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Michael Vick Would Like To Own A Dog Again

Oh, this one should get people talking. Michael Vick’s comeback from imprisonment for dog fighting remains one of the stories of the year in the NFL, but he still has a long road ahead of him in his personal – and image – rehabilitation, and he knows it. To that end, he’d like to get another dog. Cue firestorm.

Vick’s reasoning behind wanting another dog is simple:

“I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love and my passion for animals; I think it would be outstanding. If I ever have the opportunity again I will never take it for granted. I miss having a dog right now. I wish I could. My daughters miss having one, and that’s the hardest thing: telling them that we can’t have one because of my actions.”

Of course, unease at the prospect of him having another dog is understandable. His prison sentence is still fresh in the minds of most, and thus far he hasn’t had a shot to prove much besides that he’s an improved player on the field, and that he can say the right things off of it.

On the other hand – if the guy wants a dog, can anyone really deny him that? After all that transpired, it’s pretty unthinkable that he would actually harm another animal. Selfish reasons alone would be enough incentive never to harm an animal again – would he honestly risk throwing away his renewed football career in the slightest? – to say nothing of the personality changes one would like to assume he’s undergone, having had time to reflect on what he did.

Also, Vick is right when he argues that being a responsible dog owner will be a positive development – and not just for him. (Indeed, if there’s anything we were uneasy about in what he said, it’s how focused he seemed to be on how owning a dog would benefit him personally.) It would, potentially, be a positive step for the treatment of dogs in general.

To see one guy bounce back from horribly mistreating animals to not only reclaim his former glory on the gridiron, but to also see his football resurgence went hand-in-hand with becoming a better, more caring person…well, that would be a pretty effective way to promote humane treatment of animals.

Vick is right that having a dog would be good for him, too – because, as he seems to see, no matter how much he says he’s changed, it’s all talk until he really proves he can care for a dog. We said before he hasn’t had the chance fully prove with his actions that he’s a changed man – sooner or later, he has to get that shot.

There will always be unrest on the topic of Michael Vick and dogs – he earned that with his actions, and nothing can totally erase them. But he’s making the most of his second chance in life thus far – enough so that he’s also earning another shot in the area he really screwed up to begin with.

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