Annapolis, MD (Feb. 18, 2021) Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman issued the following statement today regarding the release of Odin & Lucy to their owners:
“I want Odin and Lucy to return to their owners. I’ve wanted that since early January, when I first heard of their case.
“My first questions were to the Office of Law. How, I asked, could dogs that had no history of aggression toward people be deemed “vicious” and sentenced to euthanasia?
“The attorneys reminded me of an incident that took place here in 2017, before I had even thought about running for office. A small dog named Lilo was killed by an at-large dog who was later allowed to return to its owner. In response, the County Council unanimously passed Bill 59-17, or Lilo’s Law, to prevent dogs that kill other domesticated animals from returning to communities. A “vicious animal” designation was created and a mandate that a vicious animal be euthanized was established.
“By the time I learned of the Odin and Lucy case, the Board of Appeals, an independent body that is appointed by the County Council, had deemed Odin and Lucy vicious. I read and re-read the evidence against these dogs, and I was convinced that Odin and Lucy were not in fact vicious, and that they should be at home with their owners. With lawyers engaged and a court date set, I had no choice but to await the ruling.
“The judge’s decision to send the case back to the Board of Appeals created the opening that I needed to act. 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.
“We may never know all the facts of the Odin and Lucy case, but as a person whose life has been spent advocating for animal welfare, I am concerned about the rigid standards established by the law as it was written in 2017.
“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.
Finally, I want to thank the dedicated staff and volunteers at Anne Arundel County Animal Care and Control. I have never encountered a team of people more dedicated to the animals they care for.”