Pit Bull

Erica Carter's move from Pasadena to Baltimore was difficult, she said, not because of the lack of housing options, but because many places would not allow her pit bull Bailey. Though Carter has settled into a rental near Patterson Park, she said the search was daunting. And she fears it will only get worse with her next move after last week's Maryland Court of Appeals ruling that pit bulls are inherently dangerous animals. The court's decision could have far-reaching implications for landlords and dog owners who rent.

A pit bull attacked a 9-year-old child Wednesday night in Pasadena as the boy played on his bike, police said. The child was with his mother who was visiting a neighbor in the 200 block of Armstrong Lane around 8:18 p.m. when the dog bit the boy on his lower leg. The child was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police said the dog's owner was able to get the animal away from the child. Animal Control officers took the dog into custody. An investigation continues.

I usually enjoy Dan Rodricks ' columns, even when I don't fully agree with them. This one — about the recent Maryland Court of Appeals decision deeming any "pit bull" or "pit bull mix" dog to be inherently dangerous — I simply find dismaying ("Pit bulls: Own one at your risk," April 30). I live in the Pigtown neighborhood of Baltimore. When my suburban friends come visit, they hold their kids close, and they look askance at some of my more "unusual" neighbors. Some of them are only too happy to hop back in their cars and scurry back to the counties.

In response to William Ramsey's letter regarding pit bulls, I couldn't agree more ("Why not hold all dog owners accountable?" May 16). Pet owners should be liable for the risk presented to the rest of us when they select a breed to own. If pit bulls have been maligned in media reports of them attacking people, why worry about the liability? Do pit bull owners expect me to believe that the news media don't report dog attacks when they don't involve pit bulls? I tolerate my neighbors' dogs barking at all hours, and I understand that they can't clean up half of what their dogs do on my lawn.

A pit bull attacked a 9-year-old child Wednesday night in Pasadena as the boy played on his bike, police said. The child was with his mother who was visiting a neighbor in the 200 block of Armstrong Lane around 8:18 p.m. when the dog bit the boy on his lower leg. The child was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police said the dog's owner was able to get the animal away from the child. Animal Control officers took the dog into custody. An investigation continues.

Given the lack of interest in the Maryland General Assembly regarding pit bulls being labeled as "inherently dangerous," I must speak out in their defense ("Pit bull bill sought for special session," May 8). Perhaps owners of pit bulls should be labeled as inherently dangerous! My apologies to pit bull owners who love, train, and incorporate their dogs into their families; however, in Baltimore City and County, it is relatively easy to find bad owners creating bad dogs. I think the legislature needs to correct a mistake.

The recent ruling by the Maryland Courts declaring pit bulls "inherently dangerous" is not only inhumane, it's simply not true ("Fallout from pit bull decision," May 2). Just as a human child needs love and discipline to grow up to be a contributing member of society and not a menace, a pit bull puppy needs love and discipline to become an obedient, loyal and affectionate member of its family. Examine the early childhoods of people convicted of crime and you will almost certainly find episodes of abuse and neglect.

Doesn't the Maryland Court of Appeals decision that pit bulls are inherently dangerous constitute profiling? David F. Tufaro, Baltimore

A pit bull dog was shot and killed in Aberdeen Sunday evening, according to the city's police department. At about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aberdeen city police officers were dispatched to the first block of Liberty Street, along the border of Aberdeen Proving Ground, to investigate the report of a dog being shot. Arriving officers found a dead pit bull terrier suffering from a gunshot wound to head. People living nearby heard the dog barking and then a single gunshot. When the they ran outside, they found the dog but no one was in the area, according to the police department.

I want to pick up where Pamela Reid and Kristen Collins of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals left off in their recent letter to the editor ("Dangerous dogs are a problem; scapegoating pit bulls won't solve it," May 3). "The problem of dangerous dogs does require serious attention, but it won't be remedied by the 'quick fix' of breed specific laws," the authors point out. "Rather, we should seek the effective enforcement of breed neutral laws that hold dog owners accountable for the actions of their animals.

Pit bull owners and other animal advocates won't get a chance to overturn a recent Court of Appeals decision labeling the breed as dangerous during the special General Assembly session now under way, but they might get their chance if the legislature reconvenes this summer to consider gambling issues. Senate PresidentThomas V. Mike Millerindicated that he's amenable to putting the issue on the agenda and encouraged people who want action before next January to make their views known to Gov.Martin O'Malley.

