The Columbus Dispatch, along with The Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal, and Canton Repository, published a 9-month-long investigation into Ohio dog bite laws on March 8, 2025.
The investigation found that Ohio law gives dog bite victims little legal recourse against dog owners found liable and dog owners face minimal consequences when their dog injures another person — even in cases with severe injuries.
Additionally, dog bites may be far more common in Ohio than one may think.
How Many Dog Bites Are Reported in Ohio Every Year?
Dogs attack 17,000 people in Ohio each year, causing injuries that require medical attention or the presence of law enforcement officers.
However, that is only the average number reported. Experts believe the number could be double that because many bites go unreported.
Current Dog Bite Laws
Aggressive Dog Classifications
When a dog bites someone, it doesn’t immediately result in a euthanasia order. Instead, the dog will be classified based on its behavior in the bite incident. There are 3 classifications:
- Nuisance: The dog acted menacingly toward someone, such as chasing, growling, or snapping.
- Dangerous: The dog caused a non-serious injury to a person, killed another dog, or was caught running loose a third time.
- Vicious: The dog caused serious injury (i.e., maiming, disfigurement, or permanent incapacitation) or killed a person.
The classification determines the consequences for the dog owner and in rarer cases, the dog.
Under current law, a dog may be killed if it has killed a person. That decision is up to the judge presiding over a case. The only time a judge is required to order euthanasia is when a vicious dog kills a second person.
It should not take two deaths to determine if the dog should be euthanized, but that is what current Ohio law allows.
Dangerous and Vicious Dog Owner Requirements
Ohio law requires the owners of dangerous or vicious dogs to
- keep their dog locked in covered enclosures while at home
- muzzle their dog
- keep the dog outside on a short chain-link leash
- post a warning sign on the premises where the dog lives (there are no guidelines for the size of the sign or what should be on the sign)
- microchip, vaccinate, and spay or neuter the dog
- buy an annual dangerous dog tag for $50
A judge may order the owner of a dangerous dog to buy liability insurance. Extra insurance is required for owners of vicious dogs.
It is difficult for the general public to know if a dog has bitten someone, as there is no public database listing all bite reports or registered dangerous and vicious dogs.
Fines
Fines for failure to register a dog as dangerous or vicious or failure to confine or control a dog start at $25, with fines for subsequent offenses starting at $75. Fines may increase when a dog is registered as dangerous or vicious.
These are minimal fines that do little to incentivize dog owners to prevent future attacks.
Civil Damages
Victims can file a dog bite claim in civil court, where the owner’s homeowners or renters’ insurance will pay out damages for injuries. This also means dog owners do not pay out of their pocket.
Many insurance agencies cap the payout amounts, which can make it difficult for victims with serious injuries to recover enough money to cover medical expenses and lost wages. (That’s why it’s important to hire a dog bite lawyer to help you get the compensation you deserve.)
Who is Liable for a Dog Bite?
Ohio is a strict liability state. Per the Ohio Revised Code 955.28, this means “the owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog is liable in damages for any injury, death, or loss to person or property that is caused by the dog” with the exception of dog bite cases in which the victim provoked the dog into attacking. “Provoking” may include trespassing or another criminal offense like abusing the dog.
Lawmakers Look to Reform Ohio Dog Bite Laws
The good news is this: Thanks to the hard work of journalists, state representatives Kevin Miller (R-Newark) and Meredith Larson-Rowe (D-Canal Winchester) intend to work across the aisle and with county dog wardens to reform Ohio’s dog bite laws.
Rep. Miller is hesitant to increase criminal penalties for dog owners, which may make the bill difficult to pass. But he has shown interest in requiring one death to result in euthanasia, regardless of whether or not a dog is vicious; giving county dog wardens additional tools; and clarifying dog owners’ legal responsibilities.
The Ohio County Dog Warden Association would like to see the following changes added to state law:
- The creation of a public database of dangerous dog registrations
- The establishment of statewide training standards for county dog wardens that include Ohio law, safety, and animal behavior
- Clarification of dog wardens’ powers
- Increased penalties for owners whose dogs cause serious injuries
- The requirement of euthanasia of all dogs deemed vicious
- Provide funding for county dog shelters and require shelters to spay and neuter dogs before adopting them out
Injured By a Dog? Contact A Dog Bite Lawyer
While the state of Ohio is long overdue for dog bite law reform, there’s no guarantee it will pass. The most recent changes to dog bite law in Ohio occurred in 2012, and the last time lawmakers attempted to introduce reform legislation was in 2019.
Regardless of passage, there will always be victims of dog bites.
If you’ve been bitten by a dog, don’t wait. Report the bite to the county in which the bite occurred, seek medical care, and contact the dog bite lawyers at GB Law today for a free consultation.