Ohio Valley Dog Owners, Inc.
Protecting dogs, dog owners and our neighbors
through education and community service
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Ohio Valley Dog Owners, Inc.Protecting dogs, dog owners and our neighbors
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Ohio Valley Dog Owners Inc. promotes responsible dog ownership and works for reasonable laws that protect dogs, dog owners, and our neighbors. Our membership includes dog owners, breeders, and exhibitors; dog-related businesses; and dog clubs in southwestern Ohio.
We are affiliated with the National Animal Interest Alliance and serve as an AKC legislative federation in Ohio.
We advocate laws that uphold the rights of owners to keep their dogs as long as they do not pose a threat to their neighbors and do not cause a nuisance by barking, menacing, or destroying property.
We oppose number limits, breed restrictions, bans on animal husbandry practices, breeding permits, high intact dog fees, and other government fiats that interfere with responsible ownership and breeding practices.
OVDO opposes government restrictions on dog numbers and promotes nuisance ordinances as a more appropriate method of protecting neighbors and property values. Sometimes a single dog owner can be irresponsible!
OVDO position statement on number limits
Our handout on number limits is avaiable for downloading and copying for distribution to dog clubs and at educational events and other locations.
OVDO opposes breed-specific bans and restrictions because they rob responsible dog owners of the options to choose a particular breed or mix, result in the deaths of good dogs, encourage or increase mistrust in government, lead to an increase in poorly-bred dogs of the named breeds, and do not work. Breed-specific laws are often scoffed at and ignored. Cities that pass these laws often spend an inordinate amount of time and money rounding up well-behaved family pets that are no threat to the community. A high percentage of shelter runs and a high percentage of animal control budgets may be devoted to these dogs until court cases are decided or owners are convinced to surrender their dogs to be killed.
OVDO favors reasonable animal control laws that hold owners responsible for the actions of their pets and do not interfere with opportunities to choose a particular breed or individual dog.
Deeds not breeds presents the OVDO position on breed specific legislation
"Judge dogs by deeds not breeds!" our handout on breed specific legislation is available for downloading and copying for distribution to dog clubs and at educational events and other locations.
OVDO opposes the use of zoning ordinances to restrict or prohibit dogs in areas where other agricultural pursuits are allowed. We favor laws that hold dogs and dog owners accountable for their actions. The NAIA Guide to Pet Friendly Ordinances (http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/petfriendlyguide.pdf) achieves this goal.
Although guardianship is becoming a common term for dog owners to use, OVDO opposes any attempt to pass laws equating guardianship with ownership or replacing the word "owner" with the word "guardian."
Governments can revoke guardianship and impound dogs, but they cannot rescind ownership unless that owner has been convicted of a crime. For more information on the follies of guardianship law, see
Preserve your rights as a dog owner (http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/preserve_your_rights.cfm)
The pet guardian movement (http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/guardianship_final.pdf)
The media and the general public often confuse the anti-animal-use platform and philosophy of animal rights with traditional animal welfare concerns and promotion of the human-animal bond. Animal welfare proponents want animals to be treated humanely. Animal rights advocates want to limit man's contact with animals through laws restricting pet breeding, animal ownership, hunting, rodeos, circuses, farming, and biomedical research.
OVDO members are staunch supporters of animal welfare and responsible animal ownership.
Animal Welfare or Animal Rights?: Here are some of the differences
OVDO supported improvements to Ohio's animal welfare law to include basic standards of care for all domestic animals, differentiate between intentional cruelty and unintentional neglect, preserve the rights of animal owners accused of violations, and require training of humane agents. The Ohio Legislature passed a bill that does not include basic standards and covers only pets, but also provides due process for those accused of cruelty or neglect, requires training in the law and animal husbandry for humane agents, and holds humane agencies responsible for compensation to animal owners acquitted of charges.
This law is part of the Ohio Revised Code at Article 959.131-959.132.
OVDO
home page Contact Ohio Valley Dog Owners at
ovdog01@canismajor.com