Heartbreaking
New Pit Bull Bite Rules Could Spell Death for More Family Dogs
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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Anne DeYoung Nowicki
I'm sorry, but after my dog and I were walking down the street and were attacked by a pit bull, I am most definitely not a fan of that breed. They have super powerful jaws that "lock" when they bite, and are classified as a "bully breed". I'm sure there are some sweet pits out there , just as there are mean dogs of other breeds. But there is a reason why these dogs are known as mean and vicious.
Brittany
SierraLynn
I personally love pit bulls, they are the most misunderstood breed. I wish I could have one, but we live in military housing.
Floridamom96
Anne, how were you attacked? What exactly did the dog do to you?
Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers are NOT inherently dangerous dogs. Breed specific laws are not supported by any animal agency anywhere because they don't actually address the problem. Pit bulls are not dangerous breeds. Their jaws don't lock when they bite. Pits and pit-type dogs are inherently sweet tempered. Many studies have proven them to be the best child/family dogs. Don't be ignorant. Educate yourselves. Temperament testing has AmStaffs to have the best temperate for a family dog. The reason these dogs are known as mean and vicious is because they are mistreated and abused by the Michael Vick's of the world. I have an American Staffordshire Terrier that looks almost exactly like the dog pictured with the article. BEST. DOG. EVER! Heck, he's afraid of my Chihuahua.
Lilac
TorranceMom
Kelly
katmom7
We have a pit bull mix. We got her from the Humane Society and we were told she was part lab and part beagle. We were very surprised when we took her to the vet and he told us she was part lab and pit! But she is the sweetest thing in the world and is very nervous when she can't see the kids. She is a "nanny dog"! We have had jack russell's and poodles more dangerous than she is. Plus, she is a great watch dog.
Cat
Maevelyn
I worked as a dog groomer by far the most "vicious" natured breeds were Chihuahuas, laugh if you want but w/o proper discipline they become very aggressive and territorial. The worst bites I have seen were from Labs, Cocker Spaniels IMO are the most likely to bite bc they are irritated or annoyed. The thing is NOBODY report Chihuahua bites, Cockers are not big enough to be fatal but pitbulls are. As Kelly said "First it was Dobermans, then German shepherds, then rottweilers, now the pit bull." That is the order in which these breeds became popular since we became lawsuit crazy. My bet it would be Golden Retrievers, larg "doodle" mixes or Mastiffs (probably English Mastiffs) next bc more and more are popping up.