Eagles propose animal welfare campaign

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A month after signing convicted dog fighter Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles have proposed a campaign to combat animal abuse, officials said.

Eagles players and cheerleaders would visit schools and neighborhood events and sports trading cards would be printed featuring players and their pets, a draft of the plan showed.

An animal-care van would promote the adoption of homeless animals, encourage people to report animal abuse and to have their pets spayed and neutered, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday.

Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue, praised part of the plan but said offering Eagles players for fundraisers would fail.

"They have to get players out to prove they love animals?" Smith said. "Last year, the Eagles didn't care about helping animals."

The Eagles plan does not mention backup quarterback Vick, who served a 23-month sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring.