Legislative Pit Bull Task Force Formed

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Legislative Pit Bull Task Force Formed

Annapolis, MD - 5/31/2012

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By Dick Myers

A ten-person legislative task force has been established to address the recent Maryland Court of Appeals 4-3 decision declaring pits bulls to be “inherently dangerous.” The ruling has animal welfare groups up in arms and causing a large outpouring of pressure for the legislature to address the issue.

The task force was formed yesterday by Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D: Calvert) and House Speaker Michael Bush (D: Anne Arundel). The task force will be headed by Se, Brian Frosh (D: Montgomery) and Del. Curtis Anderson (D: Baltimore). Task force members and their contact information, according to Sen. Miller’s office in Annapolis, are:

Sen. Brian Frosh

410-841-3124

Brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us

Sen. Joseph Getty

410-841-3683

410-374-3881

Joseph.getty@senate.state.md.us

Sen. Lisa Gladden

410-841-3697

410-367-5811

Lisa.gladden@senate.state.md.us

Sen. Jamie Raskin

410-841-3634

Jamie.raskin@senate.state.md.us

Sen. Norman Stone

410-841-3587

410-288-5270

Norman.stone@senate.state.md.us

Del. Curtis Anderson

Del. Eric Bromwell

Eric.bromwell@house.state.md.us

Del. Benjamin Kramer

410-841-3485

301-977-5141

Benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us

Del. Heather Mizeur

410-841-3493

301-270-0064

Heather.mizeur@house.state.md.us

Del. Michael Smigiel

410-841-3555

410-398-4604

Michael.smigiel@house.state.md.us

The court ruling, in Tracey v. Solesky, revises Maryland’s one bite provision giving dog owners notice about potential danger after a first bite. The court ruling says pit bulls are inherently dangerous and thus owners and landlords of renters are held liable even with the first bite. The decision is causing ripples throughout the animal welfare community attempting to adopt pit bulls and is causing some renters to turn in their dogs, thus putting an effective death sentence on many pits bulls.

Pitt bull owners, and owners of various bully breeds, such as American Staffordshire terriers and bull terriers, say their dogs are not typically vicious towards humans and viciousness can be taught for fighting other dogs. They say the potential problem is with the training of the dogs, just as it for the training of other breeds, even the smallest.

Opponents of the court ruling are pressing that the issue be addressed during the next special session. Eastern Shore Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R: Queen Anne’s) is expected to introduce a bill at that session, as soon as early July, to legislatively overturning the court decision. An attempt to get a similar bill addressed during the just concluded special session failed. The Queen Anne’s County Animal Shelter recently stopped adopting out pit bills in the aftermath of the decision.

The Humane Society of the United States Maryland State Director Tami Santelli issued the following statement in response to Speaker of the House Mike Busch and Senate President Mike Miller's announcement of a joint legislative task force to study the Court of Appeals decision in Tracey v. Solesky: “The court decision hurts all dogs, not just pit bulls. If we don’t turn it around swiftly, Maryland families and their dogs will be thrown out on the streets, and pet-related businesses and jobs will suffer. The Humane Society of the United States is grateful to Speaker Mike Busch and Senate President Mike Miller for working to address this problem with great haste.”

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Comment On This Story!

ILuvSOMD	5/31/2012 at 1:35 PM
SATURDAY JUNE 2ND Solomons!
Come rally with me this Saturday in Solomons at noon with friends and family to educate the public about Pit Bulls and to gather signatures on my petition demanding that the ruling in the case Tracey v. Solesky be overturned. Call and/or write your legislators too! STOP breed discrimination legislation! Punish the breed, not the deed!
Reply to This Comment

kristankat03	5/31/2012 at 2:05 PM
Reply to ILuvSOMD: Saturday
I want you to know that I've been posting all over facebook about this rally. I'm hoping for an overwhelming turn out. We need to fight for our pit-babies and definitely educate people. I blame the media for the negative reputation this sweet and loving breed has gotten. Our legislators should be focusing on out economy not our pets!

