Michael Vick Gets A 73.5% On Developing Empathy For Animals Test

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by Michael Parrish DuDell January 26, 2009
Categories: Animals
Tags: .

Falcons Vick Arraignment Football

Earlier this week we told you that PETA refused to work with Michael Vick until he took a series of psychological tests and an MRI brain scan in an effort to find evidence of clinical psychopathy or anti-social personality disorder. Well here’s why!

Shortly after Michael Vick was convicted on dog-fighting charges, PETA asked the sports star to sit down and take a handwritten test, aptly titled: Developing Empathy for Animals.  Of course I would love to report that Vick passed with flying colors, but um…um…um…

Vick scored a mere 73.5 (barely a C) on the test. Here is a selection of some of Vick’s (unedited) responses: 

“Chickens have an uncanny ability to think and are very agile. They are very athletic to me.”

“My aunt Tina own a Rotti name Tico. Once my aunt and her boyfriend Wayne was having an intense fight … [Tico] jump through a glass window & pinned my aunt boyfriend Wayne to the ground just growling … Now that’s loyalty.”

Listen, I don’t want to poke fun at the guy because quite honestly I really do believe that he will never, ever do anything like this again. His last answer on the test sounds genuine. Vick writes: 

“This course has given me a different perspective + perception on animals and how to treat them. First starting off with the golden rule. Do onto others, as you want them to do on to u. To me it applies to humans + animals or any creature on this earth that breathes fresh air. In my life from now on I have to make decisions for me, my family, friend, neighbors, that will benefit everyone. My relationships with animals will forever be different. I have the upmost respect for all living creatures and I wish I could have took this course 5 years ago.” 

What do you think? Do you buy Vick’s rehabilitation or do you think he’ll continue to treat animals poorly? Chime in and share your thoughts. 

To view all of Vick’s answers, visit blog.peta.org!

  • http://www.nosferatofu.blogspot.com Eric

    I don’t think he’s made the connection between animals and compassion. Sounds like he’s just parroting what he saw in the PETA videos.

    It seems that he really just mimics what he sees. When he’s surrounded by animal activists, he feels “compassion” but I’m not convinced that if he were surrounded by dog fighters, he would stop them and say “hey now, these animals are living beings and they deserve our compassion, lets stop doing this.”

  • morgan

    you know i think only time will tell. those words sound like they could be genuine and they sound like they could be completely fake as well.

    we shall see!

  • http://www.vegspinz.blogspot.com DJ Karma (of VegSpinz)

    I agree. This kind of behavior isn’t rehabilitated that quick and that easily. I think I smell a reality show: Michael Vick serves time at Farm Sanctuary, the SPCA, one of those seeing eye-dog training facilities, and brings animals to old people and children in the hospitals…Maybe make it an episode on Morgan Spurlock’s 30 days.

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com e

    Some of you might remember Whoopi Goldberg sticking up for Vick on “The View” when she explained (on her first day hosting the show 15 minutes into it!) that where Vick came from this was accepted, not wrong at all and he had no idea. It’s a culture thing she said. HE’s from the South.

    see here for quotes
    http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14040573/detail.html

    Some thought she was saying that black people were exempt from such punishment but I don’t think that’s what she meant. I do believe it is accepted in certain cultures and honestly that attitude needs to change. You can take two people of the same color and depending on where they were raised (or how) their attitudes are different.

    I don’t think it should be an excuse for Vick to have done what he did. But I do think throughout the South (and even some rural areas around here- and rural areas everywhere people (especially children) need sensitivity training. Even in the town I live I see people chain their dogs up and treat them as property. You don’t see that so much in say.. New York City.

    So yes I think part of it is how he was raised. Though yes people can make their own decisions but most are a product of their society and where they came from.

    E

  • http://www.mylifepassport.com/ Sisi

    Only time will tell. testing doesnt mean anything

  • Deena

    Sounds fishy to me. He’d say anything right now to get people to think he’s changed. It took decades of his behavior and mindset to end up the way he did. It will take more decades to fix it. Not some simple course and evaluation. He’d have to truthfully support and volunteer for animal causes for YEARS before I’d give him any respect.

  • http://elainevigneault.com Elaine Vigneault

    I think PETA has gone way to far. Either work with him or don’t, but don’t demand brain scans and psych evaluations.

  • Krystine

    I definitely think he should spend time working in the SPCA, Farm Sanctuary, etc. It would do him a lot of good.

    You know?

    Maybe it is part of his cultural upbringing, but insensitivity towards animals CAN still be changed.

  • gjwriter

    I have a hard time believing that he ran such a horrendous operation for that many years and now says his attitude has changed. People don’t do what he did for that long and suddenly become reformed. Yes, it’s been a while for him, but he’s locked up and has lost absolutely everything because of what he did. I’m thinking that’s what he’s really sorry about. It will be a very sad day if ANY NFL team considers him for a contract.

  • http://beveganawesome.blogspot.com Anton

    I’m a vegan and I love animals. However, Vick deserves to be eligible to play football again. Regardless of how sorry he is, he’s served time in prison, he’s lost all his money, and really his career too. He did something horrendous and was punished heavily for it. If I ran a pet adoption agency, then I might not let him take home a puppy, but I think he should get a second chance at a career. Otherwise, we aren’t really that compassionate.
    PETA can put forth any requirements they want in order to work with him. It’s their name and their money. If I had a deal set up with PETA, I would expect some sort of craziness as part of the bargain. Nothing wrong with that when it’s their name and resources on the line.

