National Football League

Vick to endorse Humane Society bill

Published Jul. 18, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, continuing his unlikely role as an animal welfare activist, will announce his support Tuesday for legislation making it a crime to attend a dogfighting or cockfighting event.

The NFL star, who was convicted of dogfighting charges in 2007, will join Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States, to endorse the bill.

The Humane Society said Vick’s representatives approached them as he neared the end of his prison sentence in 2009 about the possibility of supporting the charity.

“Vick was a role model for many young people, and he lost everything because of what he did to dogs. Just as former drug addicts are able to reach people struggling with addiction, former dogfighters are some of the most effective voices against this crime,” the charity said on its website.

Vick returned to football soon after he completed an 18-month prison sentence in 2009.

Nike announced earlier this month that it had re-signed an endorsement deal with Vick, citing “the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field.”

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