One time, my neighbor found a young pit bull tied to our building's fence. She took him in and I volunteered to walk him during the day while she was at work. He had different color eyes -- one brown, one blue -- that made him look kind of crazy. But he was the sweetest gosh darned dog ever. However, a new court ruling could mean that sweet pitties like him would remain tied to the fence post forever.
The high court in Maryland has ruled that pit bulls are "inherently dangerous." Let's face it, all dogs can bite. Shih-tzus bite. Chihuahuas bite. If they get you in the wrong place -- like maybe your eye -- they can do a lot of damage for a little guy. ALL dogs are "inherently dangerous" because they have teeth, okay? And they bite. But they are not "inherently dangerous" in the legal sense. In the legal sense, if a dog bites someone, and that person sues, he has to prove that the owner was negligent.
But not with pit bulls in Maryland. Basically, if you've got a pit bull, and it bites, you're responsible. Yeah, even if someone was pulling on your pittie's tail and hitting it on the head with a frying pan. It bites in self-defense? Too bad.
Pit bull owners already face higher home insurance costs and buildings that don't allow them. One owner was so distraught after putting his pet pit bull to sleep because his building outlawed his pet that he then killed himself.
Various states have begun enacting anti-pit bull laws, making it more difficult for owners to keep this breed, which used to be known as the "nanny dog" for its sweet disposition with children.
Any pet poses somewhat of a risk to the general population. As with every animal, what it needs is a caring, responsible, and intelligent owner. With this new law, pit bulls, even those that are already family pets, could pay with their lives.
What do you think of this new ruling?
Image via DigitalJayy/Flickr
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Comments 108
You're right, MaiasMommy. We can't know what that feels like, but it doesn't make the breed a bad or dangerous breed. We have a frend who was bitten in the face by a greyhound. This was not it's first bite, but they had not told the bite victim that it had bitten before. It narrowly missed her eye, but caused a severe infection resulting in her hospitalization for several days. This does not make greyhounds evil or dangerous. It means the owners of this greyhound weren't doing their job properly. Period.
Did any pit bull critics follow the link I provided and actually educate themselves?
I HATE this!! People are idiots. All dogs, no, all animals period, can have their dangers. The name of breed does not enhance your chances of being mauled or attacked. Honestly, rotweilers have more of a reputation of being aggressive with out very special care while raising them, however you don't see people avoiding the breed as pets. I have had MANY pits. Not one has ever attacked without reason, and the way I see it, if you or the animal is under some sort of threat, they are only doing their JOB when they attack to protect you!!