Incredible Human Chooses to Move from Prince George's County to Save Dogs

We were living in College Park, MD for several years and began searching for homes in early 2019, also in College Park. We looked in surrounding towns like Greenbelt, Riverdale Park and Hyattsville -- and also locations like Silver Spring, Columbia and even Baltimore. We knew we wanted to adopt a dog and were looking for homes with property that would be a good fit for animals. We found a couple we really liked that fit the bill in Riverdale Park and Hyattsville but learned about the pitbull ban. Seeing that most dogs in shelters are categorized as pit mixes... we weren't sure PG would be the right place for us.

We rescued our dog, Kennedy, who is a pittie type dog and so we ultimately moved to Columbia, MD so we could register her with the county, and be able to take advantage of all of the dog-friendly spaces without worry that she would be confiscated or harmed by the ban. 

We now have fostered 16 dogs (our newest arrival, #17, came to us last weekend) outside of PG county and helped them find their forever homes. Most of the dogs we have fostered have come from the PG shelter. Some of the dogs that have come into our care were clearly owned by folks with their knowledge of house training, basic commands, and overall interaction with people. Of course, every single one of them has been labeled as a pitbull. We wouldn't be able to help rescue these dogs if we chose to live in PG county.

We have temporarily housed a dog that belongs to someone who was unexpectedly evicted from their apartment (in PG) because their landlord found out about the dog and was living in their car. We did not know this person but saw a call for help on one of the IG accounts that belongs to a rescue/volunteer organization or one of their volunteers. 

It is really disappointing how PG refuses to budge on eliminating the pitbull breed ban in the county, a policy that is rooted in oppressive systems and stereotypes. Unfortunately, I am glad we chose to move out of PG county so we could rescue our own dog, and help many lives of dogs who needed an escape from their overcrowded shelter. 

Christine Licata-Hoang