ICYMI: Should Pit Bulls Be Banned in Towson? Readers Respond

TOWSON, 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 pit bull was euthanized by police after it attacked a Churchton woman and would not let go. But the dog’s owner told Patch that he was ill and never aggressive.

“My dog was not an aggressive animal, he had a medical condition that caused what happened,” Mary Patton said.

She is unequivocally opposed to total bans on dog breeds.

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 Towson 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:

• "Absolutely not. It is not the breed that makes any dog dangerous, the owner is more responsible for that. People should take into account their neighborhood and surroundings when adopting a dog, but that is more about the individual pup than a specific breed."
• "No, no, no!!!"
• "Absolutely not. After losing our Bassett / Lab mix who was dog aggressive, we looked for another dog. My husband had two requirements - not a pit and not a female. Then he sent me a picture of a "sweet" dog. I could see it was a pit mix. We've had her four years and she's the smartest, most well behaved and loving dog we've had."
• "Definitely not. I've been bit by a Jack Russell/Brittany Spaniel mix. He was MEAN. I've also been sat on and licked to death by a Rottweiler who was just trying to be a super friendly lap dog. Banning certain breeds of dog is just as bad as banning certain types of people."
• "No way!!!"
• "Absolutely not. Imagine someone being transferred by work to PG County and once they've bought a house and everyone is settled in, Animal Control comes to the door and takes their beloved pet away because they had no idea they had moved somewhere pitbulls were not allowed. Kids crying, dog terrified.... Absolutely INHUMANE!"

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 dog bite 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. Further complicating the matter is the fact that "pit bull" is not an actual breed.

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 Towson Patch Facebook page.

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>>Photo by Getty Images via Flickr