Prince George’s County, Md. — The Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously 7-0 on Tuesday to repeal a nearly 30-year-old ban on pit bulls, ending one of the longest-standing breed-specific laws in Maryland during the final legislative session of the year.
The vote came after more than an hour of public testimony in a packed council chamber in Upper Marlboro, where dozens of residents wore matching purple shirts distributed by the Pet Unity Project, a local advocacy group that led the campaign to overturn the 1996 ordinance.
Council Chair Ed Burroughs, D-District 8, sponsored Council Bill 106-2024, which removes pit bull-type dogs from the county’s list of prohibited breeds. The legislation shifts regulation to behavior-based standards, increases penalties for owners of any dog declared dangerous, and expands leash-law requirements countywide.
Supporters argued the existing ban failed to improve public safety and created unnecessary barriers for responsible owners.
“Our current law does not increase safety. It actually does the opposite,” Caitrin Conroy, a Fort Washington resident and co-founder of the Pet Unity Project, told the council. “The bill in front of us today will make our community safer and fairer.”
Several speakers highlighted the difficulty of visually identifying a pit bull, noting that county animal control officers had previously reversed their own breed determinations on the same dogs years apart. Council member Sydney Harrison, D-District 9, said the county spends roughly $3 million annually enforcing the ban while an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 pit bull-type dogs already live in Prince George’s County.
Harrison pointed to the county’s animal shelter, where approximately half of adoptable dogs are classified as pit bulls or pit mixes, leaving many animals in limbo because residents cannot legally adopt them.
Opponents urged caution and asked the council to retain the prohibition. Valencia Campbell of Fort Washington described herself as speaking on behalf of victims of dog attacks.
“I am pleading with you. Take your time. Do not lift the ban on pit bulls in Prince George’s County,” Campbell testified. After the vote, she expressed frustration with the outcome, saying, “These dogs have been deemed vicious and they do not let go. I am just outraged.”
Four council members — Wanika Fisher (D-District 7), Krystal Oriadha (D-District 4), Eric Olson (D-District 3), and Ingrid Harrison (D-At Large) — left the chamber before the roll call and did not cast votes. The seven members who remained all supported repeal.
The original 1996 law made Prince George’s County one of the few jurisdictions in the Washington region to impose a complete ban on pit bull ownership, requiring existing owners to register their dogs, maintain $1 million in liability insurance, muzzle the animals in public, and confine them in secure enclosures. New ownership was prohibited.
Maryland courts upheld breed-specific legislation for years, but a 2012 Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in Tracey v. Solesky declared pit bulls “inherently dangerous,” prompting some jurisdictions to strengthen restrictions. A 2014 legislative change shifted liability to individual dog behavior rather than breed, opening the door for local governments to reconsider bans.
Prince George’s County now joins Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and most other Maryland subdivisions that regulate dogs based on actions rather than appearance.
The bill heads next to County Executive Angela Alsobrooks — who will leave office in December 2025 after her election to the U.S. Senate — or to incoming County Executive Aisha Braveboy, depending on when it reaches the executive’s desk. Braveboy has not publicly stated her position on the legislation. She may sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature.
If enacted, current pit bull owners will have 90 days to come into compliance with new registration and microchipping requirements for previously banned dogs. The expanded dangerous-dog provisions apply to all breeds and include stricter penalties for owners whose dogs cause serious injury.
The Prince George’s County Animal Services Division will develop updated identification protocols and training for officers now that visual breed determination will no longer trigger automatic seizure.