hey guys i was just wondering where you guys stand on this new law maryland is proposing. it is sopoesed to be for viscious dogs and pit bulls, but seems to be almost only breed specific. it goes like this:
CRIMINAL LAW - PIT BULLS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS
FOR the purpose of including certain dogs defined as pit bulls within
the
definition of "dangerous dogs" in certain provisions of law that
apply to
owners of dangerous dogs; ......
10-619.
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings
indicated.
(2) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that:
(i) without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a
person
(ii) is determined by the appropriate unit of a county or municipal
corporation under subsection (c) of this section to be a potentially
dangerous dog and after the determination is made:
1. Bites a person
2. when not on the owner's property, kills or inflicts severe injury
on a
domestic animal
3. attacks without provocation; OR
(III) IS A PIT BULL
(3) "PIT BULL" MEANS A DOG THAT:
(I) IS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BREEDS:
1. BULL TERRIER
2. AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER
3. STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER
4. AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER
5. AMERICAN BULLDOG ; OR
(II) IS OF MIXED BREED BUT PREDOMINANTLY POSSESSES THE APPEARANCE AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE OF THE BREEDS SPECIFIED IN ITEM (I) OF THIS
PARAGRAPH..........
(d) A dog owner may not:
(1) leave a dangerous dog unattended on the owner's property
unless the
dog is:
(i) confined indoors
(ii) in a securely enclosed and locked pen; or
(iii) in another structure designed to restrain the dog; or
(2) allow a dangerous dog to leave the owner's real property unless
the dog
is leashed and muzzled or is otherwise restrained and muzzled.
alright here are my thoughts yes anyone that has a dangerous dog should take care of the problem, but a dog is not dangerous just because of what breed it is. the only dog that i am personally afriad of is my friends chow, but its not a pitbull. did you know that the chow is a pit fighting dog? did you know that a sharpeii is a pit figing dog? they are both perfectly legal. did you know that the labrador retriever breed all color combined has the highest bite incedence with humans? yet they are perfectly legal. ever heard of a dogo argintino? well they are bigger then pitbull and bred to bite people, but they are legal.
yes i realize that humans have ruined the pit bull breed, and that many people are afraid of them because of stereotypes, but that are not inherently evil dogs. breed specific legislation is wrong.
as a disclamer, i think that any kind of dog fighting for entertainment is gross and horrilbe, and do not condone it in any way.