Alarming Details From The Michael Vick Investigation

In 2019, The Washington Post did a huge piece on what happened to the dogs seized from Michael Vick's dogfighting pit. They became known as the Vicktory dogs, and there are a ton of adorable pictures of them. They've gone on to be therapy dogs, service dogs, family pets, and couch potatoes, but here's the thing: They almost didn't have the chance.

When it came time to decide what to do with the dogs, both PETA and the Humane Society took the firm stance that they should be euthanized. Humane Society president Wayne Pacelle went as far as calling them (via The New York Times) "some of the most aggressively trained pit bulls in the country," and adding, "The fate of these dogs will be up to the government, but we have recommended to them, and believe, they will be eventually put down."

Fortunately, the dogs (like Georgia, pictured) found advocates in BADRAP, who evaluated all the dogs and knew that there was hope — if they had the help of countless volunteers, foster families, and organizations like the Best Friends Animal Society. (That's where one dog, Mya, was so good with other dogs that she was kept on as a permanent resident/teacher/big sister to puppies and new arrivals.) The rehabilitation of the dogs was seen as a game-changer for those rescued from fighting rings: So many people had been so wrong for so many years — rehabilitation was possible.