Autopsy: Vicks Fighting Dogs Fought Back

RICHMOND, VA - Autopsy records of one on the pit bulls killed in the Michael Vick dog fighting case indicate the animal may have fought back against its handlers. The image of what appears to be the top two joints of a human finger was found on a x-ray of 'Jane', a female pit bull killed at the 'Bad Newz Kennels'. The Daily Redundancy obtained the records from a reputable source in the Justice Department who asked not to be identified.

"In all likelihood it's human." said Dr. Harold Greenman, professor of Veterinary Forensics at Howyflyl University. "It's impossible to 100 percent sure without a tissue sample, but judging from the bone structure it's definitely from a primate, and I would think the chances of this animal coming into contact with a monkey are pretty remote."

A check of hospitals and clinics within 50 miles of Smithfield, VA (location of the kennel) revealed 17 finger amputation patients near the time of the incident. Most of the patients listed farming or industrial incidents as causes for the injuries, none were documented as dog bites. However, 8 of the patients did not bring the amputated portion of the finger for reattachment.

"You really couldn't tell just by the examination." said Dr. Ted Browning, Emergency Surgeon at nearby Memorial Hospital, when asked how to identify a finger amputated by a dog. "It would look about the same if it were bitten off by a dog or snipped off by a combine."

A review of the booking records indicate Vick and his three co-defendants were not missing any digits at the time of fingerprinting. "From its position in the digestive tract it must have been bitten off close to the time of death." said Greenman. "Unless someone comes forward, or more arrests are made, we may never know who's it is."

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