Nfl Jersey Michael Vick

Just Dogs: Why We Should Rethink Forgiving Michael Vick

“What you do is a great thing, and I know it’s important to you, Lori, but you have to remember that they’re just dogs."

The words, spoken by a family member, stung.  We had just been discussing who would be “on duty” to care for my hospitalized mother that Sunday; despite having already put in numerous hours at the hospital that week, I had agreed that, if necessary, I would make an early departure from an event in which my nonprofit animal welfare organization was participating so that this family member could run a personal errand.  In the interest of maintaining familial harmony, I held my tongue and ignored this unprovoked verbal slap in the face, but as I hung up the telephone, a searing outrage boiled inside me.

“Just dogs”?

After brooding a bit, my rage cooled to a dull despair.  How many of my peers within the animal welfare community have faced a similar lack of understanding – even hostility – from friends, family, and the general public over their dedication?

All too often, we are dismissed as sentimental saps, a bit too enamored of fuzzy faces and soulful brown eyes.  At best, we are grudgingly indulged as a little quirky – a bit eccentric, perhaps, but harmless.  At worst, we are accused of having skewed priorities – why should we care about mere animals when there are human beings equally in peril?

After all, they’re just dogs.

“Just dogs”:  the new mantra of football fanatics everywhere since the Philadelphia Eagles’ signing of Michael Vick, convicted in 2007 of felony dogfighting charges.  “He’s done his time, now let’s get him on the field and WIN!” they cry.  “After all, there are guys in the NFL who have assaulted human beings and are still playing… Vick’s victims were just dogs.”

One could counter those remarks by pointing out that human beings in America are free to do what they wish, and can make the choice whether or not to engage in a brawl-sparking argument with professional football players outside a night club; domesticated animals, on the other hand, are subject to the will of those in whose care (or lack thereof) they must live.

The modern domesticated dog, canis lupus familiaris, is purely an invention of mankind.  To ancestors such as wolves, jackals, and other wild canids, man applied the process of selective breeding to capitalize on whatever genetic mutations suited his needs or fancy.  In so doing, he created an end result which, while nearly identical in genetic structure to the modern wolf, is quite different in psychological makeup.  The instincts of the wolf so necessary for his survival in the wild have been in some cases modified, in others suppressed or altogether eliminated.  For example, in the development of herding breeds such as the border collie, man exploited the natural predatory behavior of circling and chasing prey, but bred out the urge to make the kill.  In most terriers and some hunting breeds, the urge to kill was left intact, but the instinct to devour the kill was eliminated, enabling a farmer to keep track of his ratter’s progress or a hunter to reap the benefits of his dogs’ efforts.  In some cases, such as that of the stout, pug-nosed English bulldog, a breed originally developed to perform a specific function was later grossly manipulated for the sole objective of looking the way elite dog fanciers wanted it to look; the original working bulldog was actually very similar in appearance to today’s boxer and American pit bull terrier.  The result of all this genetic orchestration is a vast multitude of dog breeds which, though widely varied in structure and temperament, were all developed solely to suit the needs and aesthetic tastes of mankind.

The domestic dog is our creation.  He was rebuilt and retooled to suit man’s needs, and ingrained from the earliest days with a need to live, work, and cooperate with man; he therefore relies upon man for his subsistence and the future of his race.  Dogs are, in a sense, very much like human children: we are responsible for causing their existence, and they depend upon us for their food, shelter, medical care, and social and behavioral upbringing.  It is truly heinous to abuse this dedication and dependency for the purposes of one’s own entertainment and financial benefit by cruelly exploiting the tendencies our species developed in this creature.

Just dogs?  Perhaps, but if man plays God with nature, he has a responsibility to properly care for what he created.

There is a far more insidious factor, however, behind the outrage we advocates of the canine race feel over the Michael Vick case – one of which, due to old misconceptions which are still widely prevalent today, those less schooled in the science of animal psychology may not be aware.

At one time it was believed that dogs were merely “dumb animals,” driven primarily by instinct and sensory reaction.  Sure, they could learn a few tricks and commands, but complex thought and language comprehension were beyond them.  It was assumed that, like other biological organisms from insects to impalas, dogs’ behavior was simply the result of automatic responses to external stimuli.

