Maryland made the right call by getting rid of the “one bite rule,” which created an assumption that dog owners know their dogs can bite. In doing so, the Maryland legislature effectively nixed a Maryland Supreme Court ruling that said pit bulls are inherently dangerous and imposed strict liability for owners and landlords.
At the end of the day though, insurance companies are most interested in these sorts of decisions, because they’re the ones paying out dog-bite claims. And although the dog breeds may not be as big an issue for Maryland legislators anymore, your insurance company may still discriminate and charge you more based on the dog you have.
Yes, I’m mostly talking about pit bulls. I agree not all pit bulls are dangerous. Many are well-behaved and loving pets. But because of the breed’s reputation, owners of pit bulls often face discrimination and prejudice from landlords, insurance companies, and others.