  • Anne Streeter

    People capable of doing such horrendous things to animals are twisted in my mind and deserve watching. Studies say there is a definite connection between childhood cruelty to animals and adult cruelty to both humans and animals. Let’s hope Michael Vick is a changed person. Certainly his story (as a well known personality) has been a wake up call for everyone.

  • http://theecosista.com The EcoSista

    Let me first start off by saying that I do not agree with torturing, beating, harming, etc., of ANY living creature.

    NEWS FLASH: Michael Vick falls under that clause being that he is HUMAN and all. So, why is PETA going for the jugular?

    The only thing that PETA’s test proved to me was that our education system bites the big one. We have failed countless generations of kids.

  • Common sense

    Don’t support PETA and their ridiculous methods. Support The Humane Society if you care about animals.

  • http://www.chaoticfat.com ChaoticFat

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the gentlman/spokesman for PETA a Gay man. How about we go back to testing gay people to prove they are fit to live in society; give me a break it’s insulting that Michael Vick had to take a psychological test and an MRI brain scan to prove his worthiness to be treated like a human being.

    Hey, how about we go back to this:

    In the early 1950s, there was a near consensus in North America that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals were mentally disordered individuals engaging in obscene, perverted sexual behavior. Same-gender sexual behavior was considered a criminal act in all jurisdictions. “The legal penalties for homosexual behavior were severe. The psychiatric diagnosis was severe and pervasive emotional disorder. There were simply no [available] scientific data about non-imprisoned, non-patient homosexuals.”

    WE CANNOT CONDEMN MICHAEL VICK FOREVER!

  • Huck

    PETA is a bunch of sick people with no life! Michael Vick was worng for his crimes and he paid for them by losing a 100 million dollar contract, millions of dollars of endorsements and served jail time! These psychiatric testing is just unacceptable!

    I think there is a racial overtone to the whole deal! As an African-American, hearing about and seeing “DOGS” being sicked on Civil Rights protesters mostly woman,who were older at the time made me really hate dogs! To add further to my point; A Los Angeles store clerk in South Central shot and killed a teenaged black girl in the back of the head for some “ORANGE JUICE” and the judge sentence her 6 months probation! That same judge sentence a “Whit man” 1 year in jail for running over a dog and not turning around to see about the animal. PETA is making a big fuss for nothing! Human beings are over any animal! Period! Let Mike Vick resume his life!

  • http://www.veganjapan.net herwin

    if he really suddenly thinks different and regrets his sick behaviour, he should make a public statement about it and encourage everybody to stop dogfighting.

    Huck, dont say stupid things like “peta is making a fuss over nothing”, maybe for you its nothing, but for the animals, and many people its a big deal.

    and please HELLOOOOOO, its 2009, wake up, the Civil Rights protests are history and things did change , okay ?

    for me, the guy is scum, although i sincerely hope he did change.

  • Adriana

    He electrocuted and drowned dogs. This is not a case of mild neglect we’re talking about here. I don’t think sensitivity training is going to help, though I wish it could.

  • Pingback: Michael Vick Gets a C- on his Empathy for Animals Test - The Results are In | EcoSilly

  • http://home.myspace.com/luciferismydog Art Grissom

    How would any of you like to be locked up for two years? Leave the guy alone, animals die all the time. Pitbulls were bred to fight and most people hate the damn dogs. Then your going to bitch about it now? I could care less about Michael Vick, I hated the dude for many years and still because I’m a panthers fan. I just think PETA is a bunch of morons. They get mad and not work with people for wearing fur coats and now they want to work with Michael Vick.

  • Pingback: Michael Vick Gets a C- on his Empathy for Animals Test - The Results are In | Go Green Park

  • pATa

    1. PETA receives alot of money from donors. So when you say that it’s PETA’s money…not so.
    2. Vick has never shown any remorse for the animals that he killed and abused. It is well documented.
    3. If PETA supports his returning to the NFL,they are crazier than I thought.

  • http://www.remyc.com RemyC

    Gimme a break… NFL… Killer instinct? We PAY these guys to be ruthless, emotionless killing machines. Look at OJ… Their entire careers are based on hurting the other guy, and withstanding intense pain themselves. You don’t do that by having empathy for “anything”… In fact you become successful by deadening yourself to the world. Emotions are not your friend, they are your enemy in football.

    In a perfect society, we’d do away with the sport entirely, but we’re not going to change human nature. We might educate humans into trying to live in harmony for the biological systems of the Earth, so our species can stand a minute chance of survival, but it’s going to take millenia before homo-electromagneticus joins the Galactic Federation of intelligences which uses their consciousness to emote different space time variations.

  • http://ecorazzi.om Judith G.

    This guy is a sociopath. He will NEVER be rehabilitated! He is a dangerous man and and for the writer to say ‘leave the guy alone”? Are you completely out of your mind? The world hates this guy. I know, he should hook up with Sarah Palin…they could kill defenseless animals together. If he is allowed to play football again, the team that hires him will lose credibility. The 49ers have already said NO! Huck ,you have a lot of problems. i suggest a good therapist, or maybe just you should just go away.

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  • Ken

    They be teaching english real good at virginia tech

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