Everyone loves good comeback story but a Pittsburgh animal shelter has one exception, Michael Vick.
The 35-year old running back has returned to the NFL after serving 21 months of prison time for running a dog fighting ring in near his home in 2007. The American football star reportedly started the den in 2001.
Now, Michael Vick is starting a new football and continuing his football career by signing with Pittsburgh Steelers. It is not just fans of the team who were disappointed by this move by Steelers, even the organizations around the city.
Because of Vick's presence, a local animal shelter decided to cancel their annual Paw Prints fund-raising gala. The event is now on its sixth year and scheduled on October 17 at Heinz Field.
"(Vick) is a football player in their eyes. In our eyes, he is an animal abuser," Ann Yeager, the rescue league's director of marketing told TribLive.
In its Facebook page, the group also said Michael Vick do not have the right to continue a high profile career.
"While we understand that Mr. Vick has made an effort to atone for his past mistakes and has worked to help strengthen animal abuse laws, we do not believe that it is appropriate for him to continue a high-profile and influential public career," the rescue league said in its post.
While the Pittsburgh animal shelter hasn't moved on from Michael Vick's animal abuse history, Pittsburgh Steelers co-owner Art Rooney believes he is a changed man. This is after they had a sincere discussion before they made an offer for him.
"We sat down with Mike before we signed him and really tried to evaluate his sincerity and what he's done since he's been back in the league with the other teams and came to the conclusion that he's made a sincere attempt to reform his life and be a good family man, raising three children," Rooney said via CBS Pittsburgh.
"We were satisfied that he's tried to do the right thing, he's doing the right thing and so we felt like he is someone that we were comfortable having on the team."
