The fighting dogs rescued from former football star Michael Vick’s dog fighting kennels have made steady progress, but much work remains before many of the dogs can be deemed fit for adoption.

While 25 of the dogs that were originally in Vick’s kennels have already been adopted, another 22 of the more “hopeless” dogs taken in by the Best Friends Animal Society are still being isolated from other dogs and are being regularly monitored.

These 22 dogs are showing signs of improvement–their fear, aggression and anxiety levels are all decreasing. Two of the dogs, however, are under court order to spend the rest of their lives at the sanctuary. The other 20 will be isolated and evaluated until they are able to get along with people and other dogs.

However, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals believe the money that Vick was ordered to pay to fund the rehabilition of these dogs would be better used to help with problems such as overpopulation in animal shelters. PETA said that euthanizing the Vick dogs would still be the most humane thing to do.

Any of the Vick dogs that don’t meet the standards set by Best Friends will not be adopted out and will stay at the sanctuary the rest of their lives.

Source: Associated Press

K9 Commentary:

So many dogs were taken from Vick’s kennels and given a second chance to have a happy life. Those 22 dogs that might not be as lucky as the 25 who were adopted out, but I think life at Dogtown–the Best Friend’s giant outdoor sanctuary–would be much better than a life of dog fighting. Hopefully, at least some of the 22 dogs will be deemed adoptable.