This weekend, the CBS news magazine show "60 Minutes" will air an interview with Michael Vick. For the small proportion of you who may be unfamiliar with him: he is the star quarterback recently released from prison, where he spent two years for his involvement in dogfighting, including the execution of losing dogs via means such as hanging and electrocution. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, will also appear as HSUS has enlisted Vick to work as a spokesperson to help dissuade urban teens, who still respect Vick, from getting involved in dogfighting. The interview will air this Sunday, August 16, at 7pm ET/PT.
You'll find information about the show, and can see a brief segment from it at http://tinyurl.com/r6jnf9
After the text, there is a poll question, "Do you want to see Michael Vick return to the NFL? " Please respond. Currently "Yes" is ahead.
At the bottom of the page you can also post a comment. It is a great opportunity to make points not just about Vick but about dogfighting in general, or about any other arena where animals are abused for human entertainment or frivolous purposes.
Your local media is likely to cover the 60 Minutes story, or Vick's return to the NFL to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Please take those opportunities to send letters to the editor or stations and to speak up for the animals.
When it was first announced that Vick was to be working with HSUS I blogged on the topic, voicing my distinctly measured support of sorts. That blog includes video of my beloved Paula Pitbull (one of the reasons this issue is so close to my heart) and a hilarious piece from The Daily Show in which John Stewart shares his opinion of the NFL's reaction to the issue. If you missed the blog you might like to check it out at http://thankingthemonkey.com/blog/?p=55
And now here, just for fun, perhaps simply because I am the ultimate stage mother, or ecstatic adoptive pit mother, I am also posting a link to a photo of me and Paula Dawn currently on the New York Times website. It is in a piece about people who look like their dogs. I think it will be appreciated by those of you who adore adorable photos of adorable pitbulls. It is at: http://tinyurl.com/olzskk
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)
Please go to www.ThankingtheMonkey.com for a fun celeb-studded promo video and information on Karen Dawn's book, "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals," which was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the "Best Books of 2008." And check out Karen's new blog at www.ThankingtheMonkey.com/blog !
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Date: Sat Aug 15 18:04:41 2009
