I'm glad you shared this story... it's important for people to understand the realities of this unfair ruling. It's also important that there's a voice out there to help counter the nonsense we get from those armchair wannabe judges and certain willfully ignorant "news" and radio personalities.

My heart goes out to you and your roommates. It unbelievable how a small group of people can change the life of so many. Thanks to people like Michael Vick.

A Pit Bull's jaw is the same as any other dog.

Im sorry Brad ALL of your assumptions are incorrect and myth. The pit bull breed is in itself a mixed breed between Terrier and Bull Dog. There are so many variances of dogs that fall into the "pit bull" category that even state officials yesterday were unable to get a definitive description of the dog, by professionals. Of all these dogs, there is absolutely no difference anatomically whatsoever. Their jaws do not lock, nor does any other dogs jaws lock - ITS A MYTH. They do not have any additional muscles either, nor is there any specific research suggesting that any dog breed is more prone to aggression than the other. Responsible dog owners that nurture and train any breed of dog properly will have a good well behaved dog FACT. Because you saw it on TV, or in a movie doesn't mean its FACT.
Additionally as you say that pit bulls are popular among the "wanna be gangsters." It was Rottweilers in the 90's, Dobermans in the 80's, and German Shepards in the 70's that were popular among dog fighters and criminals, again due to media and Hollywood, and those dogs were subsequently focused on as vicious at those times.
We need to focus on putting these and all dogs into the loving homes of responsible dog owners, so they can thrive. We must push for legislation that cracks down on these supposed "wanna be gangster" and other criminals that fight and abuse these dogs into weapons.

Pit Bulls have locking jaws- FICTION Pit Bulls have the same jaw structure as any other canine.

Pit Bulls are good with children- FACT Pit Bulls are one of the most stable breeds of dogs, they are extremely tolerant of children. They are known as the nanny dog.

Pit Bulls are easy to train-FACT Pit Bulls are intelligent dogs and eager to please, positive methods work best.

Pit Bulls are mean and vicious-FICTION Pit Bulls are no more vicious than Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, or Beagles. The American Temperament Test Society rated Labrador Retrievers at 92.3, a Standard Poodle at 86, an American Pit Bull Terrier at 86, a Golden Retriever at 84.6, a German Shepherd at 84.2, a Rottweiler at 83.4, a Cocker Spaniel at 81.9, a Border Collie at 81.1, a Beagle at 80.3, and a Doberman at 77.6.

Pit Bulls will “snap” and “turn”on people-FICTION Pit Bulls are exceptional with people, more trustworthy than other breeds, they are very stable. Human aggression was actually bred out of the breed. No breed just snaps and turns on people.

Pit Bulls do not feel pain-FICTION Pit Bulls have the same nervous system as any other breed , yes they do feel pain.

Red Nose/Blue Nose Pit Bulls are more aggressive-FICTION nose color makes no difference, red, black, or blue.

Pit Bulls are always dog aggressive-FICTION Although in general Pit Bulls were developed for the purpose of fighting other dogs, with proper socialization, obedience training, handling, management Pit Bulls can learn to live peacefully in the company of other dogs. As in all breeds you will have some dogs that will never get along with other dogs yet they will still be an excellent pet in every other way.

Pit Bulls have more bite pressure per square inch than any other breed-FICTION Tests show a domestic dog averages 320 pounds of pressure per square inch. Pit Bulls scored lower then a German Shepherd, and a Rottweiler. Although much controversy exists how bite pressure can actually be tested.`

Pit Bull brains swell-FICTION Just as breeds before the Pit Bull such as Doberman, Rottweiler and German Shepherd, monster myths go around about fad breeds and unfortunately generate damaging hysteria. No breed of dog has a brain that swells.

