Motives for Michael Vick and HSUS Affiliation Revealed at Town Hall Meeting

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States explained in detail the motives for his organization’s new affiliation with Michael Vick – the man they helped put behind bars only a couple of years ago.

Arriving in a stretch limousine with three security guards at his side, Wayne Pacelle walked into a packed room in a suburban neighborhood of Las Vegas, NV. Pacelle was in town to speak to HSUS supporters and other local animal welfare and rescue groups as part of his cross country Town Hall Meeting Tour.

Pacelle had lots of material to cover, but in light of the news that Michael Vick had been hired by the Philadelphia Eagles, he spent quite a bit of time explaining the reasons behind HSUS’ new partnership with the convicted NFL player. I have to admit that I sat for the first few minutes of the speech as a skeptic, but after hearing Pacelle’s intentions; I became a believer.

Pacelle said that Vick contacted him about possibly working with HSUS while he was still in prison. Pacelle was reluctant to take that meeting. He stated that his first instinct was to say no and stay angry with the man that had been responsible for horrendous cruelty to animals.

But after some soul searching and discussions with his Board, the decision was made to meet with Vick and determine if he was sincere in his offer. You see, HSUS has been trying to infiltrate a new kind of dog fighting that’s run by young boys. It’s called “street fighting” and HSUS estimates that more than 100,000 pre-teen and teenage boys are involved in cities across the U.S. The practice brings Pit bull dogs to public streets where they are taunted into fighting to the death. It also increases violence and crime and desensitizes the boys about the suffering of the dogs. The organization hasn’t had much luck reaching these kids, but they thought Michael Vick could have a great impact.

So Wayne Pacelle met with Michael Vick. He said the first thing Vick did was to apologize, wholeheartedly, for his behavior and explained how he and some friends had been keeping fighting dogs at an abandoned house from the time he was 8-years-old. He explained that he wasn’t taught any other way to be with animals, but now he was sorry and wanted to be part of the solution.

Apparently HSUS wasn’t entirely convinced of Vick’s motives because they locked him into a plan that has him working with them for the next 3-4 years. They want to make sure this isn’t a publicity stunt.

Michael Vick made his first appearance for HSUS this week at a church in an at-risk neighborhood in Englewood, IL. This is a community where many kids are involved in street fighting. Pacelle said the church was full to capacity and the boys sat on the edge of their seats listening to every word of remorse Vick had to say.

The boys didn’t come to learn about dog fighting, they came because they wanted to see Michael Vick. HSUS is O.K. with that, because somewhere during the presentation the message got through to the kids. Pacelle believes the kids left the meeting with an understanding of what it is like to have empathy for an animal. He also believes Vick had the impact on the kids that he was hoping to achieve. Pacelle said a lot of the boys came over to Vick after the presentation and told him they would never hurt an animal again.

So day one of the new affiliation went well. Pacelle says HSUS will be using Vick in all sorts of areas. Only time will tell if they made a wise choice.

Photo: Meryl, one of Michael Vick’s former dogs.

Molly Wald- Best Friends Animal Society

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Joe R.

2:59PM PST on Feb 9, 2012

Keep this man away from all animals!

send a green star

Maurice M.

6:45PM PDT on Aug 20, 2011

Because Bette has no Honor I shall reply to her like this. I will make her losing conversation public then maybe she will not start a fight then run because you got mentally destroyed!!
Bette you actually made me laugh on that last note! Let's look at Darfur and Sudan and the Rwandan Genocide. Who made Black people hate each other? You can' hide from your history and why are you trying but I will keep giving you the truth so help me God! African Slavery was different from American Slavery and yes we built the Pyrimids like we built America! See here is the problem with Rwanda Unlike much of Africa, Rwanda and the Great Lakes region was not decided by the 1884 Berlin Conference. Rather the region was divided in an 1890 conference in Brussels. This gave Rwanda andBurundi to the German Empire as colonial spheres of interest in exchange for its renouncing all claims on Uganda. The poor maps referenced in these agreements left Belgium with a claim on the western half of the country; after several border skirmishes the final borders of the colony were not established until 1900. These borders contained the kingdom of Rwanda as well as a group of smaller kingdoms on the shore of Lake Victoria.

The British allowed Darfur a measure of autonomy until formal annexation in 1916. However, the region remained underdeveloped through the period of colonization and into independence in 1956.

