Letter From our President, Ed Sayres
Update: 10/23/07
The letter is closed. Thank you for your involvement.
We've created a thank you letter that's super simple for you to send--thank NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General, USDA, for strong and decisive action against Michael Vick.
Click here to send your thank you letter.
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Read on to see what our President, Ed Sayres, has to say:
Dear ASPCA Members and Supporters:
With Michael Vick today appearing in federal court to file his plea in the federal dog fighting case that has been pending since July, I wanted to let you know directly that today we revealed our role in the federal investigation: ASPCA Forensic Veterinarian, Dr. Melinda Merck, participated in the excavation of the graves, and examination of the remains.
It has been an honor for the ASPCA to assist federal authorities in this case. We are also extremely proud to be working with the National Football League to raise public awareness of the humane treatment of animals. The NFL took strong, swift and decisive action against Michael Vick on Friday by suspending him indefinitely without pay.
Please join the ASPCA in sending a message of support to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General, USDA, letting them know that their efforts are not going unnoticed.
We continue to assist this case by leading a team of animal behavior experts in evaluating the dogs seized from Vick’s property earlier this year. Please visit www.aspca.org/cruelty often for updates.
Thank you very much for your support of the ASPCA—it is that which enables us to pursue our 141-year old mission, which is as crucial today as when we were founded all those years ago—to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Every day, we come one step closer to being a humane community. We could not do it without you.
Sincerely,
Ed Sayres
ASPCA, President
The letter is closed. Thank you for your involvement.
We've created a thank you letter that's super simple for you to send--thank NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General, USDA, for strong and decisive action against Michael Vick.
Click here to send your thank you letter.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Read on to see what our President, Ed Sayres, has to say:
Dear ASPCA Members and Supporters:
With Michael Vick today appearing in federal court to file his plea in the federal dog fighting case that has been pending since July, I wanted to let you know directly that today we revealed our role in the federal investigation: ASPCA Forensic Veterinarian, Dr. Melinda Merck, participated in the excavation of the graves, and examination of the remains.
It has been an honor for the ASPCA to assist federal authorities in this case. We are also extremely proud to be working with the National Football League to raise public awareness of the humane treatment of animals. The NFL took strong, swift and decisive action against Michael Vick on Friday by suspending him indefinitely without pay.
Please join the ASPCA in sending a message of support to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General, USDA, letting them know that their efforts are not going unnoticed.
We continue to assist this case by leading a team of animal behavior experts in evaluating the dogs seized from Vick’s property earlier this year. Please visit www.aspca.org/cruelty often for updates.
Thank you very much for your support of the ASPCA—it is that which enables us to pursue our 141-year old mission, which is as crucial today as when we were founded all those years ago—to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Every day, we come one step closer to being a humane community. We could not do it without you.
Sincerely,
Ed Sayres
ASPCA, President
Labels: Animal cruelty, ASPCA, Dog Fighting, Michael Vick
posted by ASPCA at 1:09 PM PERMALINK
11 Comments:
I do support the ASPCA in their efforts to combat animal abuse both with monetary support and in action. I hope that the ASPCA with its strong lobbying and opinion changing power, will follow through on the Michael Vick issue with a strong response conveying that although Mr. Vick pled guilty and showed remorse, little, if any, aplology was made to the animals that he so brutally murdered, abused and neglected. I felt that his apology totally missed the mark in that respect and wish someone at the ASPCA would say something about his lack of response to the animals themselves. He apologized to everyone, from family to youth, but forgot the dogs that were the focus of what the whole thing was about. It was not about football, family, role models or the like, it was about the animals. Thanks for all you do and for what you did to help in this case. ASPCA member, B. Luoma, Lansing, Michigan.
It is wonderful to read how critical the work of the ASPCA has been in all this and that the ASPCA's behavioral experts have now been asked to evaluate these dogs to help the authorities determine how to handle Vicks' victims. I am delighted by this news!
I am sure that the ASPCA will continue to provide leadership by making sure that Vicks' dogs are NOT going to be murdered and that the authorities are NOT going to complete Vicks' crimes against animals by murdering them.
In Katrina's aftermath dozens and dozens of fighting dogs have been rehabilitated and have been given the chance - with limitations - to live a good dog's life... Others have been given the chance to live out their lives in a caring, protected environment.
People have stepped forward to be responsible for these 'special needs' dogs. I see no reason why the same could not be done with Vicks' dogs.
Please stay the course and do what you can to help these dogs survive and recover. We all owe them nothing less... Your recommendations could mean the difference between life and death.
