Student group wants to end pit bull ban
A University of Maryland organization called Terps for Animal Welfare is urging Prince George’s County to call a halt to its pit bull ban.
The student organization hosted Best Friends Animal Society staff on campus at the end of March — and since then they’ve been mobilizing to bring an end to a ban that critics described as costly, ineffective and discriminatory.
“The law has a lot of negative effects and not a lot of people know about it,” said Aman Chopra, treasurer of Terps for Animal Welfare.
Members of the organization are speaking out, contacting their county board members and asking them to change the policy, according to an article appearing on Change.org, written by Ledy VanKavage, senior legislative attorney for Best Friends.
“By clinging to its antiquated policy of canine profiling, Prince George’s has blatantly disregarded the recommendations of its own Vicious Animal Task Force, convened in January of 2003, which called the breed specific portion of the ordinance ‘costly and inefficient’ and recommended that the county repeal it.”
As for the costly part, VanKavage says, the county was paying about $68,000 to maintain a pit bull through the entire hearing process, according to old estimates by the county’s own task force.
Today, the county spends $1,137,720 annually to enforce the pit bull ban, according to estimates.
Canine aggression isn’t an issue of breed, she and other experts note; it’s a people issue.
If you’d like to sign the petition to end the breed ban in Prince George’s County, you can find it here.
(Photo from Best Friends)
Posted by jwoestendiek May 17th, 2011 under Muttsblog.
Tags: aman chopra, animal welfare, animals, best friends, best friends animal society, breed bans, breeds, change, cost, discrimination, dogs, effectiveness, ledy vankavage, maryland, petition, pets, pit bulls, pitbulls, prince georges county, student organization, terps for animal welfare, university of maryland
Comments
Comment from Marie
Time May 22, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Animals av no voice so humans av to speak out for em.
Good luck to you all 
Comment from LoyaltyOfDogs
Time May 22, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Enjoy this tribute to Sallie, a heroic bull terrier who served as a Civil War mascot and is on a monument at Gettysburg: http://loyaltyofdogs.com/
Comment from Gemilla
Time July 8, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Fine the owner and not ban the breed. they only following orders from there owners, its not the dog fault ,but the owners..
Comment from Gemilla
Time July 10, 2011 at 6:53 pm
it has been 14yrs since pitbulls has be ban. i need help on overturning the ban of pitbulls in P.Gcounty. it is not the breed fought but the owners who train then to be vicious animals. i have a 8month pit and she is the love of my life and im mentally and physical attach. i dont think that they should be ban just the owners and it the law is overturn i think that owners shoud have the proper paper work and lisences for there animals and alsoa chip where they resides. i have a voice and for my animals and ineed help to insure the public people that pits are not what poeple say they are. if you have any information that will help or and any petition i can sign or no other organization please help me and oveturning the county (pg) dicision to stop baninning pit……thanks
Gemilla Smith
Comment from Kelli
Time October 18, 2011 at 3:29 pm
Good afternoon Germilla,
The Pretty Chic with the Pits, Inc. is also interested in reversing the pit bull ban in PG county. The Mayor of Laurel Maryland is opposed to the ban and is seeking a 3rd term and Chief Taylor of the Animal Control is against the ban as well. Please contact me at your earliest convenience theprettychicwiththepits@gmail.com We were instrumental in Charles County, Maryland abandoning their pit bull ban in July of this year.
Comment from sisko
Time May 17, 2011 at 8:31 am
Good for them and I hope they continue with it. Too many groups band together and when they meet too much resistance they back off.