Daisy and Lili gingerly padded around the fenced-in backyard yesterday afternoon, still a little nervous at their new surroundings.
The sweet-tempered pit bulls rescued from the stable of fighting dogs once overseen by former NFL standout Michael Vick are still shaking off their traumatic experience, said Catalina Stirling, a longtime advocate for ill-treated animals and the dogs' new foster "mom."
"I've worked with a lot of abused dogs," Stirling said. "But these dogs had really shut down."
Anything but aggressive, caramel-colored Daisy and Lili arrived for a temporary stay at Stirling's Western Maryland home last month completely docile. A still-shy Lili had initially been so frightened that workers at a temporary shelter put a tent inside her personal kennel to reassure her.
A federal court handed three dogs over to Recycled Love Inc., a volunteer nonprofit organization based in Baltimore devoted to saving unwanted dogs and cats. Until Friday, groups in Utah, Georgia, California, Maryland and elsewhere had been unable to provide details about the 47 dogs taken from Vick and placed in their care because of a court gag order.
Concerned about someone who might want to steal a "Vick dog," Recycled Love nevertheless allowed a reporter and photographer to visit two dogs on the condition that their new hometown not be disclosed. A third dog is in the Baltimore area, officials said.
Group members believe the two dogs in Western Maryland were used as breeders, and not combatants, for Vick's dogfighting ring. Still, Daisy's snout is flecked with small scars.
It's evidence, dog advocates say, of the rescued dog's rough encounters with other pit bulls.
Motivated by the city's pet overpopulation and cases of abuse, neglect, and abandonment, the animal advocacy group currently has 53 dogs placed in foster homes and has helped hundreds more since its founding three years ago, according to Recycled Love President Paul De Santis.
The news about Vick's Bad Newz Kennels came last year when the Atlanta Falcons quarterback was charged with illegal dogfighting.
Under his watch, poorly performing dogs were killed, often using extreme violence. Vick is now serving a 23-month sentence in federal prison.
Many of the 52 pit bulls seized from Vick's property were examined by experts and placed at a sanctuary in Utah to live out their days. But the others now in the care of other animal groups such as Recycled Love may be ready in the near future for adoption after passing a behavior test.
