Last year's ruling by Maryland's highest court made pit bull owners and landlords strictly liable for dog bites without previous evidence of a dog being dangerous. The court's decision caused an outcry from pet owners and animal rights activists who said it ruled out a single breed and made it harder for homeless pit bulls to be adopted.
Opponents also said the strict liability standard on landlords forced pet owners to choose between their pets and their homes.
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16 comments:
In 2005 I was hiking in Arizona with my Pit Bull.He weighed about 90 pounds.I was unarmed,stupid me.Without any warning a mountain lion came from out of nowhere and tackled my dog,knocking him down.My PB had just barely enough time to stand up and square off with the ML before he attacked again.What ensued was the most intense 30 second (or so) fight that I have ever witnessed,after which the ML took off running.My PB had a pretty bad cut on the back of his neck,but not life threatening.I absolutely believe he saved my life.
I'm fine with just about any law they would like to impose on dog owners. All that I ask is that it spans all breads. Don't make breed specific laws.
- Friendly PitBull Owner
10:59AM...I had a similar experience (not with a ml though) ....If it hadn't been for my dog coming to my rescue, I would have been attacked while out walking minding my own business. Another time, my buddy saved me from being bitten by a snake which turned out to be dangerous. I would trust my dog more so than most people!!!!!
Dogs truly are "man's best friend."
I too am all for any pet owner having to have the responsibility placed on them immediately when a dog attack occurs. MD was one of the few states left in the country in which the victim had to prove that the owner knew the dog was dangerous before damages could be collected. Most dog owners never challenged this and did the responsible thing and immediately paid without question the victim's medical bills without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom but it seems quite a few owners of pits and pit mixes weren't so responsible hence the appeals court ruling.
Next on the list what to do about the number of pit and pit mixes in animal shelters and the 1000's euthanized a year. Some shelters report 85% of dogs in their facility are pit and pit mixes. It's a problem that can't be adopted it's way out of anymore. It's grown too exponentially.
Pit bulls are bread for fighting in a "Pit", their bread so they are very agressive, a true fighter. Every Drug Dealer has one to protect his stock, he has one for an attack dog. If a known fighting animal is in the home then the owners should be resposciable for whom it attacks. If I have Rattle snakes as pets, I'm an idiot, for having such a known dangerous animal in my home, but if I do have them, then I should be held resposciable for whom he bites. You want to own dangerous things, then be willing to pay for the privilage.
This is stupid anyway. The landlord shouldn't be held responsible if he doesn't know the dog is dangerous.
On the other hand, if neighbors complain to him about the dog threatening them and he doesn't do something about it, then he's no better than the dog owner. How is that any different if his renter is dealing drugs and he knows it?
This should not be breed specific. All dogs can be dangerous with the right circumstances. I got bit when I was 14 by some kind of large short-haired dog. I think it was some kind of "pointer."
I don't know about you but fighting bread needs to be outlawed. Can't a man just make a sandwich in peace.
3:35 I agree that it would be the resposciable thing to do.
I agree I have seen the most undesirable people in the world own these dogs and that's the problem. For those responsible owners who truly love the bread-LOL, they need to step forward and do something about this problem otherwise the government is going to do it for them. Unwanted pits have become a hugh financial drain on shelters everywhere and again it's now too hugh of a problem to be adopted it's way out of.
I am all for the controlled baking and sale of "responciable bread",and am ready to hold the bake sale at my yard! LET'S EAT!
It's the owner, not the breed...
Any dog can and would attack under certain circumstances. Responsible owners socialize their pets just as they would in teaching children. It is tragic that a small group of thugs and owners who don't take care or love their pets and treat them so harshly and abusively have made it so difficult for this bred. They are the ones who should never be allowed to own pets and the Humane Society needs to see that the dogs are safe from these people. Pits are the most faithful, intelligent dogs I have ever seen. Any and all dogs deserve to be loved,consistently trained,given food, shelter, and a safe warm dry place to rest. To single out Pits is just plain wrong!
"Anonymous said...
It's the owner, not the breed...
January 18, 2013 at 8:03 PM"
Not quite true. Every dog breed has inherent character traits-some wonderful, some not so wonderful. Retriever breeds have a tendency to want to retrieve, those in the herding class have a desire to herd. Life Stock Guardians are happiest when they have a flock to look after. Hounds share an ancestrial trait to hunt and have an acute scenting ability and they love to pick up and follow a trail.
All the training and love in the world often will not override a dog's inherent traits.
A failure to understand and accept this by some people is a major contributor to overpopulation and dogs being surrender to shelters.
"Responsible owners socialize their pets just as they would in teaching children."
A great point 8:56 and a most important one. This esp true for the breeds classified as "guard dogs." This includes German Shepards, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Boxers and others. They tend to be fearless as opposed to another class of "watch dog" which had the tendancy to be mostly bark but not so much bite.
black guys and hooded sweat shirts. few wear them and commit crimes, so do we expect ALL black guys who wear them to commit crimes? white guys who shave their heads. few white supremacy groups do it so do ALL white guys who shave their heads are racist?
Not a good analogy 9:46. What you are saying is like saying you got bitten by a dog wearing a blue collar therefore all dogs in blue collars shouldn't be stigmatized.
We're talking genetics here. Like you got traits from both of your parents. If your fathers a Black Lab and your mother's a German Shepard you are going to have the traits and personalities among other things of both of these dogs. Maybe not all the traits, but some and some stronger than others.
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