needed to meet and love on him.”

Prior to 2007, most dogs rescued from fighting operations were euthanized. Even Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said back then that the rescued Vick dogs would never be suitable as pets, and should all be destroyed.

But dog experts at animal welfare organizations including the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) knew better. They took in the Vick survivors, rehabilitated them and found loving forever homes in which many of these “unadoptable” survivors thrived.

Kevin and his wife, Jacque, both worked at the BFAS Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. They had worked with other Vicktory dogs, but fell in love with Ray. After fostering him, they officially adopted him on Valentine’s Day last year.

“Ray’s a bit more challenging (than some of the other Vicktory dogs),” Kevin said in a February 2014 news story on the BFAS website. “He’s got a mischievous glint in his eye. I’ve always been drawn to dogs (like) that. He’s got spunk, and I really enjoy that.”

Since the town where the Johnsons lived imposed a breed ban, the couple packed up their pets and moved to a new home in dog-friendlier Fredonia, Ariz.

“The fact that they totally changed their living situation to adopt him was very admirable – it showed … their dedication to him,” said BFAS Adoption Manager Kristi Littrell in the news story.

“Ray Ray was one of the most reactive, bouncing-up-and-down boys when he first arrived,” wrote Angela Rovetto, the lead pet caregiver at Best Friends Animal Society, in a comment today on the Ray the Vicktory Dog Facebook page. “To read so eloquently that he could be in public laying down, see a dog and then look to a human for direction, with trust….absolute transformation due to love, patience and guidance.”

Another Vicktory dog, Jonny Justice, was awarded the prestigious ASPCA Dog of the Year award in 2014. Within the past year, Vicktory dogs Hector and Gracie have also crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

“Today I am finding it hard to even breathe,” Kevin wrote. “In the past few years I have lost both of my parents, three dogs and a macaw. And each death cut like a knife and brought waves of sorrow. But nothing like I am feeling now. No other pain has even come close.”

Photo via Facebook