Kristen King » Pet law

Do You Clean Up After Your Dog on Walks?

Kristen King — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:30:46 +0000

I always thought that it was an unwritten rule of dog owners to pick up the poop if your dog makes a deposit on a walk. In most towns there are “curb your dog” laws, as well. But not every dog owner is as considerate as we might like, especially at the dog park. Here are some tools to help you keep things, um, fresh and clean.

And here’s what happens when you don’t scoop the poop!

Michael Vick Sentenced on Dogfighting Charges

Kristen King — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:25:14 +0000

Former Atlanta Falcons superstar Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison after being found guilty of running a dogfighting ring and killing underperforming dogs. The maximum possible sentence was 5 years, and federal sentencing guidelines recommended a sentence of only 12-18 months. In addition to the sentence and sanctions levvied against Vick, he also agreed to pay nearly $1M for the care of 54 pitbulls that were seized from his property.

What do you think? Is 23 months enough, or did Vick get off easy? Leave a comment and share your opinion.

Michael Vick Pleads Guilty to Dogfighting Conspiracy Charges

Kristen King — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:54:44 +0000

After his co-defendants entered their guilty pleas and agreed to testify against Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback didn’t have a lot of options left.

On Monday, he pleaded guilty to dogfighting conspiracy charges. (He originally entered a plea of not guilty on July 26.) According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch,

The plea agreement calls for a prison term of 12 to 36 months, according to a source with knowledge of last week’s talks between Vick’s defense team and the prosecution. Other sources have said the sentencing guidelines will be closer to 12 to 18 months.

However, a federal judge at sentencing is not necessarily restricted by the guidelines.

The combined single charge against Vick — conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture — carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of five years.*

In addition to the legal penalties that will follow, Vick has also faced serious financial repercussions for his actions.

Read more Vick developments:

Michael Vick Is on His Own

Kristen King — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:56:23 +0000

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Michael Vick’s remaining co-defendants in his dog fighting case are pleading guilty and have agreed to testify against him in exchange for leniency in sentencing. Read the whole article.

More recent Vick news: