Turning tragedy into thoughtful reform.
Looking toward the 2027 Maryland legislative session
Hear Holly's story from Cheryl.
1
Walk
A routine walk in a Howard County public park.
2
Dogs
An attack that caused catastrophic injuries.
3
Days
Emergency treatment, surgery, and intensive care.
$42K+
Veterinary Expenses
Costs incurred in the effort to save Holly's life.
1
Preventable Loss
Despite every effort, Holly did not survive.
Maryland legislative initiative
Holly's story is documented. The full scope is not.
Holly's Law Phase One proposes two practical reforms to strengthen Maryland's response to severe and fatal dog attacks:
1. Revise Maryland's current $25,000 compensation cap so the limit applies to each attacking dog rather than each incident.
2. Create a statewide reporting system for severe and fatal dog attacks to improve accountability and help guide future policy decisions.
Revise Maryland's current $25,000 compensation cap so the limit applies to each attacking dog rather than each incident.Create a statewide reporting system for severe and fatal dog attacks to improve accountability and help guide future policy decisions.
Catastrophic dog attacks can leave victims facing overwhelming emotional, physical, and financial consequences in a matter of hours. Emergency and specialty veterinary care may reach tens of thousands of dollars during severe attacks.
At the same time, Maryland lacks centralized statewide reporting of severe and fatal dog attacks, leaving policymakers and public safety officials without comprehensive data to identify trends, evaluate risk factors, or measure the effectiveness of existing laws.
The goal is not reaction for reaction's sake. It is a careful, practical conversation about what Maryland can do better.
Two questions worth exploring
1
Compensation
Do current compensation frameworks adequately address catastrophic multi-dog attacks? These incidents can produce greater injuries, higher veterinary costs, increased trauma, and more complex liability issues than single-dog incidents, yet compensation limits remain unchanged regardless of how many dogs participate.
2
Statewide tracking
Why does Maryland not maintain centralized statewide reporting of severe and fatal dog attacks? Without reliable statewide data, policymakers, public safety officials, and communities lack information needed to understand the scope of these incidents and evaluate potential solutions.
Looking toward 2027
What thoughtful reform could advance
Accountability
Public Safety
Victim Protection
Statewide Data Collection
Practical Legislative Reform
Information for legislators and community partners
PDF Resource
Holly's Law One-Sheet
PDF Resource
Holly's Law Proposal
Continue the conversation