Fake Vick ad raises hackles of local SPCA

Today’s valuable lesson: Just because 865 people Digged it, that doesn’t make it true. Specifically, we’re talking about an ad purported to be from the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, thanking NFL quarterback Michael Vick for adopting 14 pit bulls after Hurricane Katrina. (One or two of you might have heard that Vick is accused of bankrolling dogfights.) Apparently this attempt at dark comedy has gotten heavy circulation on the Internet, especially via the aforementioned Digg.com posting. The urban myth debunkers at Snopes.com have weighed in, letting everyone know that what looks like a crudely Photoshopped fake is actually, well, a crudely Photoshopped fake. Meanwhile, the Virginia Beach SPCA isn’t exactly laughing about being falsely linked to a guy who reportedly OK’d the electrocution of underperforming dogs.

—Posted by David Griner

July 31, 2007 in Griner | Permalink