Layla, One of the Last Rescued "Vicktory Dogs," Has Died
Twelve years after the Michael Vick dogfighting ring was discovered and busted, we salute the heroes who changed the world's perception of dogs like these.
It has been more than 12 years since a police raid on Michael Vick’s propertyturned up dozens of pit bulls in hellish conditions. A federal raid followed several weeks later.
The professional football star's high-profile arrest — and the horrifying accountsthat came out in the weeks that followed — galvanized animal lovers, drawing widespread attention to illegal dogfighting and animal abuse.
In 2007, the misconception that pit bulls were irremediable, aggressive dogs had spread throughout the United States and Canada, putting the fate of the rescued dogs in serious jeopardy.
At the time of Vick’s arrest, the general policy was to euthanize all dogs confiscated from a dogfighting ring. The so-called Vicktory dogs were the first group of fighting dogs ever to go to rescue groups, fostersand then on to adoption. These dogs changed the perception of not only fighting dogs but also pit bulls in general.
It was Vick’s champion fighter, Lucas, his face striated with scars, who would ultimately have the greatest impact on changing the policy from euthanasia to recovery. Instead of the aggressive, dangerous animal that people expected of a fighting champion, Lucas turned out to be an affectionate, sweet dog who loved everyone he met.
After the raid, several rescue organizations, such as PETA, recommended that all the dogs be put down.
But luckily for Lucas and other dogs, like Layla — a 15½-year-old American Staffordshire terrier who died on June 21, 2019, after a long, happy next life with a loving family — a group of determined rescue organizations stepped forward to save them.
What follows is their story.
The Vicktory Dogs
First, the dogs had to be evaluated.
The ASPCA, BAD RAP
(an organization dedicated to “securing the future of the American Pit Bull Terrier as a cherished family companion”) and 3 independent behaviorists developed a protocol for testing the dogs, even though the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) opposed it.
In the long run, it was these remarkable dogs who changed the HSUS policy regarding the treatment of dogs rescued from fighting rings.
Previously, the HSUS mandated that all dogs rescued from a fighting situation had to be euthanized. A summit attended by several rescue groups in 2009 led HSUS to “agree that all dogs should be treated as individuals, and they are the true victimsof this organized crime."
“The assessments were difficult,” John Garcia, the emergency response manager for Best Friends Animal Society, told Petful in a 2017 interview. “The environment shut them down, so we couldn’t see any behavior at all.”
The dogs would flatten their bodies to the ground, called “pancaking,” or curl up at the back of their kennel and refuse to move. The goal was to get the best gauge of their personality. To the surprise of the evaluators, they didn’t find aggressive dogs.
“The dogs were shy, terrified of people and anxious. A few of them were dog aggressive, and all of them were completely unsocialized,” added Garcia. “In January 2008, we took on 22 dogs who had the most challenges.”
The Vicktory dogs revealed who the real monsters are in the dogfighting world — the humans who had tortured and killed these dogs for their own amusement and profit.
Because the dogs had been starved, beaten and trained to fight other canines to the death, one of the first steps the staff at Best Friends took was to assess them for dog aggression. Surprisingly, they discovered that many of the shy dogs really wanted to be around other dogs.
“When the dogs got to Best Friends and realized they were home, they started to decompress,” said Garcia.
Some dogs, like Cherry, might be playful inside, but when taken outside, completely shut down. Cherry would pancake, trying to make himself as small as he could.
“We introduced Cherry to Handsome Dan,” said Garcia, “and they immediately started playing and acting like normal dogs. They were able to relax and have fun.”
This was an extremely important breakthrough.
“If a dog can get along with other dogs, it increases their chance of getting a home,” said Garcia.
Little Red was one of the hardest dogs they worked with. She was so shutdown, she refused to come out of her run. Instead, she’d cower in the shadows all the way in the back, as far away as she could get from her caretakers. Her trainers would go into the run with her and sit there for hours, talking and reading to her.
