Sample letters to legislators ::

A collection of sample letters to Maryland legislators that support the high court's landmark decision in Tracey v. Solesky. Submit your sample letter to:

Sample letter one

Dear Honorable Task Force Member:

I strongly support the recent ruling by the Court of Appeals that holds the owners of pit bulls and their landlords financially responsible after a disfiguring attack. The American public has known for many years about the danger this dog breed presents. Appellate courts have recognized this as well, dating back as far as 1986.

Pit bulls have been disfiguring innocent people for over three decades now. Maryland victims of these attacks have earned the right to recover the costs of repairing the injuries inflicted by these dogs, which may begin at $20,000 and escalate into six figures and beyond. The Court of Appeals has agreed.

Just last year in 2011, pit bulls were responsible for 71% of all fatal dog attacks. In the past 7 years, from 2005 through 2011, the breed was responsible for 60%. These disproportionate numbers cannot be ignored. What is true since the CDC report was issued in 2000 is that pit bulls are maiming and killing even more today.

The Court was very clear in that they did not ban pit bulls; they simply placed the responsibility of the dog's actions onto their owners and those who have the right to control a pit bull's presence on a property. The Court also noted that this is the very action pit bull advocates have long sought: "blame the owner not the dog."

No Maryland victim should ever have to suffer a life-threatening pit bull mauling, such as Dominic Solesky did, only to next face an all too common reality: The pit bull owner defaults in bankruptcy. The era of personal responsibility is here and now and the Court expanded this to include landlords to ensure that these medical costs are paid.

Sincerely,
Your Name Here

Sample letter two

Dear Honorable Task Force Member:

I strongly support the Maryland Court of Appeals decision that will allow individuals and families who are harmed by pit bulls to seek compensation from negligent dog and property owners. The decision does not ban pit bulls in any way. Nor does it criminalize pit bull owners.

Pit bulls have been bred for centuries to be strong, muscular, tenacious dogs capable of bringing down cattle and wild hogs, as well as other dogs in fighting pits. When pit bulls attack, the damage they do is commonly life-threatening and permanent, or fatal, unlike the bites of other types of dogs. This breed is also the number one breed of dog used by dog fighters, as well as gang members and drug dealers who use the dogs to intimidate and guard criminal activities.

It is not the dogs' fault and no one blames pit bulls for what is happening to them. The court's decision in Tracey v. Solesky will ensure that those who abuse and neglect pit bulls, often causing them to become aggressive and unbalanced, are held accountable for the damage these dogs do to the public when they do attack.

I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that the court's decision is upheld.

Sincerely,
Your Name Here

Sample letter three

Dear Honorable Task Force Member:

I strongly support the Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in Tracey v. Solesky.

The pit bull is a dog often owned by people with little to lose. This ruling is very important for human victims of this dog in the State of Maryland.

The pit bull for three decades now has been the dog overwhelmingly responsible for more maulings and deaths of human beings than any other canine in American history. The pit bull does not have to be cruelly treated or taught to act upon its inbred behavioral traits. The unique bite comes from sheer tenacity with a refusal not to release while tearing its victim.

Many pit bulls never act upon their traits. However, the dog is unpredictable. It is not uncommon in serious maulings for a pit bull to have attacked a family member while never being mistreated.

As a pit bull mauling victim, I beg you to first protect the human victim in your deliberations. People who choose to own or harbor a pit bull must be responsible to the victim. The ruling does not ban the dog. However, society must find a way to protect innocent people. This ruling only asks for financial responsibility to the victim.

Sincerely,
Your Name Here

Sample letter four

Dear Honorable Task Force Member:

I am writing to express my strong support of the Maryland Appeals Court ruling in Tracey v. Solesky, which holds dog owners and landlords responsible when pit bulls maim, kill, and disfigure people in the community. If the legislature is interested in ensuring fairness across the board for victims of serious dog maulings, I encourage you to recommend legislation that holds dog owners and landlords financially culpable when any dog, regardless of breed, attacks and kills or maims people in Maryland. Whether or not the dog has shown aggression before a serious incident should not be a factor in whether victims of an attack are able to seek and receive compensation and resolution.

The Maryland Appeals Court's ruling in Tracey v. Solesky will benefit victims of attacks, as well as pit bulls, who are too often kept in heavy chains, left out in weather extremes, denied needed veterinary care and preventive treatments, and otherwise abused and neglected with the specific intent of making them "mean guard dogs."

I urge you to make certain that the court's ruling in Tracey v. Solesky stands without interference from the legislature.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Your Name Here