Urge Prince George's County to End Its Pit Bull Ban

A Maryland family not only lost their house in a fire – they also lost their beloved dogs, Precious and Molly.

Precious and Molly survived the fire. But they are pit bulls, which are banned in Prince George's County, where their family lives. The two dogs were taken to a shelter and, fortunately, adopted by their owner' sister, who lives in a breed-friendly county.

During and after the fire, Precious refused to move from her unconscious owner's side. A video of the loyal dog went viral and raised important questions about the fairness of breed bans.

Prince George's County has banned pit bulls since 1997. Residents cannot "own, keep or harbor" pit bulls, which include Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and American pit bull terriers.

Breed-specific legislation (BSL), laws that ban or restrict certain types of dogs based solely on their breed or appearance. Every major animal organization opposes BSL because it punishes well-behaved dogs and their loving, responsible owners.

Banning pit bulls because they are "dangerous dogs" has not proven to increase public safety anywhere these laws have been enacted, including Prince George's County. Twelve years ago, a county task force found the public safety benefit to be "unmeasurable."

BSL is also costly to enforce and a waste of public resources. Prince George's County spends $280,000 taxpayer dollars each year confiscating pet pit bulls.

Because of the unfairness and ineffectiveness of BSL, it has been repealed in many areas of the country. But not in Prince George's County, where owning a pit bull is still a criminal offense.

Please sign the petition urging the Prince George's County Council to repeal its breed ban, so good dogs like Precious can stay with their loving families, where they belong.