Vick claims he likes to snuggle with "Vicky," his new toy poodle.

In what many observers call the handiwork of New York publicist and celebrity crisis manager Howard Rubenstein, Michael Vick bought a toy poodle yesterday.

The white, female toy poodle, Vicky, is eight weeks old and weighs less than two pounds. Vick and
Vicky were seen in several photo-ops yesterday.

His facial expression ranged from a pro wrestler forced to wear a pink dress to slight hints of anger and helplessness.

With seven witnesses set to testify against him, Vick has been meeting with his lawyers about the possibility of striking a plea bargain.

If he chooses to go to trial, several legal analysts
predicted the toy poodle could help temper a jury’s rage over Vick’s alleged animal cruelty.

In legal circles, this is known as “the toy poodle defense.” It has been used many times over the years in an effort to make a defendant seem more caring and human; someone incapable of committing the crime(s) they face.

Mob boss John Gotti invented the toy poodle defense when he started carrying around a toy poodle puppy for news cameras leading up to his trial in the early nineties. While the poodle didn’t get Gotti off, it was widely considered a brilliant move by the defense.

Vick is expected to decide on whether to accept a plea bargain by Friday.