Through the research and published observations of modern animal ethologists and behaviorists such as Patricia J. McConnell, Ph.D. (author, The Other End of the Leash) and Dr. Nicholas Dodman (author,The Dog Who Loved Too Much: Tales, Treatments, and the Psychology of Dogs), modern understanding of canine emotions and the expression thereof has been revolutionized.  Humans have gained a greater understanding of canine communication – accomplished much less through simple barks and growls, as originally thought, but far more through a rich and complex language of postures, movements, and facial expressions.  McConnell, in particular, has written a great deal on canine emotions and the various similarities between dog and human psychology.  Researchers have also discovered a great deal about how dogs learn and think… and the newly uncovered reality may surprise you.

Experiments conducted on Rico, a German border collie with an astounding vocabulary of 200 or more recognized words, have revealed that dogs do not merely learn human language by memorizing commands and names of objects, but that they are capable of learning by significantly more advanced thought processes such as deductive reasoning.  When presented with a roomful of toys whose names Rico had already learned, the dog retrieved each item correctly upon request.  A new toy which Rico had never seen was brought into the room and given an arbitrary name which he had never heard before.  When asked to retrieve the item, Rico paused a moment to look over all the objects, then retrieved the correct item.  Even with his owner out of the room and therefore unable to give any visual signals to direct him, Rico was able to consistently repeat this process.  Upon being asked to retrieve an object whose name was unfamiliar to him, Rico simply took a mental inventory of the available objects and correctly deduced that the only unfamiliar object present matched the new word.  After a few repetitions, the new name would be added to Rico’s vocabulary; he could recall the object associated with that name and retrieve it months later.  This rapid learning process, known to scientists as “fast mapping,” is similar to the method used by human toddlers learning to speak.

Just dogs?

My everyday observations of my own dogs have produced similar proof of complex thinking and language comprehension.  Every dog owner knows how certain words – “cookie,” “walk”, “ride” – can get his or her pet’s attention in an instant.  Most people attribute this to simple name recognition, similar to that exhibited in very young children, whose first spoken words are names and objects (“Mommy”, “Daddy,” “ball”).  In my household, however, beginning a sentence with “Do you want…?” always causes heads to pop up and ears to prick, even if the sentence is left incomplete.  Past occurrences have taught my dogs that these words are generally followed by something good – a snack, a trip outside, a ride in the car.  Therefore, they have applied this phrase to the expectation of a positive experience, and react accordingly.  They have learned to pay attention and anticipate whatever word will complete this question.  Rather than simply reacting to a word they have come to associate with a specific object or activity, they comprehend the abstract concept of something good possibly being offered to them.  Pretty advanced linguistic learning for a creature once dismissed as being driven by simple reactions to sensory stimuli.

In his ground-breaking work The Intelligence of Dogs, Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, discusses various forms of intelligence – adaptive, instinctive, linguistic, intra- and interpersonal , mathematical, and so forth – and illustrates how all are developed in and exhibited by the domestic dog.  To enable the average dog owner to observe and measure various learning and thinking processes in his or her pet, Coren developed a Canine IQ Test in which, through a series of simple exercises, one’s own family dog can present clear proof of observational learning, problem solving, social learning, and other thought processes once considered beyond the scope of the average canine brain.  In a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 117th Annual Convention, Coren stated that dogs have been proven to exhibit forms of learning once considered to belong exclusively to humans and some apes.  In fact, in comparison with human intelligence, Coren places the mental capabilities of the average dog at the level of a two- to two-and-a-half-year-old child.

Just dogs.  Are you now questioning the validity of that phrase?

This is why we animal lovers throw ourselves into our cause with such dedication.  It’s also why we cannot forgive Michael Vick.  The dogs he forced to fight bloody battles against each other, and the eight dogs he brutally killed when they failed to measure up, were not mere “dumb animals.”

They were not “just dogs.”

They were thinking, feeling beings, with emotions quite similar to our own.  They felt frustration and grief, fear and pain.  They even had their own individual personalities.  They were capable of problem-solving, basic logic, and – like our own children – learning from observation.  I shudder to think of what these creatures learned about humans in their last moments of life. 

Had Michael Vick drowned, hanged, electrocuted, and beaten to death eight human two-year-olds, would he deserve to be not only reinstated to the NFL, but handed a multimillion-dollar contract?  Would you glorify him as a sports hero and proudly wear jerseys emblazoned with his name and number?  Of course not.

But Vick’s victims weren’t children.  They were… well, you know.

SOURCES:

McConnell, Patricia B.  2002.  The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs.  New York:  Ballantine Books.

Coren, Stanley.  1994.  The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions.  New York: Bantam Books.  Chapters 2, 4 through 9.

