Vick Dogged by Angry Animal Lovers
There is more than one reason to boo the visiting QB
By LORI PREUITT
Updated 10:43 AM EDT, Mon, Oct 19, 2009
Oakland put out a very public unwelcome mat for Michael Vick during his trip to the Coliseum this weekend. Sunday's game was the first road trip for the Philadelphia Eagle's back-up quarterback since spending 18 months in prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring.
The visiting QB received a resounded boo from more than just football fans.
Animal rights activists seemed to come out of the woodwork to get their many points across. And they didn't need a ticket to the game to do it. They showed up in small but vocal numbers outside the stadium.
Once inside, a second advocacy group caused everyone to look up to see an airplane circling overhead with a banner reading, "Dog Fighter Go Home!" Vick missed the display having just returned to the locker room after his warm up.
Yet another animal rights group decided to see if Vick would like to visit some of his former dogs.
The group said they picked a location that would have allowed Vick to see the dogs from behind a window at a distance. They said their plan would have satisfied the conditions of his parole that bar him from being near animals.
According to a Bay Area pit bull advocacy group, Vick declined the invitation to see eight now rehabilitated animals.
And the hits keep coming. The group Concerned Dog Owners of California has organized an effort to help feed dogs, via a football favorite: the sack. Every time Vick gets sacked or tackled, the group will donate five bags of food to dog shelters in Oakland.
Vick served exactly 23 months, 60 days of them on home confinement, for bankrolling the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation at his Virginia home. Many say the time wasn't enough and the Eagles got a lot of flack for signing him to a deal that could be worth more than $5 million.
He's already promised to work with the Humane Society to help discourage kids from following his path of cruelty to animals but dog owners in California say that's not enough.
There a few Vick fans still out there. A man named Charles Wright is one of them. He seemed to catch plenty of flak for wearing an old-school Michael Vick Falcons jersey.
Wright told The Associated Press he didn't care. He said he is a longtime Vick fan and wanted to show his support.
First Published: Oct 18, 2009 5:39 PM EDT on NBC Bay Area
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