ILuvSOMD	5/31/2012 at 2:46 PM
Reply to ILuvSOMD: Thank you kristankat03!
I'm so excited to hear you're spreading the word! I've never organized anything like this before hahaha and I was getting a little nervous about the turnout. I hope all our efforts help tremendously in the end! Hope to see you Saturday! I'll have the petition in hand with pens ready!

jaybird	5/31/2012 at 2:47 PM
don't even cry discrimination
Unless you have been living under a rock you must know the harm that pit bulls have caused. People are sick of this crap crying discrimination and it is so ridiculous to even mention it in this case. Pit bulls bite and maul humans especially children. They need to be treated as a potential killer because of many, many documented cases and you need to educate yourself, not others. God help the one that would hurt my child.Ask a police officer who has to go to a house with pit bulls. Ask a Mother whose child has been attacked by a pit bull. Law enforcement knows their danger.This law protects children.
Reply to This Comment

ILuvSOMD	5/31/2012 at 8:03 PM
Reply to jaybird: You're misinformed
Sorry, you are the one that needs a little education. If a golden retriever bit your child, would you hate all golden retrievers? If a 12 year old girl punches you in the face, are you going to have a vendetta against all 12 year old girls? No. It's the situation or instance over which you're upset. I am 100% sympathetic towards those children and families affected by a severe bite or "mauling" - it can be horrendous - but let's call it what it acually is: a DOG bite, not a pit bull attack. ANY DOG can bite, and there are documented cases proving that! The media chooses to sensationlize the cases involving pits - why? I do not know. DOG owners need to be responsible for their pets and their pets' actions. Period. Not just pit-bull owners. I'm rallying for a ruling that applies to everyone, not just some. Take responsibility for your own actions. If your dog wasn't socialized around children, don't let them around children. If you don't like pit bulls, don't be around them, don't allow your children around them, and hell, don't own one. TO EACH HIS OWN. But don't punish everyone else according to your own personal opionions and beliefs!

islander77	6/1/2012 at 7:40 AM
Reply to jaybird: Thanks for speaking up!
Well said.....I totally agree with you. Good point about "ask a police officer who has to go to a house with pit bulls." Pit bulls ARE inherently dangerous. I not only fear for myself (living next to two of them) but also for my pet. They can snap at any time.

Chris0nllyn	6/1/2012 at 8:42 AM
Reply to jaybird: Really?
Please provide sources for your information, and I'd gladly "inform myself". Over the weekend, my vicious pitbull played on the beach with my niece and nephew. Ages 2 and 4. Believe it or not, THEY LIVED!!! The 2 year old even walked up, pet her, pulled her tail, and was in her face....nothing happened. I seriously suggest you go to that rally to see what GOOD dogs (not just pitbulls) are about, so you can stop spewing your media biased hatred.

lovebug	6/1/2012 at 8:55 AM
Reply to jaybird: Other dogs attack people
so why discriminate against one breed? They should make owners responsible esp the ones that train the dogs to be mean or tie them to a tree on a chain. Unsocialized dogs of any breed will bite or attack. I have met some very sweet pit bull/pit mix dogs and other bully breeds.

tara327	6/1/2012 at 10:32 AM
Reply to jaybird: Very Wrong
If a police officer is going into a "house full of pit bulls" then those pitbulls are raised for the wrong reasons and used for protection alone. Those dogs aren't pets. You just made a comment that you should have known was pointless. It doesn't help your point at all. Most of the pitbulls police come in contact with are from drug dealers or dog fighters, of course they are going to be vicious, they were trained to be. My mother got bit by a 3 legged german shepherd, explain that. My Godbaby, who is 3 years old, was over my house the other day with our 3 pitbulls. I have pictures of her getting kisses in the face, laying with them in their bed, covering them with her blanket, giving them kisses and hugs, laying on them and playing with them. NOT ONCE did they even TRY to bite her. The biggest weapon my dogs have is their whip of a tail. After spending time with my dogs, we went over a friends house who owns a chih hua hua, that chih hua hua scared my Godbaby more than I have ever seen her around my pitbulls. It was chasing her, growling at her, lunging at her,and nipping at her. She was scared to death to even move in the house, yet in my house with THREE large pitbulls, she had no problem, and has never had a problem, running around my house like a nut with them following behind her licking her. She laughs the whole time.

victims	6/5/2012 at 7:02 PM
Reply to jaybird: Pit Bulls are vicious
Everyone knows that pit bulls are largely vicious animals known for mauling and killing children and attacking other dogs. They should be illegal to own. If pit bulls are are as sweet and innocent and the owners on this site claim, then why should the owners be against a law that makes them liable if their dog tears apart an innocent child?

Chris0nllyn	5/31/2012 at 4:26 PM
Oh god...
Not that anti-gun maniac Frosh... Smiegel is one of the best peopel they could have put on that task force.
Reply to This Comment

jaybird	6/1/2012 at 11:28 AM
Reply to Chris0nllyn: Breed?
Stop saying people are discriminating against a breed. That breed ( pit bulls) earned their reputation. I know a owner/trainer that was found mauled and dead in her house from their pit bulls. She was a lover of the pit bulls and had been very devoted.Pit bulls are dangerous and I don't know which one is ready to attack at any given time but neither do you.I fear for our police officers that have to go to homes that have pit bulls. I fear for children who has parents that insist on having pit bulls.

Chris0nllyn	6/1/2012 at 12:13 PM
Reply to Chris0nllyn: Technically...
"Pitbull" is not a breed. It's a term that encompasses at least 8 different breeds, and more than 40 breeds have the same characteristics of "pitbulls, and pitbull mixes"...but I'm sure you that. The NCRC (National Canine Research Counsil, who has been studying dog bite related fatalities for 20 years just came out with their final report for 2010. They researched every single dog bite related fatality in 2010, and it was just over 30 deaths (out of millions of dogs), and you know what they found? 2 were found to be "pitbulls", 80% of the others were said to be "pitbulls" by the media. After research, they were either not pitbulls, unable to be determined (mutt), or not a dog attack at all. Regardless how you feel about these dogs, the HUGE loophole in this ruling is that there is ZERO, ZILCH, NADA, wording in there that states exactly what is a "pitbull, or pitbull mix". You, your family, or your friends may own a pitbull mix, and not know it. I seriously suggest you get your REAL facts in line before bashing dogs, owned and loved by millions of people who are not attacked.

Lovebug116	6/2/2012 at 6:50 AM
Bully love!
People who discriminate against pits clearly haven't or don't own one! They are the sweetest dogs! I have been bitten in the face leaving multiple scars but the dog WASN'T a pit. It was a German Shepard. My neighbor has a Retriever who bite people all the time including my young nephews on more then three occasions! The most a pit will do is lick you like crazy! My pit is so loving. She even sleeps in bed with me or anyone else who will let her. Drug dealers an dog fighters have given pits a bad rep. Anyone who talks badly about a pit needs to spend a few days or even hours with one an realize it isn't the breed that is bad, it's the owners who are. Any dog can be loving or can be vicious. It is all in how you train the animal. Saying pits are deadly is like saying all black people are murders or all white people are hillbillies which obviously isn't true, once again it's all in how you were raised! I not only love my pitpull but I love the whole breed I will NOT go down without a fight and I will NOT keep quiet! Pitbull love forever!!!!
Reply to This Comment

SOMD_DOGBITE	6/4/2012 at 4:23 PM
Reply to Lovebug116: AGREE 100%
if you need my support on this - I am 100% behind you - I was also attacked in Charles County by two German Shepards and received three major surgeries - the dogs that had attacked me had attacked one month before and on both bites did not have their rabies shots.

SOMD_DOGBITE	6/4/2012 at 4:21 PM
I am a Victim of a DOGBITE
I was attacked by two dogs in SOMD - that are NOT PITBULLS - I ended up receiving three major surgeries and the dogs that attacked me were German Shepards - they had bitten someone a month before me and they did not have their rabies shots for either bite. YES it is DISCRIMATION against the Dogs - people need to PUNCH THE DEED not the BREED. So before someone goes spouting off about PITBULLS - let them talk to someone who was attacked by another breed who's owners were careless. P.S. I own a German Shepard and a Pit and it is all in how they are RAISED and LOVED!!!!!!
Reply to This Comment

Jonesy904	6/6/2012 at 5:25 PM
Reply to SOMD_DOGBITE: As well bit by a German Shepard
I currently own two pit mixes. One 70lbs, and one 75lbs. I also have a 2, and 5 year old daughters. We bought our pits at the same age as our kids, first was 8 weeks old, then second one was 6 months old, my dogs are protective of them and our home. One is loud, the other quiet. Never had a bad sign. Any dog can be a bad dog. Pit, German, even a weiner dog. Like everyone has said, it is all in how you raise them. Both my pits love attention, and for sure, if you came over, would lick you until you left. My youngest one, "Diesel" will always slap you with his tail. Which is solid. All in all, I enjoy my boys, feel free to check out my dogs on my profile. You will see loving, not scary dogs. Hope the event went well, I wanted to come, but had to work.

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Legislative Pit Bull Task Force Formed

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