Hamilton, Jon.  “Dog Prodigy Gives New Meaning to Language.”  NPR.com.   2004.  August 21, 2009.  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1952976

“Dogs’ Intelligence On Par With Two-Year-Old Human, Canine Researcher Says.”  ScienceDaily.com.  2009.  August 21, 2009.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025241.htm

About the Author

Lori Zimmer is the president and cofounder of Breed Anti-Defamation, Protection, and Rescue Society, Inc. (BAD PRESS). She resides in central Pennsylvania with three American pit bull terriers and one small parrot.

Michael Vick Autographed Jersey - Falcon Jsa coa $199.06 Michael Vick Autographed Jersey - Falcon Jsa coa Michael Vick played college football at Virginia Tech, where as a freshman he placed third in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He left after his sophomore year to enter the NFL and was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. He became the first African-American quarterback to be selected first overall in an NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Falcons, he gained wide popularity for his performance on the field, and led the Falcons to the playoffs twice. Vick ranks third among quarterbacks in career rushing yards. Michael Vick has hand autographed this White Atlanta Falcons Official Wilson Jersey. GTSM Hologram and Certificate of Authenticity. (close up of signature shown in picture)

Michael Vick Autographed Football $419 Michael Vick Autographed Football Official NFL Football autographed by Atlanta Falcons Quaterback Michael Vick

Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Women's Jersey $49.99 Expect heads to turn as you walk by in this Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Women's Jersey. Show off your fanhood while maintaining the beauty and grace of a lady. Features screen-printed name- number- team wordmarks- logos and sleeve stripes. Heavy-duty polyester mesh blend with nylon dazzle sleeves design combines toughness and style Reinforced v-neck with sewn-on NFL Equipment patch and jock tag Officially licensed by the NFL

Michael Vick White Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Youth Jersey $47.99 Every kid dreams of owning their favorite player's jersey! It is never too early to support the team- so let your kids in this Michael Vick White Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Youth Jersey. Because at that age- everyone has a shot at making the NFL. Features a smaller version of the adult replica with screen-printed name- number and team logos. Body constructed of heavy-duty- easy-to-wash polyester mesh blend no matter the stain or spill Reinforced v-neck with sewn-on NFL Equipment patch Officially licensed by the NFL

Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Infant Jersey $27.99 Baby's first words may be ''Go Eagles!'' in this comfy Michael Vick Replica NFL Jersey for infants from Reebok. Officially licensed one-piece features snap closures at crotch for easy dressing and diaper changes. Screen-printed numbers and player name Heavy-duty- easy-to-wash nylon mesh built to take tumbles Reinforced v-neck with NFL Equipment logo

Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Toddler Jersey $31.99 Ensure the kids are cheering "Go Eagles!" along with the adults with this Michael Vick Replica NFL Jersey for preschoolers from Reebok. An Officially licensed smaller version of the adult replica. Screen-printed numbers and player name Heavy-duty- easy-to-wash nylon mesh built to take tumbles Reinforced v-neck with NFL Equipment logo

Michael Vick Green Philadelphia Eagles Replica Jersey $79.95 Michael Vick Green Philadelphia Eagles Replica Jersey Reebok - the official onfield brand of the NFL - has made this jersey to look and feel like the real thing but at a price that'll make you stand up and cheer. Features include: screen printed with your favorite player�s name and number body constructed of heavy-duty polyester mesh blend rugged double-needle construction on gusseted side panels and the Reebok and NFL logo's. Officially licensed by the NFL.

Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - Authentic $334 Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - Authentic Atlanta Falcons Size 52 Red Authentic Reebok Jersey hand signed by Michael Vick. The jersey will include the Michael Vick Authentication Hologram, a 4 x 6 photo of Michael Vick Signing and the signature is authenticated by VIP Memorabilia and will include their Certificate of Authenticity and hologram on the jersey and COA.

Signed Michael Vick Jersey - Authentic $334 Signed Michael Vick Jersey - Authentic Atlanta Falcons Size 56 Black Authentic Reebok Jersey hand signed by Michael Vick. The jersey will include the Michael Vick Authentication Hologram, a 4 x 6 photo of Michael Vick Signing and the signature is authenticated by VIP Memorabilia and will include their Certificate of Authenticity and hologram on the jersey and COA.

