Ohio Law: Pit Bulls Aren't "Vicious"

To say the least, it's been a controversial month for pit bulls. Earlier this month, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that pit bulls were an "inherently dangerous" dog breed, prone to aggression that results in dog bites. As such, the state ramped up regulations surrounding pit bulls and made owning the breed more difficult by holding not only dog owners responsible for their pup's actions, but holding landlords who rented to pit bull owners liable as well. The decision made animal rights activists and pit bull advocates furious.

In a story that seemed to almost counter Maryland's ruling, a hero pit bull named Lilly saved her owner from certain death on a set of railroad tracks, showing a softer side to the breed. The question of whether pit bulls were actually naturally dangerous was muddled even further. Now, the state of Ohio, which formerly had a hard line stance on pit bulls, has softened their feelings on the breed.

Maryland rules pit bulls "inherently dangerous"

According to an article on CBS News, a new Ohio law has redefined what it means to be a "vicious dog."

In the old law, a vicious dog was defined as a dog that "has seriously hurt or killed a person, killed another dog or is among those commonly known as pit bulls." The new law removes the references to pit bulls, and allows for pit bull incidents to be handled on a case by case basis.

The new move adds more fuel to the fire in the pit bull debate. The Maryland ruling had left many animal activists fearing that other states would proceed in a similar fashion in regard to their treatment of pit bulls, opening the door for widespread breed discrimination. The Ohio law seems to counteract that though. Perhaps the Ohio legislators were convinced by recent news events that pit bulls do have a softer side.

Hero pit bull Lilly saves owner's life

What are your thoughts on pit bulls no longer being labeled vicious in Ohio? Do you think the story of Lilly the pit bull had anything to do with it? Share your thoughts in a comment!

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