Should Pit Bulls Be Banned in Severna Park? Readers Respond

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SEVERNA PARK, 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 Severna Park 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. I have had one for 10 years. He is the smartest sweetest dog I have ever had. I speak from experience. It is the owner of ANY dog that decides how they turn out."
• "No! It's the training, not the breed...much like humans."
• "Seriously? Absolutely not."
• "No!"

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 Severna Park 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