In 1896, a Belgian expedition claimed portions of southern Sudan that became known as the Lad

8:44AM PDT on Aug 19, 2011

It seems to me that white people care more about animals than people. In New Orleans they put dogs on air condition airplanes and let black people float dead in the water! I don't understand your thinking on this you can mistreat people but not dogs. I know white people say " a dog is there best friend" but dam come on white people get off of it! Brother Vick did his outrageous time that he should have never gotten in the first place! To be honest all original people should hate white people for your history of doing evil to all people, hell you even do evil to yourselves! Look here white people let's be honest here you all have done and are doing the same dam thing to Black People: Electrocuting us with the taser gun, beating us hell 2white teenagers went and beat and ran over a Black man in Miss, shooting the the police shoot us while we are handcuffed laying on the ground on our stomach and they shoot us in the head! You all do that to us because according to you we don't meet the standard of being Human!!! So what should our behavior be toward white people? Can we say kill them all and let God sort them out! or can we say we will never forget what you have done to us? or can we say karma what goes around will come around? Or can we say let live and drive on ? The choice is yours because how ever you handle him I think we should handle you the same dam way! The Chickens do come home to roost!

Sunshine N.

7:37AM PDT on Aug 19, 2011

What a horrible decision! And it seems it was all just a publicity stunt!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/08/michael-vick-nfl-eagles.html

I guess he is still tied in to working with HSUS? How does that work? He's saying his incarceration was 'a waste of time' whilst still preaching it's wrong to hurt animals?

He shouldn't be able to play football - ever again!

Lisa N.

11:54AM PDT on May 6, 2011

No one was more outraged & disgusted with the actions of Michael Vick than Wayne Pacelle. He knew that engaing Vick in the efforts to create awareness on the cruelties of dog-fighting would ultimately benefit the animals. These inner city kids are way more likely to listen to Vick who is one of them & to steer them away from this. It just shows me how much integrity Wayne Pacelle has in putting the dogs well being first!!!

Rebecca B.

8:48PM PDT on Mar 19, 2011

Vick is a lowlife and scum. Anyone who could help beat a dog to death with his bare hands (see The Lost Dogs) is lying if they say they didn't know better. It's obvious his moves here are just a PR job. That said, if him speaking to children about why dogfighting is bad stops at least a few of them from doing it, who otherwise would have, then that is a positive thing. I have heard both sides of the argument, that dogfighting has gone up because he wasn't really punished and boys still admire him, and that dogfighting hasn't increased but awareness of it has, hence increased reports of it, because boys still admire him. I don't think you can change the fact that there will still be people who look up to him, but wielding his influence to benefit animals doesn't seem wrong. It's just important to not forget that he is the monster he is.

SANDRA N.

9:34PM PDT on Mar 30, 2010

I am so sick of hearing how he has been involved in dog fighting since he was 8 and didn't know any different. That doesn't cut it! In his entire life he was never around any human that didn't treat animals like a piece of garbage? If he can reach any teen and have them positively change their behavior great. Vick is still a monster. Sure don't see him parting with any of his money to help.

Jean L.

8:44PM PDT on Mar 30, 2010

For what he did, he should not EVER be premitted near any animals

ian L.

1:15PM PDT on Sep 5, 2009

I think Micheal Vick Should have to pay an annual donation of at least 1/4 of his annual salary to HSUS for the rest of his career. The impact he had on those dogs lives is horrible and permanent, even rehabilitated I'm sure they remember! I'm just happy that most of the dogs were rehabilitated! One fact that most people seem to understand, if you give a pit bull lots of love and treat them well they give you the same in return and make some of the sweetest and loving dogs I've ever met. I myself own a pit bull mix breed dog and I think it's time to rename their breed to eliminate the word (Pit) as it suggests pit fighting and gives them a bad reputation. I also think we need federal regulations with stiffer penalty's and mandatory jail time for dog fighting.

Tracy S.

7:44AM PDT on Aug 31, 2009

As someone who has worked in the non-profit human services field for many years, spending carefully and conserving donor and grant money, I have a question. Why in the world is the head of a 501 (c) 3 being driven in a stretch limo with three bodyguards!!?? That kind of waste of money makes me furious!

Michael Vick could help out a lot by informing on the network of dogfighters that he belonged to. His "help" will need constant monitoring. Nobody changes their basic character after a few months in jail.