A pit bull attack on a 10-year-old Pasadena boy Tuesday has county officials calling for increased pet owner responsibility, but not an all-out ban on pit bulls.
On Tuesday, a pit bull that was running loose mauled Raymond Slaughter, sending him to the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center, where he was treated for cuts and bruises.
After shooing the pit bull off of the boy, police shot and killed it.
“We are talking about [a dog] that attacked a 10-year-old, and it was an unprovoked attack ? that is a threat to public safety,” said Lt. Jonathon Church, commander of community relations for Anne Arundel County Animal Control.
Since 2004, 346 pit bulls have been euthanized in Anne Arundel County, Church said. There are currently 436 licensed pit bulls in Anne Arundel, according to animal control.
County Executive Janet Owens and other officials oppose a ban similar on pit bulls like the one in Prince George?s County.
Pit bulls have been banned in Prince George?s County since 1997, after a string of attacks on people in Oxon Hill. Prince George?s County residents who have a pit bull could face fines up to $1,000 or up to six months in prison, said Rodney Taylor, chief of the county?s animal management division.
Of the 798 bites reported in 2005, 75 were pit bull bites. The majority of the bites were from mixed breeds.
“I don?t know that statistics show that there is a need for a breed-specific ban,” Church said. “The bites aren?t breed-specific.”
A statewide ban on pit bulls was proposed in 2001, but later withdrawn.
Animal activists say banning pit bulls isn?t the way to protect against attacks. Instead, owners should keep dogs on leashes at all times and make sure they are properly trained. Neutering animals is the best way to ensure they won?t bite or attack, experts say.
The pit bull in Tuesday?s attack was not neutered, and the owners will be fined for letting animals run at large.
“Pit bull owners have to be more careful to preserve the reputation,” said Sue Beatty, executive director of the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, “but any dog should be responsibly and properly socialized.”