I know that Vick's dogs are being assessed and I also know that in cases like this, the dogs are euthanized. How about this as a way to save the dogs, educate the public about pit bulls, dogfighting, breed specific legislation, and even get a donation out of the deal--
Create a television series with Cesar Millan for Animal Planet that chronicles the assessment, rehabilitation, and adoption of any dogs that are able to be rehabilitated. That way, the deaths of the dogs who were not able to be rehabilitated would not be in vain, as the public could see just how far gone they were.
And like with greyhound adoptions, extra care would be taken to ensure that the homes the dogs were adopted into were appropriate, including unscheduled visits.
Because of the enormous publicity around this case, in addition to the popularity of Cesar Millan, the show would likely bring in lots of advertising dollars (and Millan's techniques would certainly be put to the test), and the ASPCA would get a percentage of the advertising dollars as a donation.
It's a win for the dogs, a win for the ASPCA, a win for Millan and a win for Animal Planet. And, of course, a win for anyone lucky enough to spend the next decade or so loving the dogs.
Mary Martin's concept for an Animal Planet/Cesar Milan series documenting the assessment and rehabilitation of Vick's dogs is brilliant. A five-way win, as she says. Please get on the phone to Animal Planet, Mr. Sayres!
"Every day,we come one step closer to being a humane community."-Ed Sayres. ASPCA, President (August 27/07).
Time/actions will certainly tell if we ever achieve the "humane community" status.
Mary Martin has a great idea. Please consider all the positive/humane options/solutions for these dogs,they deserve nothing less.
Thank you in advance.
I am a current member of the ASPCA and feel I would be remiss in not making some comments/suggestions which I would hope you forward (I will alsi if you provide me with Judge Hudson's e-mail address) to Judge Hudson. I would also go so far as to state if my feelings are not forwarded to him it may impact myt future membership in your organization.
This despicable "human being" (Vick) had the nerve to "apologize" to the general public without DIRECTLY addressing the point of the MURDER of these animals. All this COWARD showed me is that he was interested in about 130 million acts of contrition (all dollar signs). He had the means and audacity to hire a public relations firm to coach him as-to how to possibly reduce his possible sentence to a point that made it palatable to his "pocket". Maybe this "apology" flies with the general public, but it "sticks in my craw" to have to listen to someone like Vick know he can "bamboozle" his followers and make young impressionable football fans be made unaware of the extent to which this "human being" abused animals-not only by the dog fighting, but also his personal involvement in the killing of those animals which were underperforming.
I have a suggestion that I INSIST be forwarded (unless you want to forward this whole correspondence) to Judge Hudson. Whatever period of "time" NOT served (that time difference between the 5 years and actual sentence time), Vick should HAVE to serve community service for that time at a Veterinary School/College to the "tune" of 40 hours per week. Should he miss any day/days the equivalent of that day would be one (1) week of prison time at a county or state prison (not a Federal "happy camp" where I'm sure he will be doing his "sentence"). This is something Judge Hudson has the "power" to enact.
If Judge Hudson has some other appropriate follow-up punishment to inflict upon Vick, that would also please me as long as there is some additional "spanking" inflicted upon this "man".
I would also address these comments/feelings to the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons to the extent that if there is ANY THOUGHT of considering this player for reinstatement to the NFL then I will cancel my season tickets to the Dolphins and express my displeasure to DirecTV by cancelling my NFL package with them. It appears the "power of the purse" works both ways.
Thanks for allowing me these moments of "venting" and hope you can make THIS statement published so other "friends" of animals and any human being of compassion can be aware there are ways to FIGHT BACK.
Morrie Heider
Hi Morrie, we'll do our best to pass on your comments!
Actually, I would like to thank the ASPCA and all its members. This is for you:
I Am the Voice of the Voiceless
by Poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I am the voice of the voiceless;
Through me the dumb shall speak,
Till a deaf world's ear,
Shall be made to hear,
The wrongs of the wordless weak.
The same force formed the sparrow,
That fashioned man, the king.
The God of the Whole,
Gave a spark of soul,
To furred and feathered thing.
And I am my brother's keeper,
And I will fight his fight,
And speak the word,
For beast and bird.
Till the world shall set things right.
~ Sent by, Animal Chaplain Nancy
www.AnimalChaplains.com
Lobbying must continue and needs to be constent. No down time for any reason because animal abuse is an everyday occurrance.!
I LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO MORRIE HEIDER, YOU SAID EXACTLLY WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. THANKS FOR WRITTING IT. RACHEL, BEMIDJI,MN
That puppy is soooooooooooooooo cute and GOD BLESS EVERYONE who help them.
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