A rally in Annapolis, Maryland to support emergency legislation introduced to overturn a ruling deeming pit bulls "inherently dangerous" has been slated for the afternoons of Jan. 30 and Feb. 5. An open event invitation with details has been created by pit bull advocacy organization B-More Dog and can be viewed on Facebook.
Conversely, a series of events relating to breed-specific legislation in Maryland will be held at the University of Baltimore Law School on Feb. 10. Details for the event can be found at the PACT website. The event will feature a screening of the anti-BSL film "Beyond the Myth" followed by a panel discussion featuring:
- Top experts specializing in BSL issues
- Top lawyers involved in Tracey v. Solesky
- Speakers on bully breed issues
- Owners of therapy, service, and educational bully breeds
- Exhibitors of bully breed related topics
- Rescue and shelter organizations
The court ruling that galvanized such fervor from pit bull owners and animal advocacy groups began its inception in March 2012 when the Maryland Court of Appeals deemed pit bulls to be "inherently dangerous," and sought to hold landlords liable for any bite caused by a tenant's pit bull. The backlash from the ruling seemed to come to fruition during the second special session in August 2012 when senate members agreed on a bill that would reverse the pit bull ruling. However, House representatives were unable to agree on the stipulations of the bill and an impasse was declared.
With the introduction of this emergency legislation, pit bull advocates are cautiously optimistic.
“It’s really important that we show up in large numbers to the rally and to the hearing. Please do not sit back and assume it's a slam dunk,” B-More Dog president Pauline Houliaras write in the event’s Facebook invitation. “Right now we have a very good shot of it passing but let's face it politics can shift with the wind. This is our best and possibly last chance to overturn the court ruling. I cannot stress this enough.”
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