Sweet Jasmine, former Vick dog, killed by car
Sweet Jasmine, the former Michael Vick dog taken in by the Baltimore’s rescue group, Recycled Love, was hit by a car last month and killed.
The pit bull that made the cover of Sports Illustrated last year was living in the suburbs with Catalina Stirling, president of Recycled Love. Jasmine was one of three Vick dogs turned over to the Baltimore organization.
No details about the accident have been disclosed.
“Our hearts are heavy with sadness over the loss of our sweet Jasmine,” a blog for Recycled Love reported. “She was recently killed by an automobile in an unfortunate accident. Jasmine touched so many lives in so many ways. Her family is devastated by her passing, but they would like everyone to recognize and celebrate the unmistakable love Jasmine received and the priceless gifts she has given to everyone.”
“Please understand that Catalina, along with the rest of Jasmine’s family, are just beginning to process this loss,” the blog states. “Thank you for allowing time for all to heal.”
One of 51 pit bulls seized from the Michael Vick dog fighting ring bust in 2007, Sweet Jasmine was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated last December. The cover article detailed the ongoing rehabilitation of the Vick pit bulls that were placed in foster care and adoptive homes.
The Recycled Love website provides few details of what happened, but it does contain a letter of condolence sent to Stirling.
“We will never forget Jasmine,” the letter reads. “She is now and forever the poster girl, who in one glossy photograph, challenged millions of people to question the treatment of animals, to reevaluate their own prejudices and to open their eyes to previously unknown, to them, horrors of dog fighting and rampant animal abuse. The world is a better place for Jasmine having been here.”
Posted by jwoestendiek September 18th, 2009 under Muttsblog.
Tags: accident, baltimore, car, catalina stirling, dead, died, dog, dogfighting, dogs, jasmine, killed, michael vick, organization, pit bull, recycled love, rehabilitation, rescue, sweet jasmine, vick
Comments
Comment from dogsense
Time September 18, 2009 at 2:58 pm
That is very sad.However…if this person was approved to adopt this dog, why was it running loose/not on a leash?They really should have known better.
Comment from Sandwoman
Time September 18, 2009 at 7:32 pm
What are the details? I can’t find out who had Jasmine and what the circumstances were that she was out in harm’s way? Very sad and very disturbing.
Comment from Janet
Time September 19, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Accidents are called that for a reason. We can’t control everything in life, no matter how careful. To the people leaving comments – rather than speculate and criticize, realize that Jasmine had a lot of love in her life for the first time, and that her adoptive family is grieving. I hope such accidental tragedy never strikes any of your lives.
Comment from Lorraine
Time September 20, 2009 at 11:00 am
Please do not judge without facts. Even dogs with the best of owners – not perfect but as watchful as a human can humanly be – get struck by cars or have other accidents. Dogs can fly between our legs as we open a door, we can forget to latch a gate properly, dogs can dig under a fence in 10 minutes, they can be car obsessed, they can decide to go through a window or screen, a leash or collar can suddenly break, etc. No one lives in a dog’s head and knows all. Even great dog owners cannot prevent all accidents. I offer my sympathies to Jasmine’s grieving family and friends for their great loss. She was a beautiful and obviously very sweet girl.
Comment from jen
Time September 21, 2009 at 11:19 am
I did have something I wanted to add and direct it to the people who made the comments about having Jasmine on a leash and maybe you could somehow pass it on.
Those comments were awful. It doesn’t matter who the owner of Jasmine is. The point is that the family loved her very much, and *that puppy knew it*. Those comments about leashes were inappropriate and hurtful. None of us knows the whole story.
I grew up on a farm in Monkton. We didn’t have a lot of property, but we backed up to hundreds and hundreds of acres. Depending on where we were going, it was sometimes easier and faster to ride our horses than to drive. One of the people who lived on the farm property had a Keeshond. He was the sweetest dog ever and very well trained. He had the farm to himself and was very respectful of the other animals that lived there.
Barge was always hot. Even in a blizzard, he would pant. His favorite spot to lie down and keep cool was underneath his owner’s Volvo in the dirt driveway. One day, the owner accidently backed up over Barge. Miraculously, Barge was just fine. The owner was a mess. After that, he always called Barge’s name to make sure Barge was out from under the car. For years, the owner called, and for years Barge got out from under the car. One day, the owner forgot. It completely slipped his mind, and he backed over Barge and killed him. Of course, it was not an immediate death. It was crueler than that. Barge had severe internal injuries and was in a lot of pain and died before he could be euthanized or at least administered any pain meds.
The man was not very good with people, but he did love his dog. Not too long after that. The man began to drink and take drugs and was very angry toward the few people he did speak to. He isolated himself and felt so terrible about killing his dog, he eventually had a stroke.
I realize those posters have their own opinions. I’d like to see them apologize to the owner of Sweet Jasmine. I think they should write a check to Recycled Love as a way of acknowledging that their comments were completely inappropriate.
Comment from kelly
Time November 8, 2009 at 12:01 am
jasmine touched so many people with her strenght and courage. what a tragic ending to her life. thank god she was loved and had a wonderful life during her final days.
Comment from Marie
Time September 18, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I am so sorry to hear of this dogs passing. It is such a shame that the dog made it through that hell only to be killed by accident. Please ALWAYS keep your dog on a leash when not in a safe enclosed space. It only takes a second for tragedy to strike.