Michael Vick's recent reported hiring as Norfolk State football coach prompted a reaction from animal rights group PETA about his criminal past. Norfolk State has not confirmed Vick's employment, The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday.
President Ingrid Newkirk issued a statement to FOX News Digital in which she spoke about her experience with Vick when he was sentenced in 2007 for participating in illegal dog fighting.
“After interviewing him at PETA's offices in Norfolk, Virginia while his sentence was being considered, and listening to him tell me bold lies about the poor dog, I found him attractive. Although he will never fight a dog again, PETA is focused on working with law enforcement to crackdown on dog fighting.'' said Ingrid.
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PETA animal advocates demonstrate as Michael Vick appears in Sussex County Court for a plea deal on state dog fighting charges. (Carol Gusey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Vick's dog-fighting scandal began in 2007, when his father, Michael Boddy, told the Atlanta Constitution Journal that the former star quarterback was engaged in dog-fighting in his parents' garage in Newport News, Virginia. That brought it to light. Boddy also said Vick continued to wrestle with dogs in the family's backyard, including an injured dog that his father helped nurse back to health.
In April of that year, a search warrant was served in a drug investigation against Vick's cousin, Davon Boddy, and authorities found evidence of illegal dog fighting at one of Vick's properties in Virginia. Vick was indicted in July 2007 for running an illegal interstate dog fighting operation known as “Bad News Kennels” along with three other men.
Vick ultimately pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to engage in interstate commerce travel in support of illegal activities and to sponsor dogs in animal fighting operations.” He also confessed to participating in the murder of six to eight dogs by hanging, beating, and drowning them.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick attended the Pro Bowl game at Allegiant Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
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This crime resulted in Vick spending 21 months in federal prison, which proved to be a major change in his NFL career and reputation. Although he returned to the NFL after serving his sentence and joined the Philadelphia Eagles, his public persona was forever tainted and overshadowed by his crimes.
The backlash against Vick was perpetuated, particularly by animal rights groups like PETA. PETA released multiple statements about Vick after his indictment in 2007, and the organization even invited him to attend its “Developing Empathy for Animals” course in September of that year.
In a 2009 blog post titled “A Day with Michael Vick,” the organization expressed skepticism about his stated intentions to be an “ally” in the fight against dog fighting.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick stops in Durham, North Carolina, on Friday, February 26, 2010, to talk to students at New Horizons Alternative School and local residents about his mistakes and the second time in his life involved in a dog fight. talk about opportunities. Ralph Hawthorne (right) of the Humane Society of the United States introduced him to the packed room. (Harry Lynch/Raleigh News Observer/MCT)
“Michael and his camp have given nothing but verbal assurances that he has learned his lesson. Since this meeting, it has only come to the fore when Michael is scheduled to appear in court. Now He is asking to be returned to his old job,'' read the blog.
At the time, Vick was looking to return to the NFL and found success in Philadelphia in 2009, where he played until 2013.
He later joined the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He last played in the NFL in 2015.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Norfolk State University for comment.
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