Pet Pause
Unprovoked Attacks to Carry New Consequences
Come Tuesday, Ohio Dog Owners Will Become More Legally Responsible Than Ever
A man is walking down a Mentor sidewalk when he encounters another man and his dog. The dog bites the other man without provocation — that is, without being “teased, tormented or abused” or defending a person abiding the law or using a dog to protect the law. If this scenerio actually took place tomorrow, the day new Ohio law is enacted, that dog's walker could face criminal charges — anywhere from a fourth-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony, which could carry time behind bars. From tomorrow on, if a dog kills another dog or causes injury to a person, it will be legally classified as “dangerous,” forcing its owner to pay a $50 annual fee, spay or neuter and microchip the dog, ensure rabies shots, chain-link fence its living space …
In this Article:
