tales of an ordinary girl

The excerpt below was taken from Trent Stamp's Take, the blog of the President of Charity Navigator. The articles, and especially the indictment, that are linked are graphic and will most likely make you ill as you read them. I'm appalled. I know much worse things happen in the world every day, but to read about it, even in cold, clinical terms, makes it that much more horrific.

NFL quarterback Michael Vick is indicted by federal authorities on charges that he ran an illegal dogfighting ring. The 18-page indictment is gruesome and graphic, and made me sick. In light of the most recent case involving "allegations" of high-profile athletes behaving badly (Duke lacrosse), I hope we can all tread lightly here, but I'm interested to see how the animal rights groups react. I think it's fair to say that dog-fighting is not an issue that has been a high priority for them, whether in terms of policy recommendations or fund-raising endeavors, but I suspect that will change quickly. And while I imagine that the NFL will not suspend Vick until he is convicted (if he is), I will be closely watching to see what kind of pressure the more high-profile groups will bring on the league and its advertisers. Vick, as recently as 6 months ago, was undoubtedly one of the 5 most marketable athletes in the league and is now officially toxic. As we all know in this sector, there are few people more strident and vociferous in their actions[*] than the animal charities and their leadership. Concerning Vick, it has obviously started already.