The details are enough to make every animal lover cry: dogs being slammed to the ground, hung, drowned, shot and electrocuted. Unbelievable!

It becomes all too clear that the brutal sport of dog fighting, although illegal, still exists in this country.

Indictment Proceedings
As the National Football League struggles to make the right decisions in response to allegations that star quarterback Michael Vick has been involved in dog fighting, we as pet lovers wonder what it will take to rid this country of such a heinous activity.

Federal prosecutors will attempt to prove Vick's life as a rising-star athlete (with million-dollar endorsements and $130 million pro-football contract) closely parallels the establishment of illegal activities at Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia, where 54 American pit bull terriers were confiscated during a raid April 25.

Atlanta Fans
This is the latest in a string of bad news accusations about Vick's lifestyle.

The Atlanta Falcons have officially apologized to their fans and the community for all of the negative publicity.

Vick has been ordered by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to stay away from the Falcon's training camp until the league can review the dog fighting charges.

As the guardians of cherished pets, we are sickened by deliberate acts of animal cruelty. If we scold one of our pets too harshly, or clip a toe nail too short, we feel bad.

We don't want to know about dog fighting. We want to believe our American society has outgrown backyard dog fighting, but we know it isn't true.

Because of Vick's celebrity status, the issue will remain in the news and on our minds.

People will continue to talk about and speak out against dog fighting.

Hopefully, humane people will support organizations that have joined forces with federal prosecutors to investigate and eliminate dog fighting in this country.

Humane Education
Vick seems to have become a poster child for all of the bad things that can happen when you rise too far, too fast and refuse to seek out good advice.

That's why it's so important for the NFL, team owners and individual handlers to nurture their players to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.

In our own communities, we must lead by example and support humane education efforts.

We must also support improved legislation and enforcement of animal cruelty laws.

Vick's controversial playing style is a big box office draw. But, he's now facing one of the biggest challenges of his life: How to stay in the NFL.

As the guardians of millions of pets in this country, we must challenge ourselves to make dog fighting go away.


UPDATE: Released August 20, 2007

Vick has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors and will plead guilty to dog-fighting conspiracy charges at a hearing, Aug. 27, according to his attorney, Billy Martin. The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines most likely would call for less. The plea was made while a grand jury was meeting in private to discuss additional charges.

Vick has been ordered to stay away from the Atlanta Falcon's training camp, pending the outcome of an ongoing NFL investigation.