Michael Vick's Pit Bulls to Make Celebrity Appearance in Pacifica

Survivors of Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring will visit Pacifica this weekend.

Three of the NFL player's dogs will be at  from 1p.m. to 4p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, to promote the launch of Philadelphia-based portrait photographer Melissa McDaniel’s new book, “Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Type Dogs – 82 Dogs the Media Doesn’t Want You to Meet” and to raise money for Oakland-based non-profit BADRAP, a rescue organization for Pit Bull type dogs that formed in 1999 to fight euthanizing the animals in the Bay Area and to combat negative stereotypes about the breed.

The dogs, Jonny Justice, Teddles and Uba will be posing for photos and giving paw print “autographs” at the event. BADRAP brought them to the Bay Area with ten other of Vick’s dogs, all subjected to his dog fighting operation, after a federal judge in Virginia cleared their release. Local families adopted all 13 dogs.

Since their move to the Bay Area, each dog earned its Canine Good Citizen Certification, an award given by the American Kennel Club to recognize dogs that have “good manners at home and in the community.” Jonny went on to become a therapy dog for learning disabled children struggling to read.