Dogs Facing Euthanization In Cat Killing Return Home After Anne Arundel County Executive Intervenes
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Two Anne Arundel County dogs facing euthanization after allegedly killing a cat are able to return home after County Executive Steuart Pittman stepped in.
Last January, Bill Dillion's two dogs got loose and allegedly attacked and killed a cat. Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control classified the dogs as "vicious" according to "Lilo's Law," a bill passed in the county in 2017.
Under "Lilo's Law," dogs that kill other domesticated animals are designated "vicious animals." The bill established animals under the designation would be euthanized.
Dillion tried to fight the decision in an appeals court, but the court sided with animal control's choice. That appeals court decision was overturned in January by a circuit court judge, giving Odin and Lucy, a Pitbull and an Akita-mix, a new chance at life.
Pittman said Odin and Lucy's designation has been downgraded to "dangerous" after he asked the Office of Law to intervene.
"The [circuit court] judge's decision to send the case back to the Board of Appeals created the opening that I needed to act," Pittman said in a statement. "I asked our Office of Law to step in and do what they could to get these dogs back to their owners. I understand that an agreement has been reached to downgrade the designation to dangerous, so Odin and Lucy will be home very soon. I want to thank the attorneys for their work in getting that done."
A dangerous designation means the dogs will be added to the Dangerous Animal Registry, and a license renewal must be made each year for the dogs.
Pittman said "Lilo's Law," or Bill 59-17, needs to be reviewed.
"I am concerned about the rigid standards established by the law as it was written in 2017," he said. "Once Odin and Lucy are back with their family, I will ask my staff to do a thorough review of this case and propose a way forward that protects both public safety and the welfare of the animals we cherish."