Photo by Matt.Dunn

A task force formed in the wake of a Maryland court’s ruling that pit bulls are “inherently dangerous” will consider the impact of the decision and possible legislative responses, reports the AP:

The task force will review state law, the court’s decision and laws in other states. The panel also will review the viability and definition of breed-specific standards in Maryland law, a dog owner or landlord’s ability to secure property insurance and existing breed-specific prohibitions in local jurisdictions in Maryland.

“The work of the Joint Task Force should be confined to the specific impact of this decision and not broader issues of animal-related legislation or preemption of existing local regulation on this matter,” Busch and Miller wrote.

The late-April ruling found that pit bulls are more dangerous than any other dog, significantly increasing the liability faced by those that own them and even landlords that rent homes to pit bull owners. Animal rights groups have largely criticized the decision, saying that how a dog is raised matters more than what breed it is. Prince George’s County has banned pit bull ownership since 1996; in D.C. liability for a specific dog only increases after a first attack.