Animal rescue charities have reacted with praise
to the news that the NFL has ordered Michael Vick not to attend training camp with the Atlanta
Falcons after the player faces charges for
dogfighting.
"Officials from the National Football League rightly recognized that it just cannot be business as usual for Vick and the Falcons with this chilling set of facts laid out in the federal indictment," stated Wayne
Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS). "The NFL has taken an important first step, and it is our sincerest hope that Michael Vick not suit up for play prior to the resolution of these serious charges in federal court."
A federal grand jury charged Vick and three co-defendants with allegedly operating a multi-state dogfighting
ring.
More than 263,000 individuals contacted the NFL through The
HSUS' online advocacy campaign, which began last week after a federal grand jury charged Vick and three co-defendants with allegedly operating a multi-state dogfighting ring. The HSUS urged the NFL to suspend Vick until the charges against him are aired in court.
Only the campaign in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina generated a faster response. Observers are
keen to see whether this case affects Vick's
sponsorship by Nike.
