[Vision2020] A little food for thought for our state legislators

[Carl Westberg]

Can we make it a felony in our state now?

By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com






Her name is Little Mama. She's, oh, about 1½ years old. Just the sweetest 
pit bull you could ever pet. And then somebody stuck the blade of a 4-inch 
hunting knife into her skull.

"The worst case of animal abuse I've ever seen," says Carl Leveridge, 
president of the Atlanta Humane Society.

That's where they brought Little Mama, to the 58,000-square-foot nonprofit 
shelter and clinic in northwest Atlanta. She was terrified and in pain, yet 
Leveridge said Little Mama allowed one of the staff veterinarians to lift 
her lip and inspect her teeth. Like I said, a sweetie.

Surgery was needed to remove the knife blade, which had been pushed nearly 2 
inches into her sinus cavity and lodged in bone. Miraculously, the stabbing 
missed her brain. And as of Thursday afternoon, the patient was in stable 
condition and showing signs of improvement.

"A half-hour ago I was over there petting her," said Leveridge, who has 
offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the creep 
who did this. "Her tail was wagging against the cage."

See, this is why prison is too good for people capable of this kind of 
cruelty. This is why Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, if he cops 
his own plea or is eventually found guilty of federal dogfighting conspiracy 
charges, should have to join the rest of his Bad Newz Kennels crew and do 
some hard time at the Atlanta Humane Society.

Just prison? Nuh-uh. Instead, doghouse during the day, then federal big 
house at night.

Maybe they'll make him work here a year. That would be good.

Carl Leveridge, president of the Atlanta Humane Society
"Do you think a judge might impose something like that?" asks Leveridge. 
"Maybe they'll make him work here a year. That would be good."

That would be justice. Or the beginnings of it.

Of course, if it were up to me, I'd also sentence all guilty parties of the 
Bad Newz group to work as Alaskan Husky No. 7 in next year's Iditarod. At 
the very least, I'd have them chase mechanical rabbits at Mile High 
Greyhound Park in Commerce City, Colo. Or have them fetch Joey Harrington's 
jockstrap -- post-practice -- with their teeth. And, sorry, no showers for 
the Bad Newz crew. Tongue baths only.

Yeah, I'm a dog person. I don't want to go all "Marley & Me" on you, but the 
night I brought my Cocker Spaniel puppy Elvis home, I slept next to him on 
the kitchen floor so he'd feel safe and wouldn't whimper so much. Twelve 
years later, I slept next to him on the living-room floor as his breathing 
became more shallow and his blood count worsened by the minute. He died 
later that day. But at least he didn't die alone.

We've got another pooch now -- a pain-in-the-butt, pig-in-a-dog-suit Cocker 
named Oskie. And even though he's been known to sneak on top of the 
Thanksgiving dinner table for a slice of just-carved turkey, I can't imagine 
a day without him.

So pit bull torture sessions? Drownings? Electrocutions? Hangings? 
Shootings? Rape stands? Fights to the death? There isn't an adjective in 
existence that describes my level of disgust, astonishment and sadness at 
the inhumanity of such acts.

Vick will get his day in court and, for his sake, I hope he's able to -- as 
he put it -- clear his "good name." But if there's a plea (and it appears 
such an option is being discussed), Vick and his accomplices deserve more 
than merely prison; they really should spend time working at the humane 
society.

Weird how this works out. Leveridge recently met with representatives of the 
Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Blank happens to be the owner of the 
Falcons and has contributed to the Atlanta Humane Society for years. He has 
two old Labradors that he adores.

"He's a true animal-welfare advocate," says Leveridge. "For this to happen 
to him, I feel so bad for him."

If I'm the federal judge in charge of sentencing, I make Vick and the others 
report to the AHS Monday through Sunday at 8 a.m. sharp. There are about 100 
cages that need to be cleaned twice each day. Sadly, there are few vacancies 
at the Humane Society.

Vick could walk dogs. He could help groom them. He could cut the grass and 
help maintain the grounds. He could stuff envelopes in the administrative 
offices. He could work with the on-site dog behavior expert. He could offer 
to work in the AHS wellness clinic, which provides free animal-health 
services for pets whose owners can't normally afford such care. He could 
attend the monthly support-group meeting, where animal owners who have lost 
their pets help each other through the hurt.

"It's a cliché term, but it is like losing a family member," says Leveridge. 
"If he went to some of these sessions, saw some of these people sobbing 
their eyes out ... and yet [Bad Newz allegedly] is killing them for sport."

Most of all, Vick could write a check. Something in the two commas, six-zero 
variety. It wouldn't bring back the dogs that were allegedly tortured and 
killed at Bad Newz, but it would save others.

The AHS has an annual operating budget of about $4.5 million. It cares for 
about 400 animals, including about 200 dogs. A Michael Vick Endowment Fund 
of, say, $5 million, would help bankroll the AHS for the next 20 years. Now 
that's a legacy.
The AHS has an annual operating budget of about $4.5 million. It cares for 
about 400 animals, including about 200 dogs. A Michael Vick Endowment Fund 
of, say, $5 million, would help bankroll the AHS for the next 20 years. Now 
that's a legacy.

"That would be the best way, giving money," says Leveridge. "People would 
say, 'He realized he did the wrong thing and he wants to help animals.'"

It beats what some of them are saying now. Angry Falcons fans have sent more 
than 100 Vick jerseys or T-shirts to the AHS, occasionally with a charity 
check attached. Just the other day a woman handed Leveridge a bag full of 
Vick T-shirts with his familiar No. 7 on them.

The jerseys and T-shirts don't go to waste, though. The nice ones are used 
as pillows for the animals. The others are used as rags to clean the 
kennels.

Including Little Mama's.

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can 
contact him at gene.wojciechowski at espn3.com.

_________________________________________________________________
Tease your brain--play Clink! Win cool prizes! 
http://club.live.com/clink.aspx?icid=clink_hotmailtextlink2