Should Pit Bulls Be Banned in Glen Burnie? Readers Respond

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GLEN BURNIE, MD–A recent attack by a pit bull of its owner in Anne Arundel County has again ignited a debate in Maryland about whether the breed is inherently dangerous.

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On April 4, a dog was euthanized by police after it attacked a Churchton woman and would not let go. The incident prompted comment from Tony Solesky, a Towson man whose son was mauled by a pit bull in 2007.

After Solesky’s child was attacked, a Maryland court ruled pit bulls are “inherently dangerous.” The ruling held dog owners and landlords liable for any attacks by pit bulls, prompting landlords statewide to ban the dogs from rental housing.

A 2014 Maryland law supported by the Humane Society overturned the breed-specific ruling, reports The Huffington Post.

We asked Patch Readers in Glen Burnie if pit bulls deserved the title of “Most Dangerous Dog in America” and the ban that sometimes comes along with it.

Here’s what they had to say:

• "No. There should be a concerted effort to investigate breeding programs and owners should a problem arise."
• "No, it is not the dog but the owner!"
  
• "The only thing that is dangerous, Is our corrupt politicians that run our country. They are the one's that should be banned !"
• "No. People should be banned!! They are the real issue"
• "NO!"
• "Not the dogs but maybe the owners"
• "No because it is not the dog it is how they are raised"

The ASPCA released a statement stating that they “oppose any state or local law to regulate or ban dogs based on breed.”

They explain that the data collection methods that go into forming these statistics are often unreliable. Specifically, breed-identification can be difficult, especially with mixed-breed dogs, which can lead to an inaccurate calculation of a breed’s bite rate.

The National Canine Research Council says that responsible pet ownership is the key to aggression prevention, and that it’s the duty of the owner to not allow “a pet to become a threat or a nuisance.”

While the question of “bad breeds” is still up in the air, for every bad pit bull story, there’s a good one to match.

Do you have an opinion on pitties? Share it with us in the comments below or on our Glen Burnie Patch Facebook page.

Make sure to check out our national Patch Pets Facebook page for the latest news from the animal kingdom.

>>Photo by Getty Images via Flickr