Pit Bulls should not be adopted from a shelter-FICTION Reputable shelters and rescues will temperament test all dogs and will not adopt out any dog that shows aggression. Most Pit Bull adoptions are successful

Pit Bulls are a bad breed-FICTION First of all most dogs called Pit Bulls are really not Pit Bulls at all, there are several breeds and mixes that people classify as Pit Bulls when they are not (the generic Pit Bull dog). Secondly there is no such thing as a bad breed. As in all dog breeds, it depends on genetics, upbringing, environment and management. Each dog is different and unique. More often then not they are victims of irresponsible and abusive ownership. Only humans are capable of knowing the difference between right and wrong and all dogs are bred, raised, and trained to behave the way they do.

Pit Bulls that show aggression toward other animals will go after people next-FICTION Animal aggression and human aggression are two totally different things.

Pit Bulls all want to chase cats-FICTION Dogs of every breed will go after cats and a Pit Bull is no exception, some Pit Bulls have a strong prey drive, however as with all breeds some Pit Bulls can co-exist quite peacefully with cats and then there are some who can never be trusted with smaller animals.

Pit Bulls were the number one family dog during the first part of the twentieth century-FACT

Pit Bull owners are best to avoid dog parks with their dog-FACT for several reasons one being if you have your dog on a leash and in control it does not mean a strange dog won’t run up and attack and more likely then not the Pit Bull will be blamed.

Pit Bulls are the leading dogs to be abused and stolen-FACT

Media hysteria and bad owners have greatly damaged this breed and every incident involving a Pit Bull makes it worse for the entire breed and their owners.
In closing I will say a large part of a dog’s success in life depends on the genetics he inherits how well he is raised and managed.

APBT= American Pit Bull Terrier have a life span of 10-14 years, fantastic temperament, they are a solid medium size dog with an average weight between 30-60 pounds, they come in a variety of colors(red, white, blue, black, chocolate, tan, brindle), their coat is short and easy to groom, energy level is high with both physical exercise and mental stimulation needed, they are easy to train, some health concerns are hip dysplasia, allergies, and hereditary cataracts.

If you would like to participate in this discussion I would recommend avoiding being pretentious and dismissive. There are a lot of us that are well educated on the facts. We are responsible dog owners and have good dogs.

"70 percent of fatal dog attacks last year involved pit bulls."
Can you cite that? I have never heard such a statistic and neither has the court or legislature.

5 percent of Americas dog population causes 67% of the America's dog fatalities, and you are arguing that they aren't a dangerous breed?

10 years ago my niece had a pit bull named Simba who played very well with my Carolina Dog / Dixie Dingo named Dolly. Simba had a very good temperament with
other dogs as well as people. One week my niece was dog sitting her brothers black lab. The 2 dogs had been together very often in the past with no problems what so ever! One day the lab snapped and killed Simba with a fatal bite to his throat rupturing his artery. So what happened to the "big, bad, pit bull" theory in that instance?

I repeat: Please provide a VALID, RELIABLE, FACT-CHECKED, and/or PEER-REVIEWED source for your statistics.

Dogsbite.org is NOT any of those. It is a site run by a victim of a dog bite who has her own agenda. She has been proven to take statistics out of context or to completely make them up based on hearsay and incorrect media statements.

All studies performed by groups such as the American Humane Society, the CDC, the American Veterinary Medical Assocation, and an article found in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior note that there is no evident that any breed (let alone Pit Bulls) is more likely to attack people than any other.

Since you are such a fan of statistics... lets look at some factual ones - not based on media hysteria and delusion.

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/blog/marylands-experience-the-public-record-the-tracey-v-solesky-ruling/#_edn3

