Michael Vick Wants a Dog

So the big news in Philly--and perhaps elsewhere--is that Michael Vick, the quarterback of our professional football team, told a group of school kids on Tuesday that he "wished he could have a dog right now, more than anything in the world."

The animal rights groups were all over this one, as you can well imagine, but not to worry. The federal judge overseeing his case has banned Vick from owning dogs, until he says so.

The comment came while Vick was speaking to a group of school kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark. "Humane Society president Wayne Pacelle noted that these appearances are voluntary and not part of any parole. "He's said he will do this for many years," Pacelle noted.

For those of you who don't know the back story, Vick served two years in the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, for raising, training and fighting pit bulls on his property in Virginia.

When Vick does talk to kids (this is the sixth time he has done so since his release from prison), he is not one to run away from his past. He told the kids to use him "as an example for you not to do the things that would lead you down the wrong path."

I believe in second chances but I don't believe six public appearances qualify Vick for dog ownership. Besides which, he needs to volunteer at a local animal shelter for a long while before I would consider handing him a leash with anything alive on the other end.