There has been a great deal of discussion lately about breed discrimination. In Maryland, where I live, there is deep discrimination against pit bulls and mixes that look like pit bulls. Last year, the Court of Appeals (that is our highest state court), passed a ruling that said that all Pit Bull dogs are ‘inherently dangerous.’ On top of that they said that Landlords would be held responsible if anyone who they rent to has a Pit Bull dog and it bites someone. This is out and out breed discrimination.
The ruling stemmed from a dog bite inflicted on a child by a dog who lived his life on a chain and was not adequately socialized. How sad for all involved. A 10 year old child and his family were traumatized, which is terrible. But the family did not just sue the owner, they also sued the Landlord (a 92 year old woman who happened to die before the case was finished). The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the boy’s family and against the Landlord, saying that the Landlord was responsible because she should have known that there was a pit bull on her property, and that all pit bulls are inherently dangerous. I am sorry but all dogs, especially if they are tied up have the potential to bite.
You may wonder what all this means, so let me try to explain. Let’s say I had three dogs: Louise (hound/lab), Sofie (sheltie/corgie), and Sweet Pea (a Pit Bull). If someone broke in to my house and Louise attached them, the person that broke in would be at fault for being on my property. But, if Sweet Pea bit them, I would be at fault for owning a Pit Bull. Not only would I be at fault but if I was a renter, my Landlord could be sued because I have a Pit Bull.
Shelters are filling up with any dog that even looks like a Pit and they are having a really hard time getting them adopted out. Insurance companies are refusing to insure people with Pit Bull dogs. Last week, Maryland Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Montgomery County) pushed a bill that would counteract the anti-pit bull court ruling, the Capital Gazette reports. The House unanimously approved the bill so it heads to the Senate next.
I do hope that breed discrimination in Maryland does not become the law of the land. What would you do if all of a sudden your dog was deemed ‘inherently dangerous,’ and your Landlord said the dog had to go?
Sometimes people ask me if Louise is a Pit Bull – I don’t know what I would do if someone tried to take her away (I think I might bite them (I believe humans are inherently dangerous)).
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
