Vick house could become animal center

SURRY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - A non-profit organization called Dogs Deserve Better wants to use Michael Vick's former Surry County house as an animal rehab center.

This weekend, the NFL named Vick as the Comeback Player of the Year. After a federal dogfighting conviction and nearly two years in jail, his career is flying high.

But after all this time, the Surry County home at the center of his fall from grace lies empty and unsold.

Dogs Deserve Better has taken its campaign to raise money to buy the property off Moonlight Road to Facebook .

The organization hopes to have the $600,000 needed by the middle of next month.

Esther Williams, who runs the volunteer-based Rainbow Animal Rescue in Norfolk, supports the plan.

"Its kind of tainted so I think if they turned it into something good - that would change the perception," said Williams. "This I'm assuming would be a well organized rehab center where they're going to have behaviorists and trainers that can resocialize these dogs, the ones that have problems."

She believes the rural setting, wide open spaces, and centralized location is a plus.

"Animal Control, they have to take anything that comes in. They can only take so many. Once they run out of space, then they have to start euthanizing and they're some really, really good dogs that are being put down," said Williams.

The owner listed for the property in county records is Todd Builders Incorporated.