According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over a third of households in the U.S. own at least one dog. And the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that there are about 78 million dogs in the U.S., and more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. With numbers like that, dog owners should know about pet and animal attack laws in their state, so they know to be careful when bringing their pets into public.

In 2014, Maryland changed their animal attack laws to make dog owners strictly liable for injuries caused by their dog. With this law in place, it would be in owners’ best interests to practice responsible ownership and keep their dog on a leash when they’re not on their property. If not, the outcome could be serious.