2008.10.24
Raise a glass to Vicktory
Best Friends Animal Society and Dog Lovers Wine Club are promoting the Vicktory Dog wine collection, a celebration of the resilient spirit of the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick's dog-fighting operation.
The faces of pooches that survived Vick's house of horrors and have since found a safe haven at the Utah animal sanctuary will grace the labels of wine bottles sold by the club. Ten percent of the sales will benefit community programs to end dog fighting and lobby against breed specific legislation.
I may have found the perfect gift for the wine lovers on my holiday shopping list.
If you are a fan of "Dogtown" on the National Geographic channel, you have already met Cherry, Georgia, Denzel, Meryl and 17 other pit bulls taken from Bad Newz Kennels, the dog fighting operation Vick was funding in here in Virginia. Many of the 50 dogs were re-homed through pit bull rescues across the country; the most damaged of the dogs were sent to Best Friends, the nation's largest no-kill shelter.
After rehabilitation, most of the Vick dogs could be eligible for adoption. One of the most traumatized and aggresive dogs, Meryl, has been ordered by a Virginia judge to spend the rest of her life at Dogtown.
Vick is currently serving a 23-month sentence in federal prison for his part in the operation. Earlier this week he pleaded guilty to state charges related to the case.
The portraits for the labels were painted by artist Cyrus Mejia as part of his project Pits and Perceptions, a collection of paintings of the breed.
"The idea behind this project is to have people confront their fears and perceptions on these dogs," Mejia is quoted in the news release from Best Friends. "...This is my way of artistically trying to change the way people have come to think about pit bulls."
Dog Lovers Wine Club contacted Best Friends about doing the tribute to the pooches, known collectively as the Vicktory Dogs. DLWC is a California-based wine club where members receive monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly shipments of wine with dog illustrations on the labels.
The club donates 10 percent of the profits to Bark Partners, animal welfare organizations like the Humane Society of the United States, the SPCA, or Best Friends. Members can choose which of the BarkPartners get their share of the cash generated from their wine purchases.
Click hereto see the DLWC Vicktory Dogs collection.
This comment is for my hubby, who reads this blog: I already ordered a bottle. Love ya!
Comment by nonanelson — October 24, 2008 @ 9:51 am
You beat me to the comment....
Just one. I got off cheap this time!
Comment by Phil — October 24, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Sorry, don't trust that trash breed of dog. They just seem to go nuts too often, injuring children, old people and even their own owners. And why some people seem to love walking them in crowded places? A ticking time bomb.
Comment by Art Targus — October 26, 2008 @ 12:56 am
Hey Art, maybe if you used your time to get to know the breed rather than beleive all you read you would see a breed that is very loving and loyal, and no not all Pit's are ticking timebombs, if you look closely you will most always find that the dogs have been provoked (children teasing). I walk my Pit and i don't worry about him at all, it's all in how they are raised and treated.
Comment by Mike — October 27, 2008 @ 11:24 am
Well Art, that is one way of thinking. Not a bright thought, but a thougt. It is unsubstantiated propaganda like this that causes people to want to outlaw an entire breed of dog. I happen to be the owner of a pure breed American Staffordshire terrier, aka Pitbull, that was rescued from the local SPCA. Here is a perfect example of how the dog is raised is how the dog will react to other people and dogs. This dog was fostered by a wonderful person before coming to live in our pack. The foster home had two Rottweilers (oh, but I would guess this breed is second in line on your trash breed list). Our home pack consists of our new adopted pit and two rescued greyhounds. Our pit has never shown an agressive bit of temperment do any human or other dog.
Now if you would like to reply with acutal facts then I am very welling to listen, but my guess is you will not do that. My guess is you have some sort of alert that brought you to this original post so you can make these hateful statements. If so, please stay in your little closed minded world and leave us alone.
Comment by Phil — October 27, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
Trash Breed of dog?
Hmm
K9 Detection dogs
http://www.lawdogsusa.org/lawdogs.html
SAR dogs
http://www.forpitssake.org/sar.html
Therapy Dogs
http://www.ourpack.org/leo.html
National Champions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQYC5Zte1Rg
Titled dogs-ATTS,TDI,CGC
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/hall_of_fame.cfm
Flyball,Agility,SAR Dogs etc
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/DogSurvey.htm
Beloved family pets around the World
http://server.inalbum.com/show/jodipreis/Message_to_the_Media2.html?296033009
Yeah I guess you`re "right" Art
Pure "trash" and look at those all "trashy" owners especially those guys in uniform on the LawDogs site.
Oh Art if you`re interested in educating yourself on the subject
National Canine Research Council
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/default.asp
Animal Farm Foundation
http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/section.php?id=5
Pit Bull Placebo
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0972191410/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Are dogs a danger in your State Art?
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/VirginiaStats.asp
Doesn`t look like it,does it?
Have a great day Art
I think somebody needs a sloppy Bully kiss.
Sounds like somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed.
Can you do this Art?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1FDlE8ChH0&feature=channel
Don`t tell Newman he`s "trashy",he might just lick you to death
Comment by Ian — October 27, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Hee, Hee. Good answer Ian. Art, uneducated and closed minded people like you are the reason this breed is hated. Did you ever stop to really think of why Pit Bulls get such bad press? I mean, think further than thinking they are simply a trash breed...
Think back to when dogs were more than just companion animals, they actually served a purpose. Every breed has been developed because of what purpose they served. Depending on what their job was determined that predispositions and abilities that they have now. I have a Newfoundland and she doesn't think twice about swimming out in a lake and pulling boat or splashing swimmer to the shore. It's called instinct. Pit Bulls have the ability to produce such a tremendous bite force, and they are instinctively tenacious animals. Has it ever occurred to you that these qualities are the reasons they are chosen for fighting or guarding. Have you noticed that most of the reports we hear are from high crime, urban areas? People who are stupid enough to train these dogs to be aggressive are choosing this breed specifically, so of course we will hear more bad press about them than other breeds.
No dog is born mean, but any dog can be taught to be mean. I agree that aggressive Pit Bulls are a problem, but you can't fix a problem by treating the symptoms. The aggressive dogs are only symptoms. We can go ahead and destroy Pit Bull after Pit Bull for it's aggressivness, but if we don't do something about the people who are making the animals the way they are, they'll just keep producing more dangerous dogs. And if we banish Pit Bulls as a breed, then guess what? The people doing this will just find another breed to use.
Before you start generalizing why don't you take a minute and think WHY that particular dog is the way it is and actually try to help be a part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
Comment by Stephanie — October 28, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed
Comment by Emily — April 6, 2009 @ 7:05 pm
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Comment by CGC Comic Books — May 18, 2009 @ 2:12 pm