Posted by rose
on February 21, 2008, 3:30 pm
69.29.137.103
1/22/2008
For years, Atlanta Falcons player Michael Vick's luxurious mansion was the site of unspeakable atrocities against our favorite four-legged friends. Now, with Vick spending some well-earned time in the Big House, his dog-fighting operation has finally been shut down for good, and the Newport News, Virginia house where he based his operation is vacant and up for sale.
We're sure there are plenty of people who would shudder at the sight of the infamous "Bad Newz Kennels," where more than 70 dogs were once abused. But for a group of animal lovers from Texas, the sale of the house offers the chance for a hopeful new beginning.
Michael Morford, the founder of a nonprofit group called Jalie's Butterflies, has initiated The Vick House Project – a plan to raise money in donations to purchase the house, and then convert it into an animal shelter for abused and mistreated dogs.
According to the nonprofit's website, the project has no political agenda; it is simply "a chance to give back to the spirit of the animals that were harmed. It is a chance for animal lovers to contribute to a noble cause. It is a chance to create a happy final chapter to a sordid and tragic tale."
Since announcing their mission last week, the group has already raised more than $12,500 of the necessary funds to buy Vick's house, and more contributions are pouring in rapidly. In the event that they aren't able to raise enough to purchase the mansion, Morford plans to donate all of their proceeds to the ASPCA, an organization dedicated to protecting the welfare of pets in the United States.
Responses: