Now I sure hope I hit a nerve with that last disgusting sentence.  I even hope it made you mad.  Because that is the same prejudice attitude that just passed the newest breed specific law in Maryland, Tracey v. Solesky http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/coa/2012/53a11.pdf.  To put this new law in a nut shell it states that Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous animals, and owners & landlords are responsible for all damages.  There are several articles already written about this poor decision by:

• Maryland Votes For Animals
• The Whole Dog Journal
• Maryland Injury Law Advisor
• The Baltimore Sun Newspaper
• The Humane Society of the United States

The CDC published a paper (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998) and yes, granted there are Pit Bull Dogs on that list, BUT SO ARE OTHER BREEDS!

Now, I want to make one thing VERY clear.  I *strongly* agree that an owner should be liable for ANY damage their dog does to ANY person, pet, or property – regardless of the breed that did the damage.  I also think there should be a ridiculously high fine for such damage.  I mean come on, I see harsher fines for littering!

I personally believe an owner of a dog who is the attacker should be liable for ALL medical / veterinary care & fined at least $5,000 per attackee, per offense.  Maybe then people will think twice about their dog causing anyone or anything harm.  So in other words, I have nothing against Pit Bulls.  I have a big fat problem with ANY dog who is dangerous.  There is no excuse for lazy, or irresponsible ownership.  Sorry, there’s not.  Get a qualified (positive reinforcement) trainer to prevent problems, or involve a behavior consultant & join the ‘midnight walkers club’ (ie: manage when your dog goes outside). I myself owned a Mastiff/Shepard mutt, named Juno who was growling at people since he was four weeks old.  I did extensive training, behavior modification, and behavior management.  And I guarantee you Juno could have done a horrific amount of damage if ever given the chance to attack a person.  If this stupid law was in effect, and lets just say for sh*ts & giggles that I’m an irresponsible owner, and Juno did attack someone (completely hypothetical situation here) – would I get a “free pass” because Juno wasn’t a “Pit Bull?”  What makes that hypothetical dog attack & damages any less significant than any other?

The other issue I take with this ridiculous law is this:  Take a look at the AKC list of breeds, there really is no such thing as a recognized standard for the “Pit Bull.”  So now what?  Any breed with a big head counts?  How does one determine a dog is a Pit Bull?  If I took a dog in for a DNA test, what would distinguish it from: an African Dogo Dog, American Bull Dog, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, etc.

Someone tell me how we went from loving this breed to blind, bigotry hatred.  Remember Pete from the Little Rascals?  He was a “Pit Bull” type breed…

I just wish if there are going to be laws passed, that they be fair and, oh… I don’t know… make sense.  Contact your Maryland congress person here: http://mlis.state.md.us/

Additional reading for your reactive dog:

	More than 40 exercises in an easy-to-follow training recipe format, including how to desensitize your dog to approaching stranger dogs; have your dog perform canine calming signals, instead of aggressive displays, on cue; use your own body language when under stress as a cue for your dog to remain calm; and many more creative and effective uses of managing behavior through clicker training.	Dogwise Clickertraining.com Amazon.com
	Learn how to turn stress into confidence and distraction into focus using methods that are 110% positive. Leslie McDevitt’s versatile Control Unleashed program is designed to help “dogs with issues” learn how to relax, focus, and work off-leash reliably in either stimulating or stressful situations.	Dogwise Clickertraining.com Amazon.com

A hearing for Senate Bill 505 is scheduled for February 18, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. before the Senate Finance Committee. Find a list of committee members and address for the hearing here. F ind contact information by clicking on their names here. And find out who is your rep here.

This bill is proposed to start October 1, 2010.

A RETAIL PET STORE IN THE STATE MAY NOT DISPLAY, SELL, DELIVER, OFFER FOR SALE OR ADOPTION, BARTER, AUCTION, GIVE AWAY, OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER OR DISPOSE OF A DOG LESS THAN 9 MONTHS OF AGE.

Pet stores who violate this would be subject to a $500 fine for a first offense, and $1000 fine for each subsequent offense.

For more animal legal information visit this web site.