Humane Society Call for Action
Can you believe that it has already been two months since the blood-stained gambling operation was found in NFL Atlanta Falcon’s player Mike Vick’s Virginia home?
I
‘ve previously talked about the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal: first about the initial situation and cruel “sport” in general on July 19, and then a follow-up on July 24 about the NFL’s initial reaction and Vick’s defense statement.
But I have purposefully been staying away from the topic since, even disregarding announcing when he pled guilty, lost his job, and tested positive for marijuana. I figured this is this kind of story that is coming at you from all directions - especially if you subscribe to as many (or even half as many) veg*n and animal rights e-newsletters as I do. (But, if you do want to catch up, check out ESPN’s timeline).
However, you may have noticed that I love offering things for you to act on. So here, my virtual friends and family, is what the Humane Society found after the case broke:
The Humane Society of the United States analyzed all 50 state dogfighting laws. What we found was shocking.
Had Vick’s crimes been committed in the state of Idaho, he could have faced only a misdemeanor penalty with a minimum $100 fine and a maximum six-month jail sentence. And in Georgia, where Vick quarterbacked for the Atlanta Falcons, he’d be allowed to possess dogs for fighting and could even attend a dogfight — and law enforcement could do absolutely nothing about it.
So how can you act now? First of all, y
ou can always look up your local laws and write to local legislatures, letting them know how you feel. Also, the Humane Society is asking that you sign their pledge to support stronger laws. If you do so, they will send you e-mail notices when they make advances on this campaign, including the creation of petitions that you can sign electronically.
Get to it! It hardly takes the lifting of a finger!



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