IDA Seeks Maximum Sentencing for Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Accused of Running Interstate Dog Fighting Ring

Richmond, Va.—With Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick facing felony charges and possible prison time for animal abuse stemming from alleged dog fighting activities, international non-profit animal protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) is urging prosecutor Gerald Poindexter to pursue the maximum sentence allowed under the law in the case against the football star.

In a letter to Poindexter, IDA founder and President Elliot M. Katz wrote, “(dog fighting) is a serious crime for which Vick must face meaningful consequences if found guilty by the courts. He is also alleged to have killed numerous dogs himself—by shooting, hanging, drowning, and electrocution—simply because they were not good fighters. The judicial system must severely punish this despicable behavior, which is especially deplorable in a professional athlete who is a role model for so many sports fans, including impressionable young people.”

Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states. Trainers prepare dogs to fight by starving and beating them in order to make them vicious killers. Typically, the dog who “loses” the fight dies in the ring or is killed afterwards by the trainer; sometimes both dogs die as a result of their injuries. To combat this criminal activity, lawmakers increased the punishment for dog fighting in May 2007 with passage of the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which doubles the potential prison sentence for those who engage in the interstate transport of animals used for fighting. Vick could face several years in prison and several hundred thousand dollars in fines if he is found guilty of conducting dog fighting activities across state lines.

“Vick (must face) the maximum sentence,” Katz wrote to Poindexter, “to show that the law treats celebrities no differently from anyone else accused of committing a crime—that money and fame do not tip the scales of justice to favor the privileged. Full prosecution is also necessary to expose Vick as an animal abuser, to remind those involved in dog fighting that they too could face prison, and to achieve a measure of retribution for the unknown number of dogs Vick has harmed or killed over the years.”

IDA also plans to write a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell urging Vick’s immediate suspension from the league under strong suspicion of criminal activity.

Copies of IDA’s letter to Prosecutor Poindexter are available by request. Visit www.idausa.org/facts/fighting.html#afb-c for more information about dog fighting.