Hello Mr. Mulcahy ~
May I ask where you got your info? The reason why I am asking is because it concerns me when I read ficition about Pit -Bulls or any breed. There are many reputable sites out there to get facts on any Breed of dog.
Pit Bulls do "NOT" have lockable jaws to destroy life. No one wants to have to worry about being attacked by "any" dog. That's why I depend on "Owners" being responsible. I believe you meant to type Labrador in your comment above... this is not true.I am not going to throw any specific breed under the bus but what I will say is that Breed Specific Legislation does not help anyone and it does not work... it only costs alot of $'s and emotional pain for Responsible Dog Owners/families. I too am very tired of hearing about "Pit Bull" attacks because it is very much media driven and I would like to know besides having a square head, muscular bodies... what is a "Pit Bull"... because there are many breeds out there that fit this description, that are not a Pit Bull. Lastly but not to be forgotten, You had mentioned "Every wanna be Gangster" owning a Pit Bull in the State of Maryland.... that sounds to me to be discriminatory and offensive...not to mention, any breed of dog has "NO" choice whose hands they fall into. There are "many" responsible & Loving owners of the Pit Bull, Pit Bull mixes, Am Staff....
I invite you to meet responsible owners & their beloved Pit-Bulls....you know the dogs with Big square heads... whose hearts are even bigger.

It amazing me that the people who are yelling about "these evil pitt bulls" dont seem to care about anybody else that gets attacked by another breed of dog or when another breed of dog bites. If people really wanted to work on preventing dog bites wouldn't it make sense to focus on the two biggest reason that ALL dogs bite? 90% of ALL dog bites are due to have unaltered pets and tethered pets. Wouldn't focusing on those two factors make sense instead of demonizing and entire breed of dog based on hysteria and biased media reporting?

Wow...I'm an educator and hold a Masters Degree from Johns Hopkins University. I am also the VERY proud owner of a "pit bull" , foster them, and volunteer for a "pit bull" rescue. Can't say that I've ever been categorized as a " wanna be gangster" nor are most " pit bull" owners that I know. I can only hope that one day people will stop mistaking media for truth and turn to the actual facts, like the ones provided by Jon and others here. Many people that believe the propaganda brought on by the media have never even come in contact with a "pit bull". Be a leader, not a follower- meet one and see for yourself...at least give yourself the respect to formulate your own unbiased opinion. I would gladly welcome you to meet my family dog, and I know many other "pit bull" owners would as well.
Jon, thank you for writing this and we will all keep fighting for you and others like you. Ignore ignorance, life is too short to put too much energy into those that are so narrow minded.

Good show Tara. Pit bull owners I know:

My sister - Phd. lives in Parkville
My best friend - works for the government - grade 13
Another friend - Yoga instructor
None of these ladies are wanna be gangstas.
These pit bulls are my dog's best friends. They tower over him but they know his limits. I trust them and their owners to the end.
Good people raise good dogs.
Bad people raise bad dogs.

Here is some perspective for you

In 2007, twenty-five (25) Maryland children died as a result of maltreatment (abuse/neglect).In the single year of 2007, more than twice as many Maryland children died from maltreatment than the total of all children killed by dogs in Maryland over the past 47 years.Fact is, people in Maryland routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.

There are only a couple of credited sources that cover dog bite fatalities in the US.The National Canine Research Council will usually take a full year of follow up to complete their report. The NCRC is preparing numbers for 2011, and expects their report to be out the first week of 2013.
Here is their preliminary report for 2011
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/NCRC%20Preliminary%20Report%202011.pdf
The CRC's report for 2010 is available here.
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/2010%20DBRF%20Report_Final.pdf

I would like you to note that in the 33 cases of Dog related fatalities the study shows
21 dogs to be of unknown origin or indeterminable.
2 verified Pit Bulls
3 verified Rottweilers
2 verified German Shepards
1 verified Husky
1 verified American Bulldog
1 verified Wolf Mix
1 verified Boxer
The study also makes note that several of the cases were reported to be "pit bulls" by the media, but there was no evidence to support those claims, and photos of the dogs were found to be an unknown mixed breed as well. Most of the unknowns were also strays, feral or junkyard pack dogs that were never located after the incidents.
So if you'd like to claim that all of the unknown breeds were "pit bulls" help yourself. But under review by scientific, medical, and veterinary professionals that would be a very incorrect statement.

Brad if you wish for us to provide citations for any statistical data I ask that you provide the same. Do you have access to a scientific study to support the claim that "31 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2011 and out of that 31 attacks, 22 involved pitbulls."

