Ohio Valley Dog Owners, Inc.

Protecting dogs, dog owners and our neighbors
through education and community service

• New dog license bill taxes kennel owners, stray dog finders; amendments to be offered May 8
• Breeder licensing bills gain opposition in Ohio; Sub bill to be offered May 6
• HB 71 subtracts due process and adds presumption of guilt to Ohio animal law

• Toledo's pit bull restrictions pass court muster
• In the hopper
• Louisville plaintiffs file summary judgement petition
• Check out the National Animal Interest Alliance

New taxes and demands for Ohio dog owners

ALERT!! Amendments to HB 446 will be presented at the committee hearing in Room 313 (the Finance Hearing Room) on May 8 at 8:30 a.m. in the Capitol Building in Columbus. Call (614) 466-9690 for details.

HB 446 is 114 pages of new and amended regulations that overhauls Ohio animal control law.
If approved as written, HB 446 will

• require puppies to be licensed by two months of age,
• ban the sale of unlicensed dogs and puppies under 8 weeks of age,
• mandate individual licenses for dogs in kennels,
• set statewide requirements for rabies vaccinations,
• make it more difficult (and costly) for someone who finds a stray dog to keep that dog or place it in a new home,
• mandate training for animal control officers, and
• increase euthanasia in public shelters.

The bill is available at http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_446

OVDO's letter to the sponsor is here.

Breeder licensing bills gain opposition in Ohio

Testimony on SB 173 was heard on April 24 and April 30. A substitute bill is listed on the May 6 committee agenda, but no testimony will be taken at that hearing. Date is May 6, time is 10 a.m. in the Senate South Hearing Room in the Capitol Building in Columbus. Call (614) 466-8072 on Monday to make sure the substitute bill is still on the agenda.

HB 223/ SB 173 place high financial & regulatory burdens on owners with more than 8 dogs regardless of kennel conditions. Does USDA do it better?

October 11, 2007: SB 223 opponents packed two hearing rooms in the bill's third hearing before the Ohio State Government & Elections Committee. Read the OVDO testimony.

HB 71 subtracts due process and adds presumption of guilt to Ohio animal law

Substitute HB 71 began as an attempt to strengthen laws against dog and cock fighting but morphed into a drive to repeal due process for people accused of animal cruelty.

OVDO opposes this dangerous bill because it assumes that cruelty accusations equal cruelty conviction. The bill has passed the House of Representatives and has had three hearings in the Senate Agriculture Committee. It has not been voted out of committee.

The judges speak: Toledo's pit bull restrictions pass court muster

State Supreme Court decision

Will the decision encourage lawmakers to rewrite the state's unconstitutional vicious dog law? Or will breed restrictions and bans continue to proliferate?

Several Ohio cities have already opted for breed bans or restrictions, but Cincinnati is considering repeal of its ban because it does not work. The plaintiff in the case petitioned the US Supreme Court for a hearing, but the petition was denied.Meanwhile, HB 366 proposes to drop 'pit bull' from state law but allow cities to pass breed-specific ordinances.

In the hopper
These bills affecting animals and animal owners have also been introduced
in the 2007-2008 session of the Ohio State Legislature.

• HB 22: Increases penalties for animal cruelty and requires counseling for minors convicted of animal abuse.
• HB 45: Restricts exotic animal ownership.
• HB 281: Amends the process for determining fair market value of certain animals killed by a dog.
• HB 352: Adds alpacas to the definition of livestock.
• HB 366: Removes breed-specific language from the state's vicious dog law but allows municipalities to pass such laws.
• HB 415: Increases penalties for animal fighting, allows for sale of equipment and forfeiture of cash confiscated in raids with proceeds used for care of impounded animals and education to decrease animal fighting. This bill will be heard for the third time on April 17. Call Representative John White, (513) 466-6504, for information.
• HB 418: Increases penalties for animal cruelty, provides for probation for felony animal abusers, requires counseling for minors convicted of animal abuse, and expands protection orders in domestic abuse cases to include pets. This bill will be heard for the third time on April 17. Call Representative John White, (513) 466-6504, for information.

Louisville plaintiffs file summary judgement petition in federal court

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the Louisville City Council rewrite of the city's dangerous dog law have asked a federal court to decide in its favor without hearing further arguments.

Lawyers for the Louisville Kennel Club and other plaintiffs filed a summary judgement petition that argues that several provisions of the law are unconstitutional and that these provisions make the remaining language of the law impossible to enforce. The filing also takes issue with the city's hiring of veterinarian Gilles Miloche as the director of its animal control division as illegal under Kentucky law. Dr. Meloche not only is not a US citizen as required by law, but he is also ineligible to become a peace officer in Kentucky on other grounds according to the petition.

NAIA promotes responsible animal ownership and use, exposes the arrogance and danger of the animal rights movement, and encourages lawmakers and regulators to include responsible animal owners in their deliberations. Visit the NAIA website at http://www.naiaonline.org

See these NAIA articles for more information: From firearms to Fido: "Feel Good" Laws Make Things Worse, and the NAIA Guide to Pet Friendly Ordinances