Remember Mike Vick? He’s the left-handed (such an important detail) quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, occasional target of shameless race-baiting and, of course, the guy who forced pit bulls to fight to the death for sport. Well he has a dog now.

How did we let this happen, Internet? I thought we were on top of this kind of stuff. Are we going to get caught sleeping while Jerry Sandusky somehow adopts a child from prison? At least some eagle-eyed internetters were able to spot  a box of Milk Bones in a photo that Vick tweeted of he and his daughter studying.But we were too late, he’s already brutally slaughtered the canine and plans to wear its pelt during this Sunday’s game agains the Lions.

Just kidding, the (still unseen) dog is fine and Vick released this statement:

“I understand the strong emotions by some people about our family’s decision to care for a pet. As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals. I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God’s creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family. This is an opportunity to break the cycle. To that end, I will continue to honor my commitment to animal welfare and be an instrument of positive change.”

Obviously, this is not really a big deal. Vick did his time, he’s got a family to look after and he’s highly unlikely he’ll ever harm another animal again. But neglecting the opportunity to post a picture of adorable pit bulls pups is nearly as egregious an offense of making them do battle…nearly.

(via Deadspin)