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Good Newz rehab center takes shape on former Vick property

Second chances. We heard that a lot after Michael Vick was freed from federal prison after being convicted for running an illegal dog fighting ring. We heard it again even more loudly when Vick came to Philadelphia this time two years ago.

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Good Newz rehab center takes shape on former Vick property

POSTED: Monday, August 22, 2011, 8:44 AM

Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer

Second chances.

We heard that a lot after Michael Vick was freed from federal prison after being convicted for running an illegal dog fighting ring. We heard it again even more loudly when Vick came to Philadelphia this time two years ago.

Vick never gave the dogs that he brought to his southern Virginia dog fighting compound a second chance. He admitted participating in the fighting and in the brutal torture and killing of an untold number of dogs who failed in the fighting ring.

Today, dogs who suffered their whole lives at the end of a chain are getting a second chance for a happier life and in the interim have found a safe haven on Vick's old property.

The infamous Bad Newz Kennel in Surry, Va., is being transformed by the former Pennsylvania-based group Dogs Deserve Better, into a shelter and rehabilitation center.

It's name: Good Newz Rehab Center for Chained and Penned Dogs.

This spring founder Tamira Thayne - in a heckuva social media fundraising effort - cobbled together enough cash to purchase the property. Since arriving last month, Thayne has installed fencing and ripped up the plush white car[et in Vick's old mansion replacing it with dog-friendly rubber matting.

Current canine residents have the run of the mansion where the principle furniture style is Kurunda bed - those neat, elevated canvas dog cots popular in shelters.

More from the Newport News Daily Press here.

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About this blog

Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here. Reach Amy at aworden@phillynews.com.