The Maryland Court of Appeals (the state’s highest court) has issued a devastating opinion to the families of pets who happen to be short-haired muscular mutts or can be proved to be a Pit Bull or a Pit Bull mix.
Regardless of the loving family history of you and your pet, and no matter how many obedience classes you’ve attended together, if your dog resembles a Pit-Bull-Terrier-type dog, the Maryland Court of Appeals says you are automatically liable for any injuries your family dog inflicts on someone even if the dog has never been violent previously. In previously rulings, a victim filing a lawsuit had to prove that a dog’s owner knew it had a history of violence. The case is a result of an attack on a child in Towson back in 2007. In fact, Pit Bulls are banned in Prince George’s county. This ruling holds landlords and property owners liable. It will lead to discrimination against Pit Bull owners and will discourage landlords from renting to all kinds of dogs because dogs are mixed breeds and hard to identify. Will shelters and rescue dogs evaluate their policies and will this lead to the euthanization of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes?
Come on, this is America! Responsible dog owners should be allowed to own whatever breed or type of dog they choose and not be automatically liable simply because of the way their pet looks. What if your dog is only ¼ Pit Bull? It’s reckless owners who should be targeted and held responsible, regardless of the breed when their dogs bite/injure people. If you have a reckless dog owner with a history of attacks, they should be banned from having pets period.