Activist whose rescue group bought former Vick property faces cruelty charges
Former Pennsylvania anti-chaining activist Tamira Thayne whose group, Dogs Deserve Better, purchased Michael Vick's compound in southern Virgnia is now herself the subject of a cruelty investigation
Activist whose rescue group bought former Vick property faces cruelty charges
Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer
Former Pennsylvania anti-chaining activist Tamira Thayne, whose group purchased Michael Vick's compound in southern Virginia for a rehab center for rescue dogs, is now herself the subject of a cruelty investigation
Thayne, formely of Blair County, Pa., said the Surry County Animal Control officers seized a pit bull in her care after complaints about her facility.
Surry County Chief Animal Control Officer Tracy Terry told the Associated Press her office received complaints that led to an investigation, and the results prompted her to file the charges Friday. She declined to say specifically what led to the charges, but said Thayne should not be surprised.
They also said Thayne was operating her kennel without proper permits.
A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
Thayne said she was "distraught" over the allegations and invited the public to visit her facility where she said nine dogs lived under the supervision of three caretakers.
"All I can say is that they are bogus charges," Thayne said in an email. "Our dogs are beautiful and healthy and loved."
The pitbull, Jada, that was removed on Monday, is now being housed in the same animal control facility that housed - and mysteriously lost noted Thayne - one of dozens of fighting dogs once chained to tire axles at the 15-acre Vick compound.
Thayne said Jada was in fine health and posted photos, including the one above taken shortly before Jada was taken away, on her Facebook page.
Thayne, who in 2010 spent 54 days chained to a dog house on the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg in an unsuccessful effort to win passage of a bill banning round-the-clock chaining, points out that Vick was never charged with animal cruelty by the same animal control office, although he would later admit to torturing and killing animals that did not perform.
Vick, now the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, spent 18 months in federal prison on federal charges stemming from his role in running an interstate dog fighting ring.
He ran the ring from his five-bedroom home and 15-acre property in a rural county northwest of Norfolk. Thayne's organization bought the former Bad Newz Kennels last year and renamed it Good Newz Rehab Center to help chained and penned dogs.
No charges brought against Vick by the Surry County Animal Control, but an animal rights activist is charged with cruelty?— Boru- You racist show your true colors everytime one of you get caught, you come up with all kinds of excuses. LOL LOL LOL it is just too funny. Her own worker told on her and what she e was doing with the dog and she white. You don't have to
worry about the animal abuse charges (we know you don't care about the welfare of dogs unless you think Vick is involved. She be doing time for Fraud and theft of funds for the purpose of using for vacations and personal expenses. Not any of the money was used for dogs, 8,000 a month from donations for 8 dogs that she never took care of she was too busy vacationing on your donations you dummy.— Blessed8251 - "one of dozens of fighting dogs once chained to tire axels"
"tire axels" ??
maybe you should invest in a dictionary.
first of all, it's "axle". Axel is a Scandinavian name.
secondly, tires don't have axles. Wheels do.— ekw555 - it is clear that this charge is motivated by something else and someone doesn't want her facility there. Totally bogus.— squirrel
- Someone chained the dog to a figure skating jump?— OnlySaneGuyLeftInTheRoom
- Non-story.— IcanTakeit
- However you feel about Mike Vick, don't imply that he got off easy.— Phillies
- He got off easy. I didn't imply. 18 months for running a dog fighting business and torturing and murdering ones that didn't perform is not a stiff sentence. he is a psychopath who will say anything to get his money and adulation back. anyone who thinks his penalty was too harsh is morally bankrupt. vick has no conscience. can ownership or the fans who buy tickets physically torture him when he underperforms for all his millions?— wilcowaits
- 18 months in Levenworth for running a dog fighting business and torturing and murdering ones that didnt perform is about the stiffest sentence ever handed down in America for such crimes. I don't necessarily think it's too harsh, but I do know that he could not legally have been given a harsher penalty and people convicted of manslaughter have served less time. I'd say he certainly didn't get off easy. If you don't think he's genuine about his turnaround, that's your opinion and maybe you're right but what I stated above is a fact. — Phillies
- Just to set record straight, he was convicted of funding business but not of killing and torturing dogs directly which he admitted to later. He lied to federal investigators about his involvement on multiple occasions, and about testing positive for marijuana after his arrest. He could of and should have done more time if more charges had been brought. Electrocution and drowning...Vick has a heart that he can turn off, or maybe he is the Tin Man. — wilcowaits
- — squirrel, thank you, agreed.— bucky95
- You're correct Squirrel. Bet this church has something to do with it.http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979063878— The_Unknown-Poster
- From the article. What a nice way for church people to behave. It's a no brainer as to why they didn't mind what Vick was doing.
Across the street from the property is a church, and one of the parishioners is very vocal in the fact that he DOES NOT WANT a dog rehab center there. He says he is concerned about the smell and noise that the dogs could bring.
Gee, where was all this "concern" when Vick was living there, torturing dogs for fun and profit?
Johnson says it is because it is a small church frequented by an African American congregation. "What if this were a mega church? What if this were a church where the congregrgation was predominately non-African American?
— The_Unknown-Poster - I guess you missed the part that said a Caucasian woman told on her. So don't get twisted or try to twist it. This tramp has nothing to do with Vick it is about you people manipulating and lying and wanting to get away with something you wanted to hang a black man for, but have no problem with your own doing it. Hypocrites and liars — Blessed8251
- I think Vick received an extraordinarily harsh sentence, especially when you consider interstate dogfighting was a federal misdemeanor at the time his crimes were exposed. While the torture and execution of a dozen-plus dogs is nauseating, it doesn't make the punishment any more just when you consider millions of dogs are put down each year for no reason at all.
I did not care for Vick before he was prosecuted and jailed but now I respect and root for him. I think it's remarkable that he saw his way through prison, paid his debts, rebuilt his career and put in a ton of time to anti-dogfighting initiatives. Regardless of his motivations, that shows a ton of maturity and accountability. I can understand why some people will never get past the cruelty and depravity of his crimes but when a man is given a harsher sentence for killing dogs than others have received for third degree murder or rape, I'd say he has paid his dues and then some.
— Ollie Brown
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