Maryland Reverses Pit Bull Bill
The Maryland House of Delegates approved the court ruling to reverse the bill that deemed pit bulls as “inherently dangerous” and caused a greater level of scrutiny to cases that involved this “type” of dog. This is a big step in the right direction for the breed and for dogs with pit bull characteristics. They will no longer be immediately discriminated upon by the courts. There is always more work to be done to reverse [...]
Calgary, Alberta, Canada Pet Ownership Bylaw
Calgary, Alberta, Canada has seen great success with their Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw. They have become well known for their high pet registration and reclamation rates, as well as their very low rates of euthanasia. The bylaw emphasizes reasonable and proper pet care. Where other cities in Canada focus on banning certain breeds, Calgary decided to implement strong educational programs and stronger enforcement for law-breakers. The city spends considerable funds on dog safety public awareness [...]
Dangerous Dog
Many local governments that have implemented “dangerous dog” laws that are directed towards specific breeds or types of dogs. These laws assume that all dogs of a certain breed are more likely to bite than other breeds. These laws should be acknowledging that most dogs, of any breed, are not a danger to society. In reality, there are few dogs that are a true danger to the public and should be considered “dangerous” dogs. According [...]
Spanish Dangerous Animal Act
The Spanish Dangerous Animal Act was enacted in 1999. Upon assessment, the act shows that it has proven ineffective in protecting people from dog bites in any signficant manner. A higher frequency of bite incidents was found in lower populated areas, such as towns and villages, over more highly populated urban areas. This may be explained by physical environment-related factors. That is, it is less likely that responsible owners would let their dogs roam freely [...]
Prince George County Ban
In 2003, Prince George County, Maryland comprehensively examined BSL. A Vicious Animal Task Force was formed to scrutinize the merit of the local pit bull ban to inform the county on its effectiveness and to recommend improvements on the legislation. The Task Force began with an extensive review of dog bites and exposure statistics provided by the Department of Health. The results concluded that the information on dog bites prior to the adoption of CB-106-1996 [...]
