Pit bull bill doomed (Baltimore County, MD)

County Council: Pit bull bill doomed
Jaime Malarkey, The Examiner
2007-10-10 07:00:00.0

BALTIMORE -

A majority of Baltimore County Council members will likely heed the pleas of pit bull owners protesting a proposal that would require them to keep their dogs muzzled or in cages at all times outdoors, they said Tuesday.

Pit bull owners packed council chambers Tuesday to condemn the proposal, which also requires owners to purchase insurance and post warning signs. More than 30 people testified against the bill, which applies not only to pit bulls but any animal deemed “menacing” by the county’s animal control bureau.

“Breed-specific legislation is racial profiling for dogs,” said pit bull rescuer Kathy Homan. “It’s based on a dog’s appearance and has nothing to do with temperament.”

Only three people testified in favor of the legislation, including the parents of Dominic Solesky, 10, who was mauled in April by a pit bull that jumped a fence in Towson.

Since then, at least two other children have been attacked in Baltimore City. A Florida woman was killed by her two pit bulls last week, and at least two other dogs have been attacked by pit bulls in the county.

Councilman Vince Gardina, the Perry Hall Democrat who introduced the proposal, said he is willing to amend the bill to eliminate insurance and muzzling mandates. He said he still plans to push for required kennels.

“The purpose of this bill is not to prevent ownership of any particular breed,” Gardina said.
“The purpose of this bill is to require a kennel of some sort that would prevent what happened to Mr. Solesky from happening to other people.”

Four council members – Pikesville’s Kevin Kamenetz, Catonsville’s Sam Moxley, Dundalk’s John Olszewski Sr. and north county’s Bryan McIntire – expressed concern with the bill.
Several said the county’s animal control bureau is already underfunded and lacks resources to enforce the measure.

Kamenetz suggested Gardina withdraw the proposal.

“Most of the correspondence we received said punish the owner and not the breed,” Kamenetz said. “I can’t help coming back to that.”



jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com

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