NEW YORK— The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) issued a statement from ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres prompted by suspended NFL star and convicted dogfighter Michael Vick’s release today from federal custody:
“I have spent over 35 years in animal welfare, and currently serve as President of an organization whose very mission it is to prevent animal cruelty. So I do not exaggerate when I say that my thoughts surrounding the future of Michael Vick test the very limits of my objectivity. I have dedicated my life to bringing an end to the very activities that Mr. Vick himself admitted to perpetrating—yet it is with the utmost level of objectivity that those of us in the animal welfare world must employ when discussing ‘What next?’ with Mr. Vick’s career in the NFL.
“Being as objective as possible, the facts are clear: Mr. Vick participated in a six-year pattern of illegal activity. His plea clearly stated that along with these activities, he savagely electrocuted and beat dogs to death after they lost their brutal fights. It is this barbarism that sets the crime apart. This was not a one-time transgression or crime of passion—this was a multi-year pattern of behavior that demonstrates a startling lack of moral character and judgment.
“Regardless, Mr. Vick most decidedly deserves to be employed. However, the question isn’t whether he deserves to earn a livelihood…. The question is whether Mr. Vick should be able to re-join the ranks of the elite athletes in the NFL. The NFL is not your average workplace—with stratospheric salaries, licensing agreements, corporate endorsements and tens of millions of adoring fans, the NFL represents, to many, the achievement of ‘The American Dream.’ These athletes are looked upon as our heroes… our role models... and with Mr. Vick in the enviable role of quarterback, they are viewed as leaders.
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