Signed Michael Vick Uniform $387.86 Signed Michael Vick Uniform Michael Vick Autographed / Signed Philadelphia Eagles Jersey

Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - #7 + JSA COA $499 Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - #7 + JSA COA Official Atlanta Falcons Black Jersey autographed by Michael Vick

Michael Vick Jersey: Reebok Green Replica #7 Philadelphia Eagles Jersey $69.99 Every Eagles fan knows- if you want to prove yourself- you have to own your favorite player's jersey. Spend a few hours in this Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Jersey and your fanhood will never be questioned again. Designed to look and feel like the on-field product- the only thing separating you and Michael Vick is a muscle or two. Features screen-printed name- number- team wordmarks- logos and sleeve stripes. Body constructed of heavy-duty polyester mesh blend with nylon dazzle sleeves Reinforced v-neck with sewn-on NFL Equipment patch Extended split drop tail replicates Pro Cut jersey silhouette Reebok logo screen-printed on each sleeve Reebok-NFL Equipment jock tag on front lower left bottom Officially licensed by the NFL

Michael Vick Jersey: Reebok White Replica #7 Philadelphia Eagles Jersey $69.99 Every Eagles fan knows- if you want to prove yourself- you have to own your favorite player's jersey. Spend a few hours in this Michael Vick White Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Jersey and your fanhood will never be questioned again. Designed to look and feel like the on-field product- the only thing separating you and Michael Vick is a muscle or two. Features screen-printed name- number- team wordmarks- logos and sleeve stripes. Body constructed of heavy-duty polyester mesh blend with nylon dazzle sleeves Reinforced v-neck with sewn-on NFL Equipment patch Extended split drop tail replicates Pro Cut jersey silhouette Reebok logo screen-printed on each sleeve Reebok-NFL Equipment jock tag on front lower left bottom Officially licensed by the NFL

Michael Vick Autographed NFL Football $317.95 This football is a perfect gift for any Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons or NFL fan. A Certificate of Authenticity is included with this autographed football.To see a complete listing of display cases that we offer, click here.

Michael Vick Autographed Jersey Details: Atlanta Falcons, Red $125 Known not just as the NFL's most exciting quarterback- but the league's most exciting player- Michael Vick is redefining how football is played. Vick broke four NFL records in 2002- including most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback with 173 yards. He also run for more yards in his first two seasons (1-066) than any quarterback in NFL history. Top overall NFL draft choice in 2001 after attending college at Virginia Tech Vick is going to the THE force to be reckoned with in the NFL for years to come. This jersey comes with a certificate of authenticity and hologram from Mounted Memories. Michael Vick autographed Atlanta Falcons 2003 alternate red jersey. This is a game model Reebok jersey. This product is officially licensed by the National Football League and comes with an individually numbered; tamper evident hologram from Mounted Memories. To ensure authenticity- the hologram can be reviewed online. This process helps to ensure that the product purchased is authentic and eliminates any possibility of duplication or fraud.

Michael Vick Autographed Jersey - Nike Virginia Tech $250.5 Michael Vick Autographed Jersey - Nike Virginia Tech Michael Vick Autographed Nike Virginia Tech Jersey. This is an authentic style Nike jersey that was signed 9/9/05 in Duluth, GA and comes with certificate of authenticity, matching holograms and a picture of Michael from the signing. This jersey also comes with the Michael Vick hologram.

Michael Vick $101.96 Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a professional American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He previously played for the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons before serving 18 months in prison for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring. Vick played college football at Virginia Tech, where as a freshman he placed third in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He left after his sophomore year to enter the NFL, and was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Falcons, he gained wide popularity for his performance on the field, and led the Falcons to the playoffs twice. Vick is known for frequently running the ball, and ranks third among quarterbacks in career rushing yards.In April 2007, Vick was implicated in an extensive and unlawful interstate dog fighting ring that had operated over a period of five years. In August 2007, he pled guilty to federal felony charges, and was subsequently sent to prison for 23 months. With loss of his NFL salary and product endorsement deals, combined with previous financial mismanagement, Vick filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2008. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 160 Publication Date: 2010/07/28 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.37 inches

Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Replica Philadelphia Eagles Kids 4-7 Jersey $35.99 Ensure the kids are cheering ''Go Eagles!'' along with the adults with this Michael Vick Replica NFL Jersey for preschoolers from Reebok. An Officially licensed smaller version of the adult replica. Screen-printed numbers and player name Heavy-duty- easy-to-wash nylon mesh built to take tumbles Reinforced v-neck with NFL Equipment logo

Signed Michael Vick Eagles Jersey $299.99 Signed Michael Vick Eagles Jersey Signed Michael Vick Eagles Jersey. It's hard to find pieces like this since Michael Vick doesn't sign very often. This is a good investment for any memorabilia collectoin since items like this tend to increase in value. Compare Vick's numbers and you'll see why he's one of the best. Like every item we sell, this piece has been evaluated for quality by our dedicated staff. Unlike other online sports memorabilia retailers, all of our items have been certified authentic and come with a money back guarantee. Certified authentic with Sportsmemorabilia.com's numbered hologram. Wonderful signature quality.

