Ohio Valley Dog Owners, Inc.

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

Ohio dog laws

In Ohio, counties enforce state animal control law by hiring a dog warden and providing equipment and housing for stray dogs and dogs accused of dangerous behavior. Each county sets its dog license fee to provide a budget for dog warden services.

Some cities expand on state law by adding breed-specific bans, number limits, and other restrictions on dog ownership. They fund enforcement of these laws out of their general fund budget or by special license fees.

Some townships limit dog ownership through zoning laws that place number restrictions on properties of various sizes.

Animal control law can be found in Title 9, Chapter 955, of the Ohio Revised Code. The law can be found at http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com/oh/lpExt.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=PORC. Click on the entry for Title IX, Agriculture-Animals-Fencing in the left window to open the file, then follow links to "Dogs" (Chapter 955) and "Offenses related to domestic animals" (Chapter 959).

Chapter 955, covers dog control law

Some pertinent sections are:

955.01 requires all dogs more than three months of age to be licensed.
955.03 specifies that dogs are personal property
955.04 covers current kennel licensing law
955.12 covers the duties of dog wardens
955.22 covers confinement or restraint of dog; liability insurance for dangerous dogs; and debarking or surgically silencing a dangerous dog.
955.99 covers the fines and penalties for violating the sections in this chapter.

Animal cruelty law is covered in ORC 959

Some pertinent sections are:

959.01 -959.03 cover abandonment, poisoning, and injuring of animals.
959.04 covers the rights of property owners if animals trespass
959.131-132 cover offenses against companion animals, defined as "any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept." Wild animals and livestock are excluded from the definition.
959.16 covers prohibitions against dog fighting

To get copies of local laws affecting animal ownership, try the local government website. If the information is not available online, contact the city, township, or county clerk and ask for a copy of the animal laws.

To follow the progress of pending laws and regulations in Ohio, check the OVDO alert page.

To contact state legislators on issues affecting dog ownership, go to the state assembly website at http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/ and search for contact information for your representative or senator.

Membership information

OVDO home page Contact Ohio Valley Dog Owners at ovdog01@canismajor.com