The Indictment Says
- Vick and his co-defendants began the dogfighting operation in early 2001.
- Dogfights were held at the Virginia property and dog owners brought animals from six states, including New York and Texas.
- Fights staged on the Surry County premises had purses of as much as $20,000 or more at times.
- The formation of Bad Newz Kennels and testing of the dogs began in early 2002. According to the indictment, one of the dogs did not fight well and was shot to death with a .22 caliber pistol.
- In March 2003, after a pit bull from Bad Newz Kennels lost in a fight, it was executed by wetting it with water and electrocuting it.
- In April 2007 approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in testing were killed by "hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."
Michael Vick Says
Initially Vick didn't say much.-- "I'm never at the house," he said on April 27. "I left the house with my family members and my cousin. They just haven't been doing the right thing."
After that, we didn't hear from him again until after his first court appearance, which was on July 26.
-- "Today in court I pleaded innocent to the allegations made against me. I take the charges very seriously, and I look forward to clearing my good name. I respectfully ask all of you to hold your judgment until all of the facts are shown. Above all, I'd like to say to my mom I'm sorry for what she has had to go through in this most trying of times. It has caused pain to my family and I apologize to my family. I also want to apologize to my Falcons teammates for not being with them at the beginning of spring training."