Eventually, Little Red got closer and closer to her trainer, until she discovered that the touch of a human being isn’t only about pain — it can actually feel really good.
Changing Perceptions
Although the impression many had at the time was that a dog trained to fight would always be vicious and dangerous, for these 22 dogs the opposite was true. It was the dogs who were afraid of people, not the other way around.
The Vicktory dogs revealed who the real monsters are in the dogfighting world — the humans who had tortured and killed these dogs for their own amusement and profit.
For example, Lucas was one of the 22 dogs loaded onto the Best Friends rescue van. Lucas was notorious throughout dogfighting circles as being a fierce fighter, a champion.
When Garcia stopped along the way to check on the dogs, he heard loud snoring coming from one of the crates. He tracked it to Lucas, who was sleeping so soundly that not even Garcia standing there woke him up. After everything Lucas had been through, he was one of the most relaxed dogs in the van.
Pit bulls rescued from fighting rings can recover, and they can forgive. For most, the sweetness of their souls cannot be broken.
These dogs had rarely if ever seen the sun, gone on a walk, played with a toy or slept on a soft bed, let alone experienced anything associated with family life. Many of them would pancake when put on a leash, trying to become as submissive and small as possible.
These dogs had never felt safe in any environment, never experienced kindness or love from a human being. The caretakers and trainers who worked with them understood that the dogs would need time to heal at their own pace.
“Some of the dogs were able to be adopted very quickly,” Garcia told Petful. “Some of them took longer to get their Canine Good Citizenawards,” which the court required before the dogs could become available for adoption.
The court decided that 2 of the dogs would spend the rest of their lives in sanctuary at Best Friends.
“For one of these dogs, it was for his own protection. Lucas was Vick’s main fighter and very famous. These dogs are sold for thousands of dollars, and we wanted to make sure he wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands,” said Garcia.
The other dog, Meryl, had a history of human aggression. Best Friends would be her forever home. Over the years, as she healed, she became confident and loving.
“She has a great life with tons of attention from everyone here,” said Garcia.
Not only does she get along with other dogs, but she also enjoys hanging out with the resident cats.
The Champions is an inspirational documentary about the Vicktory dogs, and those who risked everything to save them. Here's a preview:
How the Vicktory Dogs Enriched So Many Lives
The adopters who were lucky enough to bring home a Vicktory dog all said their lives were enriched immeasurably.
They learned that pit bulls rescued from fighting rings can recover, and they can forgive. They can still love people and come to trust them. Pit bulls, even those forced to fight to stay alive, are not inherently evil. For most, the sweetness of their souls cannot be broken.
Their abusers, however, are a very different story. Those involved in the dogfighting world have no sense of morality, compassion or conscience. They do not have “poor judgment,” as Michael Vick has stated. Rather, their behavior is intrinsically who they are and who they will continue to be.
Michael Vick walked out of jail and continued his life. “Playing another year is very important just for my psyche, just to get it out of my system, to go out with a bang," Vick said in a 2016 interview. For his victims, these dogs will be recovering from his abuse for the rest of their lives.
The strength, joy and resiliency of these remarkable pit bulls made them all heroes. Ten years later, some have passed on. But we can all still learn a lot from each and every one.
NEXT: Updates on some of the Vicktory dogs:
Vicktory Dog: Cherry
ADOPTED (AND STILL ALIVE AS OF JULY 17, 2019). A formerly fearful, shutdown dog, Cherrynow enjoys lots of cuddling from his humans and hanging out with his cat and dog siblings, though his recovery from PTSD will be a lifelong journey.
Vicktory Dog: Georgia
ADOPTED (DIED IN 2013).
One of the most famous and adored of the Vicktory dogs, Georgia spent the last 2 years of her life in a loving home until she succumbed to kidney failure in late 2013. Her snuggly, sweet personality was seen on stages across the country, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Larry King Live
, where she changed the perception of pit bulls everywhere from vicious animals to lovable, loyal, goofy nanny dogs.
