I met Tony Solesky the last weekend of the campaign in 2010. Mr. Solesky operates a painting and home improvement company, and he was finishing a job in the Loch Raven area where I was campaigning with another candidate. Mr. Solesky told me about an incident involving a pit bull attack that had seriously injured his son Dominic several years ago, and he asked me to remember him if I got elected.
Well, I was elected several days later, and Mr. Solesky was one of the first people who visited me. We have spoken several times over the past year. This week, Maryland’s highest court ruled in favor of the Solesky family, declaring when an attack specifically involves pit bulls, it is no longer necessary to prove the individual dog was dangerous.
The decision has provoked a sharp response from pit bull advocates, who counter that these dogs are influenced by their care and their environment, like all other creatures. These advocates worry that the decision will lead to abandonment of the dogs as owners worry about being evicted for possessing them.
It might be a surprise, but animal welfare is one of the toughest and most emotional issues facing local government. In addition to the pit bull issue, there are those who question the county’s policy of exterminating animals at the shelter. I do not have all the answers, and I do not know how the County Council will react to these issues, but I do know that no one should have been forced to endure the pain inflicted on Dominic Solesky.