In the summer of 2008 I was doing some research on the NFL when I came across a short news article about the dogs from Bad Newz Kennels, Michael Vick’s fighting operation. Up to that moment I had only a vague recollection that these dogs had been spared and no idea about what had become of them since. The item explained that they were being rehabilitated with the hope that they could be adopted.

    This bit of news immediately raised a number of questions in my mind. Most prominently: How do you rehabilitate fighting dogs and what do they mean by adopt? Certainly they couldn’t mean that after a little TLC these dogs would be placed in houses and neighborhoods with kids and other dogs, could they? What had these dogs gone through from the time they’d been confiscated until now? Clearly, there was a behind-the-scenes story to be told. Unfortunately, I also sensed that the story was not right for Sports Illustrated, where I work. The magazine has a proud history of expanding the bounds of what would be considered sports, but I feared the connection to Vick and the NFL was a bit too remote even for SI.

    Still, I could not stop thinking about the case. I began poking around in my spare time and got a sense what was going on—how far these dogs had come and how hard a large group of people had worked to get them there. The story kept getting better. Finally, I decided I had to pitch the idea to my bosses. I figured they’d say no, but I hoped they would then permit me to write about the topic for another magazine. To my surprise and delight, they embraced the idea and two months later the story appeared on the cover of December 28th issue.

   While researching the piece I’d been struck by both the resiliency of the dogs and the dedication of the people who rescued them, and when the story appeared, readers responded to those qualities as well. The magazine received almost 400 letters and emails, more than it got for any other story in 2008 or 2009. A book editor called and asked about expanding the piece. I was uncertain at first, but the magazine article and the overwhelming response to it had been the most satisfying experience of my career. Ultimately, the opportunity to tell a more complete story, to detail the struggles and triumphs, both human and canine, convinced me to go forward.

    In the process I’ve come to appreciate pit bulls, a breed I previously knew only from the negative headlines about them, and dog rescuers, who toil in anonymity based only on the desire to help other creatures. I’ve learned more about dogs than I ever thought I would know, and more about people, both good and bad, than I ever hoped to. My hope, is that The Lost Dogs will bring some semblance of that experience to those who read it.

—Jim Gorant  July, 2010