Hector -- one of about 50 pit bulls that were subjected to lives of cages, torture and violence on the estate of Michael Vick -- now enjoys a rhinestone collar, classical music, peanut butter chews and a loving foster home in California, according an Associated Press story about his transition.

The 52-pound dog, who still bears scars from his previous life, is shown here at his new home -- that of Leslie Nuccio's and her roommate, Danielle White and their three other dogs.

"I wish he could let us know what happened to him," Nuccio, the big tan dog's foster mother said of the dog seized from the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback's Bad Newz Kennels.

Vick is serving a 23-month federal sentence after admitting he bankrolled the dogfighting operation and helped kill at least six dogs. Three co-defendants also pleaded guilty and were sentenced. The four now face state animal cruelty charges.

The last of them, Oscar Allen, who sold a champion pit bull to Vick's dogfighting operation, was sentenced Friday on a federal dogfighting charge. With that, the gag order that was keeping publicity about the dogs under wraps was lifted -- so you can expect media coverage about them throughout the week.

Nearly half have been sent to a Utah sanctuary, Best Friends Animal Society, where the media has been invited to see them later this week. The rest went to several other groups, including Recycled Love in Baltimore. As part of his plea deal, Vick agreed to pay for the dogs' care.

Hector was one of the Vick dogs taken by a pit bull rescue and education group in Oakland, California called Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls, or BAD RAP.

The AP story says Hector is settling into his new life, and getting further and further from his past. Weekly "canine good citizen" classes are correcting his social ineptitude. And he's taking cues on good manners from patient Pandora, a female pit bull mix who's queen of the household's dogs. Once Hector graduates, he'll take classes to become a certified therapy dog.