43
Youngstown man lobbies for animal-protection law
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
A Youngstown-area man urged lawmakers Tuesday to move legislation enabling emergency responders to assist injured pets at accident scenes.
Jason Cooke, former president of the humane society that serves Mahoning County and a board member at Falcon Animal Rescue in Austintown, spoke as a proponent of House Bill 187 before the Ohio Senate’s Agriculture Committee, joining a handful of other proponents of the proposed law changes.
But Cooke and other advocates voiced concerns about two other pet-related bills, urging amendments before final passage to ensure pets are protected and animal abusers are appropriately penalized.
The three bills are being considered by the lawmaker panel but have not yet been moved for final floor votes in the chamber.
HB 187 would authorize emergency responders to assist with hurt dogs and cats, though they would have to consult with a licensed veterinarian before administering drugs to the injured animals.
Treatments covered by the bill include “opening and manually maintaining an airway,” “giving mouth-to-snout or mouth-to-barrier ventilation,” controlling bleeding, immobilizing broken bones and bandaging wounds, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Service Commission.
Cooke said the proposed law changes would protect emergency responders who assist injured dogs and cats.
But Cooke and others asked lawmakers to amend two other bills, including SB 151, which would change state law definitions of dangerous and vicious dogs and require that dogs that kill people or other companion animals be destroyed.
The legislation is aimed at fixing issues animal advocates say have arisen since lawmakers changed state law four years ago to create a multitiered system for categorizing certain dogs as “nuisance,” “dangerous” or “vicious” animals.
Owners of dogs in all three categories face requirements for the handling of their pets, with criminal penalties for failing to do so and ownership restrictions for convicted felons.
While supportive of changes to the state’s dangerous-dog laws, Cooke voiced concern about some provisions in SB 151, including the permanence of classifications assigned to dogs.
“Whether a dog is classified as a nuisance, dangerous or vicious, that classification is permanent,” he said in testimony submitted to the committee.
“A responsible pet owner has no means, and therefore no incentive, to take the necessary measures to correct their dog’s behaviors, which can result in at least two things: an uneducated owner and a dog with unaddressed issues.”
He also questioned the automatic euthanasia provision for dogs that have killed other companion animals.
Cooke and others also urged changes to HB 60, which would increase criminal penalties for those who purposely abuse or neglect dogs and cats in their care.
Proponents have urged senators’ support, telling lawmakers that people who hurt pets should face felony charges.
But animal advocates said the version of the legislation that passed the House was weaker than earlier versions before lawmakers.
For example, the current language in the bill would block humane societies from appointing special prosecutors to handle felony animal-cruelty cases, Cooke said.
“Animal law can be incredibly complex, and with new case law being established every day, this further adds to its complexity,” he said in testimony submitted to the Agriculture Committee. “A special prosecutor is much more apt to handle these cases in my opinion, and can give these cases the much needed expertise, attention, and priority they deserve.”
Pat Fogo, a Lorain County resident speaking on behalf of animal welfare groups, also asked that HB 60 be renamed “Nitro’s Law,” in honor of a Rottweiler that was among dogs that died from extreme neglect at a Youngstown kennel in 2008.