In 2007 a 10 year old boy Dominic Solesky was attacked by his neighbor’s pit bull and nearly killed. After this and multiple other attacks by the same breed the Maryland Court of Appeals claimed that pit bulls are “inherently dangerous” and that their owners need to be held to a “stricter liability standard”. After this most landlords told tenants with pit bulls that they may have to move or get rid of the animals. With animal lovers conflicted and not wanting to have to make the decision between their companion or home, the Court Of Appeals made a one strike system. Animals are allowed “One free bite” before its owner is liable.
No animal was born dangerous or angry. Pit bulls naturally have low human aggression. For these animals to randomly attack humans, they have to have been mistreated or abused. I suggest that investigations should be done to show signs of abuse and neglect after pit bull attacks. In Maryland, animal neglect, dog fighting and mistreatment are all felonies. But what happens to the dogs after their owners are taken away? They are sent away to shelters or put down. And with the bad reputation pit bulls have in our state their chances of being adopted are lower than other breeds. There should be programs to work with the dogs to fix their behavior and show them that not all humans want to hurt them. After the dogs graduate from this program they should be sent to a shelter to be put up for adoption. Shelters should ensure people looking for a pet that these animals are just as sweet and safe as any other breed. These programs should be funded by the state or by donations from local animal lovers.