Waiting in my in-box this morning: two items pertaining to my favorite breed – the pit bull . The first was a Google news alert letting me know that Michael Vick made his only start as a Philadelphia Eagle in a pre-season home game last night. According to the article, his performance was brief and largely uninspired. And yes, this is the same Michael Vick who maimed, tortured, and killed dogs for pleasure.
The second item contained all the inspiration, hope, and satisfaction missing from the first alert: Jason Flatt, founder of Friends to the Forlorn pit bull rescue, was asked to help provide comfort to 200 pit bulls who were recovered from a Jefferson County, Ohio, property. The rescue was carried out by the Humane Society of the United States .
Flatt flew out this past Sunday and helped facilitate the well-being of the 200 dogs rescued by HSUS; all are now being housed and cared for in an undisclosed location. Authorities haven’t yet said whether they believe the pit bulls were intended or used for dog fighting.
And yes, this is the same Jason Flatt who rescued Belle Jenni (pictured) and hundreds of other animals from abuse, fighting rings, and the brink of starvation. I’m pretty sure Flatt doesn’t earn an NFL-sized salary and his name is not as ubiquitous as Vick’s. But now that HSUS has benefitted from both Vick and Flatt in their mission to end animal cruelty, my hope is that only the latter is hailed as a hero.