Given the lack of interest in the Maryland General Assembly regarding pit bulls being labeled as "inherently dangerous," I must speak out in their defense ("Pit bull bill sought for special session," May 8). Perhaps owners of pit bulls should be labeled as inherently dangerous! My apologies to pit bull owners who love, train, and incorporate their dogs into their families; however, in Baltimore City and County, it is relatively easy to find bad owners creating bad dogs. I think the legislature needs to correct a mistake.

My son is a veterinarian, so I know a few things about dogs. I am a lawyer, so I know a little something about judges too. And just as some pit bulls - not all - can be mighty frightening to the public, some appellate judges - not all - can be pretty scary too ("Pit bulls are 'inherently dangerous,' court rules," April 28). So a new rule declaring appellate court judges "inherently dangerous" might also be needed. Harvey K. Maizels, Baltimore

I devoted my entire professional career to working with individuals stigmatized by drug addiction. Yet during that time I saw the pendulum swing from addiction being treated as a moral weakness to the disease-based model backed by science. I'm now witnessing a similar evolution in my volunteer work with an animal rescue group that over the years has become very familiar with pit bulls. The recent Maryland Court of Appeals decision designating all pit bull type dogs as inherently dangerous is based on myths, not facts.

By coincidence, Dan Rodricks ' column on the ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals labeling pit bulls as "inherently dangerous" coincided with the untimely death of Alan Jay Eidelberg, a longtime Baltimore veterinarian in the Govans community. Mr. Eidelberg was the one-man operation also known as the York Road Animal Hospital. He died in hospice care April 30 at the age of 59 after a short battle with brain cancer. In a beautiful tribute prepared by his family and friends that appeared in The Sun, Mr. Eidelberg was praised for the compassionate, first-rate care he gave his patients, for his expert skills as a diagnostician and for his generosity in treating pets whose owners had difficulty paying their bills.

All lions - not some - will bite your head off. All bears - not some - will shred you to pieces. All crocodiles - not some - will chop you in half. These are examples of "inherently dangerous" animals. To the contrary, only some pit bulls - but not all - will hurt you. That's why there needs to be a case-by-case determination of the facts about a particular dog. A blanket ruling condemning an entire breed is the epitome of intellectual laziness and the absence of judicial discretion.

Here is a pretty amazing story out of Pennsylvania in which vets are using an apparently landmark treatment to help saved a burned dog. In Berks County, Pa., a brown and white pit bull named Bernie suffered severe burns after being left on a rooftop on a broiling hot day for as many as 10 hours. The dog's paw pads were completely burned, and he also sustained serious burns on his spine and nipples from when he tried to lay down and move to relieve the pain on his paws. The Reading Eagle reports that after Bernie was brought to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, a local vet volunteered to treat him. The vet came up with the idea of using stem cells to help Bernie regrow his devastated paw pads.

State police say a trooper shot and killed a pit bull who attacked another officer at a home in rural Queen Anne's County. It happened Thursday night in Millington. Police were responding to a report of a man firing a handgun during a party at his home. Twenty-three-year-old George Thomas allegedly fired the gun at the ceiling and held it to the head of his sister, 20-year-old Jessica Thomas. George Thomas faces charges including first-degree assault and reckless endangerment.

I want to pick up where Pamela Reid and Kristen Collins of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals left off in their recent letter to the editor ("Dangerous dogs are a problem; scapegoating pit bulls won't solve it," May 3). "The problem of dangerous dogs does require serious attention, but it won't be remedied by the 'quick fix' of breed specific laws," the authors point out. "Rather, we should seek the effective enforcement of breed neutral laws that hold dog owners accountable for the actions of their animals.

The recent ruling by the Maryland Courts declaring pit bulls "inherently dangerous" is not only inhumane, it's simply not true ("Fallout from pit bull decision," May 2). Just as a human child needs love and discipline to grow up to be a contributing member of society and not a menace, a pit bull puppy needs love and discipline to become an obedient, loyal and affectionate member of its family. Examine the early childhoods of people convicted of crime and you will almost certainly find episodes of abuse and neglect.