Tag: dog fighting

RIP Frodo, Last Surviving ‘Vicktory Dog’

Back in 2007, a shy young Pit Bull named Frodo was one of 48 “Vicktory Dogs” seized from the horribly cruel dogfighting operation run by NFL player Michael Vick.

Fourteen years later, Frodo has become the last Vicktory Dog to cross the Rainbow Bridge.

“Sweet Frodo – How we loved him. He was one of the bravest survivors we’ve ever met,” BAD RAP wrote today on its Facebook page. “[W]e estimate that he would’ve been 15 years old — and THIS is the important part — the last 14 years of his life were spent being pampered like a prince with the Ramirez family and dogs.”

Frodo “was once so timid that he couldn’t look his caretakers in the eye, much less take treats out of their hands,” according to his BAD RAP bio, “but he has since blossomed into a cheerful dog who prods his favorite humans for attention.”

Those favorite humans are Kim and Toby Ramirez, who adopted Frodo from BAD RAP. To help soothe Frodo at night, Kim would turn on a fan or a music channel on TV. “I’ve had to somewhat rearrange my life in a way for Frodo,” she once said. “And he’s worth it.”

It was thanks to the efforts of BAD RAP and a few other animal welfare organizations that the lives of Frodo and the other dogs were spared. 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. PETA agreed.

But BAD RAP along with the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) and Richmond Animal League 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 became beloved therapy dogs.

One of the survivors, Jonny Justice, was awarded the prestigious ASPCA Dog of the Year award in 2014. Sadly, Jonny Justice died last week, according to BAD RAP, just two days before Frodo.

As for Vick — who, according to a federal indictment, killed poorly performing dogs by hanging them, repeatedly slamming them to the ground or holding their heads underwater until they drowned — he went to prison for 18 months but was then awarded the second chance he’d deprived of all those dogs he killed. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles and immediately resumed his NFL career.

As recently as last year, the NFL awarded Vick the honor of being a “legends captain” for the 2020 Pro Bowl. Over 1.4 million people signed online petitions urging the NFL to choose someone actually worthy of that title.

If anyone deserves legend status, it’s Frodo and those amazing Vicktory Dogs. May they all rest in peace.

Want to help BAD RAP save the lives of more dogs? Make an online donation.

Photo: CBS/YouTube

Pit Bull Rescued from Dogfighting Ring Becomes K-9 Officer

It’s very sad that the four-legged survivors of dogfighting operations used to be given an automatic death sentence. Fortunately, the Pit Bulls who survived one of the most notorious of these operations, Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels, proved that these dogs could be rehabilitated and placed into loving forever homes.

Many of these “Vicktory Dogs” went on to become therapy dogs and loving pets —  even though former Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle, as well as PETA, wanted these dogs to be euthanized.

Fast forward 13 years, and some of the 31 dogs rescued from a dogfighting ring in Canada are also proving that these survivors can become heroes. In January, a survivor named Hansel became New Jersey’s first Pit Bull arson officer.

This month, another Pit Bull rescued from that same ring has become a K-9 deputy for the Craven County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.

K-9 Nibbles graduated from the Police Canine School on April 12, earning a certificate in narcotics detection and basic obedience. He will work alongside his partner, Deputy Willis McCaw, to “fight against drugs being trafficked and sold in Craven County,” according to a Facebook post by the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.

“This dog comes to us at no cost to the [Craven County] taxpayer and is going to help us immensely in our fight in curtailing the illicit flow of drugs that have been coming into our county on a daily basis,” Sheriff Chip Hughes said at a press conference.

Like Hansel, Nibbles was rescued by the Throw Away Dogs Project, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that trains rescued dogs to become K9 officers and service dogs.

According to news reports, Nibbles, Hansel and at least two other dogs rescued from the Canada dogfighting operation are now serving in law enforcement. Others have become certified service dogs.

You can make a donation to help the Throw Away Dog Project rescue more dogs via its website.

Photo: Craven County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

Dogfighting Survivor Becomes New Jersey’s First Pit Bull Arson Officer

Unlike his namesake, Hansel’s early life was no fairy tale. In 2015, when he was only 7 weeks old, the Pit Bull was rescued from a dogfighting operation in Canada.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Throw Away Dogs Project, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that trains rescued dogs to become K9 officers and service dogs, young Hansel is about to become the first-ever Pit Bull arson-detection officer in the state of New Jersey.

“He exhibited all the qualities that a regular working dog, police K9 dog has,” Carol Skaziak, the founder of Throw Away Dogs, told News 12.

Hansel will start his new job at the Millville Fire Department on Jan. 19 alongside his partner, firefighter Tyler Van Leer. The two spent 15 weeks in training at the  New Jersey Police K9 Association’s academy. They did about 12 practice searches every day.

Arson dogs, also known as accelerant detection canines (ADCs), are trained to sniff out tiny traces of gasoline, lighter fluid, and other accelerants that may have been used to intentionally start a fire. “Canine teams have proven to be the most effective tool that fire investigators can use to locate accelerants,” according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

“In the instance where the scene is safe, I’ll determine where the point of origin is and then I’ll dig out that area, and then Hansel will come in and sniff out the area that I’ve dug out,” Van Leer told News 12. “If he sits, then I’ll take evidence. If he doesn’t sit, then it most likely was not an intentionally set fire.”

