Photo by Matt.Dunn

Pit bull owners hoping for the Maryland General Assembly to reverse a April court ruling that found pit bulls to be “inherently dangerous” will have to wait a bit longer, as legislators failed to act on a set of proposed bills during a special session that wrapped up this week.

The April court ruling severely increased liability for pit bull owners and the landlords who rent homes to them, provoking howls of complaints from animal rights advocates and dog lovers who argued that the dog’s temperament is more a product of how they’re raised, not their specific breed.

In the wake of the ruling, a task force was formed and legislation introduced in both houses of the General Assembly, though no action was taken during a recent special legislative session that was called to deal with legislation expanding gambling in the state.

“It is extremely disappointing that Maryland lawmakers failed to pass even a stop-gap measure relieving the emergency situation people are facing across the state,” said Tami Santelli, Maryland senior state director for the Humane Society, in a statement. “Due to their inaction, thousands of Maryland families may be forced to choose either their dogs or their homes in the next four months, until the General Assembly comes back in January.”