What Happened to Michael Vick's Dogs? Jim Gorant Tells the Story in His New Book

Sep 17th 2010

In 2007, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick made headlines, but it wasn't for his performance on the field. Set up on the grounds of his Virginia home was Bad Newz, a pseudo kennel that was really a dog-fighting business stocked with 51 pit bulls. Journalist Jim Gorant first wrote about the sordid case for "Sports Illustrated." This week, his new book, "The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption," hits stores. We asked Gorant to tell us what happened to the animals and share tales from this latest project.

Of the 51 dogs, 47 have new owners, and one even participates in a reading program for children. Can you tell us more about these dogs?
It's incredible, especially given the hoops people had to jump through to save the dogs from being euthanized. Both PETA and the Humane Society were advocating for that route, noting that there are thousands of dogs without violent histories that need homes. There was also the liability issue for the government, which had to consider what, if any, upside there would be to letting the dogs live. If one of Vick's pit bulls was placed in a new home and something happened, there would be backlash. But it paid off when you look at a dog like Jonny Justice, who's part of the reading program "Paws for Tales." He's nothing but a super-sweet dog who loves kids.