Van Leer said Hansel is super excited about his new job. “When I put on his harness and I tell him, ‘Do you want to go to work?’ he literally does laps in his crate,” he told News 12.

“Hansel has been through hell and back, and absolutely needed to find his niche, his person — and Fireman Van Leer is that person and his job,” Skaziak told News 12. “Now he’s going to have a purpose.”

Not only that, but Hansel will also be an ambassador for his often misunderstood breed. His work will “really help change the minds of a lot of people” regarding Pit Bulls, New Jersey Police K9 Association President Kenneth Sacavitch told News 12.

To make a donation to help other rescued dogs “have a purpose,” visit the Throw Away Dogs Project website.

Photo: CBS Philly/YouTube

Sir Patrick Stewart Wants You to Get Tough on National Dog Fighting Awareness Day

Even though it’s illegal in every U.S. state, thousands of dogs are injured or killed each year in cruel dog-fighting operations. To promote National Dog Fighting Awareness Day (NDFAD) on April 8, the ASPCA launched the “Get Tough” campaign in 2015, asking animal lovers to advocate for stronger laws and harsher sentences for creeps who fight dogs.

This year, actor, Pit Bull advocate and all-around cool guy Sir Patrick Stewart and Ginger, the pibble he’s fostering, have joined the campaign.

“The want to please is an absolute characteristic of pit bulls,” Stewart, who believed the negative stereotypes about these dogs until he met Ginger, told PEOPLE. “It means that these dogs can be used trained and tampered with in a way that, in order to please their masters, makes them angry and violent, and makes them become fighting dogs.”

To join Stewart in bringing attention to the critical issue of dog fighting, you can share a muscle-flexing selfie either alone or with your pets on social media. Use the hashtag #GetTough and tag @ASPCA.

Along with the selfie, you can participate in the Get Tough campaign by doing the following:

  1. Sign the ASPCA’s pledge promising you’ll get tough on dog fighting by being aware of and reporting these operations, and supporting tougher penalties. As of the morning of NDFAD, over 19,200 people have signed the pledge.
  2. Find out more about how the ASPCA is working to end dog fighting.
  3. Make a donation to help the ASPCA with this cause.

“I am very happy to be part of the campaign that is speaking out against this and the urgent need for the law and organizations to intervene whenever they can,” Stewart told PEOPLE.

R.I.P. ‘Vicktory Dog’ Little Red

Just six days shy of National Dog Fighting Awareness Day, Little Red, one of over 50 dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s dog-fighting operation in 2007, crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Her loving dog mom, Susan, hopes Little’s legacy will be raising awareness of animal cruelty.

“We hope you will remember Little’s life,” she wrote, “and keep alive the fight to save animals who have been abused, abandoned and who have suffered, no matter what the circumstances.”

Photo credit: Laura Goldman (that’s Ella and Leroy, who gets very sad at the thought of dog fighting)

No Jail Time for Loser Who Used Cabela for Fighting Purposes

Earlier this year, Kenny Bell of Tampa, Fla., bought a Pit Bull mix, later named Cabela, to participate in dog fights at his house. But when Cabela proved to be a lover, not a fighter, Bell ordered Natwan Callaway and Bobby Hollinger, both 17, to get rid of her. Callaway shot Cabela three times and tied her to railroad tracks.

In court today, Bell pleaded guilty to possessing a dog for dog-fighting purposes. He barely got a slap on the wrist from the judge.

In a deal reached with the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office, Bell was sentenced to 48 months probation (for which he’s eligible for release in just two years), 150 hours of community service and ordered to pay up to $1,000 in restitution to Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Services (TBVES), ABC Action News reports. He cannot own an animal — but only while he’s on probation..

“For the record, I just want to state that I’m sorry about what happened to the dog Cabela,” Bell told the judge. “I never planned for that to happen. I never thought nothing like that would happen to the dog.”

Bell’s attorney told ABC Action News that his client has been getting lots of hate mail in jail and has been “wrongly characterized.” In other words, shame on the media for its negative portrayal of someone who makes a living fighting dogs to the death!

Bell was the first of four defendants to go to trial in Cabela’s case. Callaway, who confessed to shooting her, will be tried as an adult in August. He’s facing felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and armed trespassing, and misdemeanor charges of abandonment of an animal and being a minor in possession of a firearm. The 17-year-old has a rap sheet going back three years that includes robbery, burglary and grand theft, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

“Enjoy your time in a cage, where you will still be treated better than you ever treated her and the other dogs,” wrote TBVES on its Facebook page in March. “She is sure the other inmates will be impressed with your high level of sophistication and the cruelty of your actions! Have a great life, she certainly is on to better things!”

That’s for sure. Ever since Cabela was rescued by Tampa police officers Nick Wilson and Sgt. R. Mills as a train was approaching, the sweet Pit Bull mix has made a remarkable recovery.

TBVES announced on its Facebook page today that although adoption offers have poured in from as far away as Sweden, Cabela has been officially adopted by one of the volunteers who worked with her. She will serve as an ambassador for the clinic that helped save her life.

Photos via Facebook

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