State lawmakers revise vicious-dogs law
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The Ohio Senate began deliberations this week on legislation to remove pit bulls from the state’s definition of vicious dogs and create a three-tiered system for categorizing potentially dangerous canines.
“The current law is too vague and bases the term vicious in part on the dog’s appearance when it should be on the dog’s behavior and individual personality,” Rep. Barbara Sears, a Republican from the Toledo area, told the Senate’s judiciary committee. “Pit bull-type dogs are being specifically singled out and targeted on their appearance and not on any offense that they have ever committed.”
The legislation passed the Ohio House earlier this year 69-29.
Under existing state law, vicious/dangerous dogs are defined as those that, without provocation, chase people in a menacing fashion, kill or cause serious injury to any person or kill another dog.
Additionally, the definition covers animals belonging “to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.”
HB 14 removes pit bulls from the state definition and creates three classifications for problem dogs:
“Nuisance” dogs would be used for dogs that have chased or attempted to bite people without provocation while off of their owners’ premises.
“Dangerous” dogs would cover those that have had three nuisance violations, or have injured people or have killed another dog without provocation while away from their owners’ premises.
“Vicious” dogs would be defined as those that have killed or caused serious injury to a person without provocation while away from their owners’ premises.
Owners of dogs in all three categories would face certain requirements for the handling of their pets, with criminal penalties for failing to do so.