Also am I to understand that you are affiliated with dogsbite.org in some way? "we keep great records when it comes to dog bite fatalities." Every single one of your arguments have been a verbatim repeat of their position and I'm curious as to your insistence of citing them..

On a side note, I would ask that all participants be polite and professional in your responses. I will not tolerate any personal attacks or foul language in this discussion. You will be removed and blocked. Keep it classy, we're all adults here..

Furthermore I would like to note that my involvement in this entire discussion is due to the fact that both of my dogs "look like" pit bull mixes, and due to their appearance, under the Solesky v Tracey ruling, fall into the nondescript category of "pit bull mixes." Intern are a liability at this point, because the court failed to define what a pit bull actually is, and what would be a determining factor in what a mixed breed pit bull was either. Therefore every dog that is of unknown origin could be labeled a "pit bull" and fall under this ruling. This is not good science, and has proven to be a terrible legislative effort by the judiciary system of Maryland.

*statistics....

What I find beyond sad is the individuals that continue to state "fiction" when there has been excellent, reputable sites mentioned by Melanie Snyder and Jon Mazzetta where you can get lots & lots of "facts". Some of the comments are so outrageously crazy I can not nor will I waste my time commenting. I am almost embarrassed for you & your ignorance... If you want to "debate" you first need the facts...
This is how this horrible nightmare started for the Responsible Owners and their beloved pets... Individuals going off of hear-say... media driven news and FICTION. The facts are there you just have to WANT to know the truth...

I haven't read all of the comments but all i know is that its all about training any dog breed any size dog.. if u beat them they will bite.. if you tease them they will bite.. if someone kept poking me i would snap on you! I work at a vet hospital and i have never in the 2 and half yrs been biten by a pit bull, its more the little ones and the ones ppl think that are sweet like labs and boxers. I have three pit bull mixes and they are just like children and sweet as pie. They love everyone and everything. Two of my pitts have even donated blood to number of animals and saved there life. Did those animals turn on people or their owner no their alive healthy and happy to this day thanks to my two beautiful wonderful happy girls!!

Jon, thank you for not taking this lying down. I do not own a dog but have lived with them before. It is all about training. I've been attacked more by cats (3) than by dogs (0). This is just a shift in blame from the human to the dog. I hope this ruling is reversed.

There are many references in the comments to other postings that are no longer shown, and it appears that all of the deleted comments disagreed with your stated opinion.

It does not help your cause to remove all comments that oppose your viewpoint and present this simply as a "we all agree, so we must be right" statement.

@ Phil Dirt I can assure you that no one has been filtering any of the comments here. Even as author I do not have the ability to remove comments and can only flag them as inappropriate. Which I luckily havnt had to do yet.
The comments posted Mr Brad Mulcahy have disappeared along with his profile, and unfortunately it is a very common internet troll tactic to do so. From what I saw he was flagged and even blocked from other postings and was possibly removed from patch all together for doing so.
Another drawback is that due to the anonymous nature of patch postings, you could very well be Brad Mulcahy under the alias of Phil Dirt, and are simply continuing to troll by pointing out the above question.
So let me make it clear that neither myself, as the author, or those who comment have the ability to remove comments on the fly. We can only flag comments and then the comments would still be listed in this conversation as "flagged." Only when you remove your profile or own comments from patch.com will your comments be purged, "flagged" or not.
I created this blog to start a public discussion, not to steer it, and I would certainly be glad for you to participate and express any opinion you may have, regardless of which side of the topic you are on.

I have screen shots of all of his postings and would be glad to repost them if you would like also. A benefit of the email notifications from patch.com is that they contain the body of the comments posted.

Jon, I'm so sorry that you and your girls are having to go through this. Thanks for speaking up about how BSL damages families.

So sad, I can not even imagine. I would almost certainly move.
Shared this on Lucy's World on Facebook. Hope many people will show up, speak up!