Vick Indicted by State Grand Jury
Prosecutors have announced that a Virginia grand jury has indicted Michael Vick on state dogfighting charges. Vick is charged with one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one count of promoting dogfights.
These charges come in the wake of a federal indictment and Vick's plea agreement with federal prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving illegal dogfighting. This is the latest in a long line of animal abuse cases involving NFL players. While the speed and efficiency with which prosecutors handled this case is a victory for animals and a sign that the crime of dogfighting is being treated with the gravity that it deserves, the NFL needs to follow suit.
PETA is again calling on the NFL to add cruelty to animals—in all its forms—to its personal conduct policy. This case has clearly shown that NFL fans are just as outraged by cruelty to animals as they are by any of the other antisocial behaviors outlined in the policy.
Furthermore, an informant from inside the dogfighting world who spoke on ESPN's Outside the Lines told reporters about "a whole roster of names of professional athletes that we know are involved in dogfighting. ... I bet not even 10 percent have come to light." Given these disturbing allegations and the numerous recent cases of animal abuse involving NFL players, the NFL needs to act vigorously and with authority to stamp this out immediately. Please use the form below to ask the NFL to take cases of animal abuse seriously in the future by updating its personal conduct policy.
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