Dog Bill Takes Bite Out of Pit Bull Ruling
A proposed bill would establish that all breeds of dogs have potential to bite, according to Capital Gazette.
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Maryland Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Montgomery County) is pushing a bill that would counteract an anti-pit bull court ruling, Capital Gazette reports. The House unanimously approved the bill, NBC4 reports. It heads to the Senate next.
Senate Bill 160, and its House companion, Bill 78, would contradict a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling that pit bulls are "inherently dangerous." Frosh's bill changes establishes that all dog breeds are capable of biting, not just pit bulls. Owners of dogs who are accused of biting may provide proof in court that their dog doesn't usually bite, however, according to the Capital Gazette.
The court ruling was spurred by Dominic Solesky, a 10-year-old Towson boy, who was attacked and critically injured by a pit bull in 2007. He underwent five hours of surgery and multiple blood transfusions to mend wounds to his leg, Capital News Service previously reported.
The Capital Gazette said that the boy's lawyer thinks this amendment to the law would make it harder for victims to win dog bite lawsuits.
State legislators weren't able to counteract the court decision last summer during a special session of the Maryland General Assembly, with lawmakers unable to agree on proposed amendments to the law.
John Seng
7:29 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Ridiculous. Dogs have vastly different potential of maiming, disabling, disfiguring and killing. Why is this still debated, and being reframed as "all dogs bite?"
Really!
alan cohen
10:48 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
This legislation makes perfect sense. All animals are capable of biting including humans. To just pick out the pitbull as dangerous by nature is stupid.
Jeanne Gill Sims
1:13 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
I agree with this legislation. ALL dogs have the potential of being aggressive for NO apparent reason, it just happens. In addition it is how the person or family raises their particular dog. Every few years a new dog is targeted as being the "BAD BREED" once It was the German Shepard, Doberman, then the Rottweiler and now the Pitt Bull. I, myself was a victim of a horrific dog attack from a Boxer when I was a child and I don't feel a particular breed of dog should be labeled.