Vicktory Dog: Halle
ADOPTED (DIED IN 2016).
As the first Best Friends Vicktory dog to be adopted, Halle had a big responsibility. Though it took a while to recover in her adopted home, her goofy personality blossomed. She went on to love people, children and other dogs. Along with her human, Halle started an enrichment program for shelter dogs called Halle’s Enrichment Club. Halle died in fall 2016.
Vicktory Dog: Handsome Dan
ADOPTED (DIED IN 2018).
One of the dogs that John Garcia spent a lot of time with and came to be deeply attached to, Handsome Dan arrived at Best Friends as a frightened, shutdown dog. He became motivated to please his humans and was a shining example of why the breed used to be known as the “nanny dogs.” He was calm and peaceful with his family’s toddler and made it his job to look out for her.
Vicktory Dog: Little Red
ADOPTED (DIED IN 2017).
When Little Red first went to her forever home, she was afraid of everything. Sounds that we take for granted, such as putting dishes in the dishwasher, turning the pages of a magazine, water boiling on the stove — these were all new and scary. At first, she refused to go through doorways and had to be carried; her adopter realized that in the past, going through a door meant going into a terrible place.
As Little Red began to feel safe, she trusted her human to take her on walks through the countryside and discovered her love of “zooming” (all dog lovers will understand what “the zoomies” are). The quiet life in the country was perfect for her as she recovered in a place where she knew she was safe. Little Red died in 2017.
Vicktory Dog: Mel
ADOPTED (AND STILL ALIVE AS OF JULY 17, 2019).
At first, Mel shut down. He would not interact with humans. He was shaking uncontrollably, crouching in the corner, even convulsing in fear. When Mel began to feel safe was in his adopter’s home — his dog brother helped him adjust. However, Mel is a dog who has never barked. Ever. The only time he makes a sound is in his sleep. Today, he loves car rides, all dogs big and small, and sleeping under the covers with his head on the pillow.
Vicktory Dog: Squeaker
ADOPTED (AND STILL ALIVE AS OF JULY 17, 2019).
A scared dog who was defensive around other dogs, Squeaker was given the time, safety and patience to recover. She now lives in a home with 6 other dogs. She smiles at everything, reveling in the little things like lying on a couch and going for a walk.
Vicktory Dog: Curly
AT BEST FRIENDS (AND STILL ALIVE AS OF JULY 17, 2019).
A cripplingly shy dog, Curly slowly gained confidence and became more relaxed by interacting with the staff and exposure to different activities and everyday life. He still struggles with fear when he’s outside of his 2 safe places: the office and his home at the Clubhouse, where he hangs out with his best friend, Mya, another recovering Vicktory dog. Learn about Mya by clicking "Next" below.
Vicktory Dog: Mya
AT BEST FRIENDS (AND STILL ALIVE AS OF JULY 17, 2019).
For a dog who was terrified of her own shadow, Mya has come a long way. She is exceptionally kind and calm around other animals; one of her best friends is the office cat. At times, Mya is still a fearful, fragile girl, and she’s still on the long road to recovery. She’s a dog who has never experienced so much of life, and everyday sounds and things, like doorbells, washing machines, front porches and rocking chairs, are still frightening.
The strength, joy and resiliency of these remarkable pit bulls made them all heroes. In these many years since 2007, some of these dogs have passed on — but we can all still learn a lot from each and every one of them. * * *
Special thanks to Best Friends Animal Society for help with this article, which was originally published in 2017 and was last updated on July 17, 2019.
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Jillian Blume is a New York City–based writer. Her feature articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers including New York Observer, Marie Claire and Self. Jillian received a master’s degree in creative writing from New York University, has taught writing and literature at the School of Visual Arts and is working on a novel. She passionately supports animal welfare and rescue.
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