Michael Vick Philadelphia Eagles Women's Breast Cancer Awareness Jersey $64.99 Rock some Philadelphia Eagles spirit with this flashy Michael Vick Philadelphia Eagles Women's Breast Cancer Awareness Jersey. From Reebok- this jersey will show that you are a die-hard fan! 100% nylon Screen printed team and player name Embroidered NFL Shield at middle of neckline The jersey has a splash of pink to commemorate a great cause Officially licensed

Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Premier Philadelphia Eagles Jersey $69.99 The nylon/polyester Philadelphia Eagles Premier jersey from Reebok delivers superb value by combining quality and details that approach those of an authentic jersey with affordability rivaling that of a replica jersey. Features raised applique numbers on front- back and shoulders that sport a traditional ''stitched'' look. Includes torso section made of cool- ''breathable'' poly mesh. Team logo silk screened on shoulders Team name silk screened on upper chest Embroidered upper center front NFL Shield Officially licensed by the NFL

Signed Michael Vick Jersey $382.5 Signed Michael Vick Jersey This item was hand signed by the athlete at a Private Autograph Signing and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from SportsMemorabilia.com. A tamper-evident hologram will be affixed to the item. Signed items are guaranteed to pass any third-party authentication with 100% Money Back Guarantee. Each signature is witnessed by a member of our staff or comes out of a private signing.

Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - GAI $299.99 Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - GAI Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - GAI. Each piece comes with a numbered hologram from Sportsmemorabilia.com. Michael Vick does not often schedule official signing sessions, making pieces of this quality scarce. an item like this will likely go up in value over time. Authenticity can be a problem in the sports memorabilia collecting industry, which is why we take pride in offering only 100% certified items. You have to love stats like that, and they explain why pieces like this are prized by collectors. Excellent signautre quality. Like every piece we sell, this is a high quality item at a great price.

Michael Vick Autographed Uniform - JSA $379.86 Michael Vick Autographed Uniform - JSA This is an authentic sewn Eagles jersey signed by Michael Vick. The tags are still attached to the jersey and all #'s and letters are sewn. Comes certified by JSA

Michael Vick Green Reebok NFL Premier Philadelphia Eagles Youth Jersey $59.99 We're excited to introduce a great new Philadelphia Eagles jersey -- never before offered in youth sizes. The nylon/polyester Premier delivers superb value by combining quality and details that approach those of an authentic jersey with affordability rivaling that of a replica jersey. Features raised applique numbers on front- back and shoulders that sport a traditional ''stitched'' look. Includes torso section made of cool- ''breathable'' poly mesh. Team logo silk screened on shoulders Team name silk screened on upper chest Embroidered upper center front NFL Shield Officially licensed by the NFL

Michael Vick Signed Uniform - Authentic $316.61 Michael Vick Signed Uniform - Authentic EAGLES MICHAEL VICK AUTHENTIC SIGNED JERSEY VICK HOLOEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Signed Michael Vick Jersey - JSA $299.99 Signed Michael Vick Jersey - JSA Signed Michael Vick Jersey - JSA. Certified quality signature. Pieces like this are great because he's got the stats to back up all the hype. This piece comes from a rare signing session. All items sold by Sportsmemorabilia.com are guaranteed authentic. Sports memorabilia tends to accrue value, making items like this a solid investment. Whether you have a big sports memorabilia collection, or you're just starting out, you can be sure this is a high quality piece. This eye-catching piece comes with our own hologram certification.

Michael Vick Signed Jersey - EQT Reebok JSA $372.74 Michael Vick Signed Jersey - EQT Reebok JSA MICHAEL VICK Autographed Eagles EQT Reebok Jersey JSAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Michael Vick Autographed Jersey - JSA Wit. $345.36 Michael Vick Autographed Jersey - JSA Wit. Michael Vick Eagles Autographed/Signed Jersey JSA Wit.Every signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - PSA DNA $345.36 Autographed Michael Vick Jersey - PSA DNA Michael Vick Eagles Autographed/Signed Jersey PSA/DNAEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 at 11:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.