Ever wonder what happened to the poor dogs that had to deal with Michael Vick’s idea of “training?”

In 2008, Best Friends Animal Society rescued 22 fighting dogs from Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is an amazing rescue shelter in Angel Canyon, Utah. It used to be featured on a weekly television program and several years back was the subject of a best-selling book entitled “Best Friends.”

It is one of the most meaningful books I’ve ever read, and a real eye opener for anyone who loves animals.

The people involved include a symphony conductor, who took the Best Friends message of kindness to the world, a veterinarian to whom time meant nothing when an animal was in need, and an architect who designed a “gated community” for dogs, and “luxury housing” for needy cats.

It developed into an unbelievable, “non-kill” sanctuary “home” for animals that had nowhere else to turn.

I couldn’t watch one episode of the TV show without drawing out some tears, and the book, written by Samantha Glen, absolutely astounded me to realize there were people in this world who were content to spend their lives rescuing animals in extreme need of a true friend.

When the law finally caught up with Vick and his fellow dog haters, Best Friends offered a new hope for the 22 dogs they brought back to their incredible sanctuary. While many people thought these dogs were damaged goods and should be euthanized, Best Friends believed they deserved a chance after the nightmares they went through, and they set out to prove it!

The staff worked with the dogs until the animals learned to trust and love both humans and dogs again.

Many of the dogs went on to find loving new homes and live the normal life a dog is supposed to live.

Incredibly, the folks at Best Friends hosted an actual reunion for a few of the dogs in 2013...and the result was a disbelief that these dogs really had been taught to hate each other and fight to the death a few years earlier.

It is easier to accept the amazing outcome after reading the book, “Best Friends.” and understanding that loving treatment can work wonders, even in the animal world.

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A friend e-mailed this statement to me and credits it to Jay Leno. It sort of makes me remember why I miss him on television in the evenings.

“With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, flooding, mud slides, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to the other, the threat of bird flu, and terrorist attacks, are we sure that this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?”

“If you do think it’s the right time, just go ahead and delete this. The rest of us should really pass it on!”