Jim Gorant: The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption

SUFFOLK F-0381: GRACIE (RICHMOND ANIMAL LEAGUE)

She started off as Sherry, but after she was adopted by Sharon Cornett of the Richmond Animal League, she was renamed Gracie and she’s become a local celebrity. She attends conferences and meetings about animal welfare, goes into schools to help educate kids about dogs, and does anything she can to show people that they have nothing to fear from pit bulls. She’s happiest around other dogs, but has always been comfortable around people, too, and the first time she saw a couch she jumped right on it. Since then she’s spent a lot of well-earned time on the sofa.

SUFFOLK M-0382: RAY (BEST FRIENDS)

Like Curly, Ray came in bouncing off the walls. He jumped all over and grabbed at clothes. But he was very people-focused and eager to please, so his handlers corrected the behavior by leaving as soon as he started doing anything they didn’t like. Ray soon realized that he couldn’t behave this way if he wanted company-which he did-and he settled down and did well with training. A smaller dog (forty pounds or so), he has earned his Canine Good Citizen certificate and is always a favorite of people who come to visit. He almost certainly would have been adopted already, but he doesn’t get along well with other dogs and that severely limits his options.

SUFFOLK M-0383: OSCAR (BEST FRIENDS)

Oscar came in with medical issues but once he recovered physically he made up ground quickly. He had a willingness to learn and in December 2008, after a period of intense one-on-one training, he became the first of the Vick dogs at Best Friends to pass his Canine Good Citizen test. Oscar’s advance in skills was part of an increase in confidence that also helped him come out of his shell around people. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do as well around other dogs. He tolerates those he encounters in the course of his day, but he can’t live with them.

SUFFOLK M-0384: LANCE (BEST FRIENDS)

Lance arrived as one the most fearful of the Vick dogs. It took him months and months to even learn how to walk on a leash or get in a car, but he has made steady progress. Now he spends his days hanging around the Best Friends adoption office with three to five other dogs and even a few cats. He comes and goes through a doggie door that leads to a large outdoor run. He’s still cautious around strangers, but he loves to play with the people around the office and he sleeps with a group of dogs at night.

SUSSEX 2601: MABEL (RICHMOND ANIMAL LEAGUE)

Like Jhumpa Jones, Mabel was fostered out to a rescue group in New York. She moved through a number of foster homes for the first year and a half before finally settling in with one woman who plans to adopt her.

SUSSEX 2602: SWEET JASMINE (RECYCLED LOVE) SUSSEX 2603: SWEET PEA (RECYCLED LOVE)

A dog with multiple scars and an affinity for Sweet Jasmine, Sweet Pea also went from WARL to Recycled Love. She was fostered with one of the group’s experienced rescuers, a man who has successfully worked with half a dozen other pit bulls. Sweet Pea, who continued to struggle with fear issues, shared her foster home with two other dogs, a pit bull mix named Bull and a terrier named Sadie. And although she always enjoyed her get-togethers with Sweet Jasmine and never had a problem with any of the other dogs at Catalina Stirling’s house or with Bull, she once bit Sadie. As a result, she’s no longer allowed to interact with other dogs, other than Bull, but her foster caregiver continues to help Sweet Pea work through her troubles-and she’s made progress.

SUSSEX 2604: FRODO (BAD RAP)

Frodo was one of the shyest dogs that made the RV trip to Oakland, and it has been a slow climb for him. But step by step he’s becoming more confident and coming out of his shell. He gets along well with other dogs, and Kim Ramirez, who adopted him, says that in 2009 he wasn’t even afraid of the Christmas tree, a sight that terrified him a year earlier.

SUSSEX 2605: GEORGIA (BEST FRIENDS)

Georgia came in angry and suspicious. She closely guarded anything she was given and made sure to let anyone who came near know that they shouldn’t mess with her or her stuff. She didn’t have any teeth (the last of them had fallen out at Washington Animal Rescue League), but there was still little doubt that she meant business. She didn’t trust anyone and wouldn’t even look anyone in the eye.

Georgia had learned to defend her turf, but she was smart. Before long she figured out that things worked differently at Best Friends, where people were kind and no one tried to take her stuff away. If fact, when people came around they usually brought food or special treats for her. Very quickly, Georgia got with the program and her personality flourished.

She liked plush toys, so the staff gave her a giant one-it was almost half her size-and she carried it around proudly. She loved fake bones and received a steady supply. She liked to stand on top of her doghouse, so she was given one with a flat roof. She enjoyed playing with her stuff outside, so she was given plenty of time out in her run, although her water bucket had to be tied down to keep her from playing with that, too.

Most of all, she came to love attention. She has scars all over her face and one side of her mouth hangs open where her jaw had been broken, leaving her tongue constantly dangling and giving her a look that is at once fierce and farcical. No wonder she became a TV favorite, making numerous appearances, including a visit to the Ellen show. She even has a pink-rhinestone collar she wears for such occasions. All the exposure has done her some good, as someone has applied to adopt her, but according to the court settlement she has to pass her Canine Good Citizen test, which she hasn’t been able to do. Yet.

SUSSEX 2606: ERNIE (BAD RAP)

Ernie was a curious case. When the ASPCA evaluation team originally met with all the dogs, Tim Racer used Ernie as a test dog because he was so stable and calm. Whenever Racer wanted to see if one dog was friendly around others, he would trot Ernie out to test the reaction. Ernie was a trooper throughout, but once he got into the real world he struggled, reacting negatively to other dogs if he was on his leash. With time, he became more comfortable and the problem worked itself out. He’s been adopted into a home where he lives with another dog and two cats and he earned his Canine Good Citizen certification in the fall of 2009.

SUSSEX 2607: WILLIE (BEST FRIENDS)

One of the saddest and more perplexing cases, Willie came in as a mellow dog. When staffers stayed overnight with the dogs to keep them company, he was one that they most often brought out to snuggle with. But while he has made some progress in his overall training and behavior, he has also had a few incidents of aggression. He’s fearful of other dogs and incapable of living with them. One staff veterinarian at Best Friends who studies posttraumatic stress disorder thinks Willie might be suffering from the condition, although there’s also a school of thought that believes Willie may be suffering from some undetected physical ailment, and the associated pain is what’s making him lash out. Adding to the confusion is that at times, Willie is still a fun-loving, active dog who particularly enjoys car rides.

SUSSEX 2608: CHARLIE (GEORGIA SPCA)

Charlie was the only dog that went to the Georgia SPCA but did not end up with Brandon Bond. Instead he was sent to one of the SPCA’s foster volunteers. Charlie, or Chuck as he’s now called, was one of the better-adjusted dogs and he adapted quickly to life in a house. His foster family eventually adopted him and he’s doing well.

SUSSEX 2609: LAYLA (BEST FRIENDS)

When Layla arrived at Best Friends she was on edge, living in a state of hyperawareness in which she reacted to everything going on around her by barking and charging. She paced and jumped and simply did not know how to settle down. On the positive side, she was one of the least fearful Vick dogs. She would walk right up to anyone, tail wagging, and say hello. She craves attention and gets plenty of it. And now that she has calmed down, one of her favorite things to do is simply lie back and get a massage. She has not done as well with other dogs, although she can live side by side with them in crates or runs without a problem. She just can’t live with them. Around the Best Friends compound she’s a source of much joy, since of all the Vick dogs she may be the most clumsy and uncoordinated, tripping over her own feet in excitement when she sees people. Her favorite activity? Riding in a golf cart.