"I would love to have another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process," Vick said in an interview on TheGrio.com.
Those are the comments stirring up yet more controversy around the country's most talked about quarterback. Vick, convicted of dog-fighting, even admitting to brutalizing dogs with his own hands, now wants one as a pet.
"I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love, and my passion for animals, I think it would be outstanding," Vick said.
The comments come as Vick is experiencing a comeback of epic proportions. Having served nearly 2 years imprisoned, he's now the public face of a successful Philadelphia Eagles squad and the public face of an effort to teach kids what he says he learned the hard way.
Vick now tells rooms full of students dog fighting may be part of a culture, but it's cruel and criminal.
"I think, just from what I've seen him do with some of the organizations, and some of the dog rescues and what he's preached, in time, he should be fair to own a dog again," Center City resident Mark Ray told Action News.
Whether on the field or off, Michael Vick's every action generates strong reaction.
"It's ridiculous for anyone to even consider. He gave up that right," a person named Jacki Dooley responded on the Action News Facebook page.
On the street, though, some dog owners expressed a more sympathetic side.
"I think he's changed, so I don't have a big problem with it," Natalie Solotoff of Center City said.
"Maybe it'll show kids that, he did his time, he messed up and now he gets a second chance to make things right," Ben Nordlane of Center City said.
In the online interview, Vick admits it's not just him, but his daughters that would like a dog, and he says the hardest part is explaining to them that because of his actions, they can't have one.
