New bill would lift pit bull ban in Prince George's County
New bill may allow pit bulls in Prince George's County
Pit bulls may soon be welcome in Prince George's County after a decades-long ban. The county council is considering a bill right now that would lift the ban.
PRINCE GEORGE'S CO., Md. - Pit bulls may soon be welcome in Prince George's County after a decades-long ban. The county council is considering a bill right now that would lift the ban.
According to the council, Prince George's County is the only county in the region with a ban on pit bull terriers.
What we know:
The Office of the Environment says it has become untenable — they don't have the officers to enforce the ban countywide and it's expensive on top of that. It’s estimated to cost $3 million a year to enforce it, so Council Chair Ed Burroughs wants to lift the ban.
"It's estimated that more than a third of the dogs that live in the county — they're saying 20,000 to 30,000 — could be categorized as pit bull-type dogs. So they live here. The ban doesn't work. It's a waste of our money," said Caitrin Conroy, Executive Director of the Prince George's County Pet Unity Project. "As a taxpayer, I'm paying for us to house a dog in the shelter, feed the dog, staff to care for the dog, and then kill the dog. And that's…that's not okay, to just be killing adoptable house pets."
Personal connection:
After Conroy and her husband moved to the county, they were told their dog looked too much like a pit bull and they had to get rid of it. That was never an option for their family and ultimately, they used DNA testing to prove their dog was not in fact a pit bull terrier. That's what inspired her to create the Pet Unity Project to help people in similar situations.
But not everyone is on board with the new bill. Just last month, FOX 5 told you about a pit bull incident that injured three people including two children.
Dig deeper:
The bill increases civil penalties for dangerous dogs. It would make the first violation $500, the second $1,500 and the third $3,000. It also would strengthen the leash law ensuring all animals are on a leash unless they're in a designated space like a dog park.
Tied to lifting the ban on pit bulls, the bill would establish a pilot program for adopting pit bulls that requires owners to apply for a permit, pay a fee and take a pet parent class. Dogs would also have to get them microchipped and they would have to be spayed or neutered.
The Council is currently considering amendments to the bill and has not yet taken a final vote.