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approached, but in Maryland she is considered “inherently dangerous.”
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Last week, we posted a story that had what turns out to be an overly optimistic headline: “Maryland Legislature Abolishes Breed-Specific Legislation.” At the time, it seemed that a bill to change the legal branding of pit bulls as “inherently dangerous” was on its way to passage after the Senate approved it. Ah, but these are politicians we’re talking about. This week, the Maryland House came out with its own version of the bill, and the two legislative bodies could not agree on a compromise. So instead of seeing Maryland follow Massachusetts in declaring and end to breed-specific legislation, the status quo remains.
The result is that fewer pit bulls will be adopted because potential owners don’t want to open themselves up to liability, plus many landlords may ban the breed or even force tenants who already have a pit bull to get rid of it or move out.
“Due to their inaction, thousands of Maryland families may be forced to choose either their dogs or their homes in the next four months, until the General Assembly comes back in January,” said Tami Santelli, Maryland senior state director for The HSUS.
Click here for the full story, and watch the video below for reaction to the bill’s failure.