There’s a push to change how vicious dog attacks are handled in Ohio as state lawmakers introduced a new bill after multiple people were attacked in Colerain Township last month.Three loose dogs pushed through a fence and broke into Phil Schmidt’s backyard.”Big dog immediately charges me, and I seen two of the chickens were dead,” Schmidt said.The dog then goes for Schmidt, biting his leg. Moments before, Ed Brutz was attacked by the same dogs in his backyard nearby.”I was straddling that fence, and they were coming at my legs, trying to get me up there,” Brutz said.A week before, also in Colerain Township, dogs attacked Emily Rentschler in front of her children.”‘Cause I almost died. I can’t believe I didn’t die,” Rentschler said.Now, state representatives are looking to change Ohio’s dog attack laws, specifically how the dog warden responds.Cincinnati-area Rep. Cecil Thomas introduced a bill to the House.”I can very easily see a child being injured and the parents are saying, ‘Hey, we’ll get that dog out of the neighborhood,’ and the dog warden would say, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am, all we can tell the owner to confine the dog.’ Well, that caused some concerns,” Thomas said.The bill would require dog wardens to quarantine dogs that attack people for 10 days. After a warden evaluates, a judge would make a final ruling on what happens with the dog next.Something Schmidt feels it will help.”Cause if it would have got a kid it would have been bad,” Schmidt said. “I think they ought to give the dog warden more power because he actually, when he was here, he seemed very powerless.”WLWT reached out to the Hamilton and Butler county dog wardens for a comment on the newly introduced legislation. We have not heard back from them yet.Thomas says his bill on dog attacks should be getting several public hearings in May where supporters and opponents can comment in Columbus.
There’s a push to change how vicious dog attacks are handled in Ohio as state lawmakers introduced a new bill after multiple people were attacked in Colerain Township last month.
Three loose dogs pushed through a fence and broke into Phil Schmidt’s backyard.
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“Big dog immediately charges me, and I seen two of the chickens were dead,” Schmidt said.
The dog then goes for Schmidt, biting his leg. Moments before, Ed Brutz was attacked by the same dogs in his backyard nearby.
“I was straddling that fence, and they were coming at my legs, trying to get me up there,” Brutz said.
A week before, also in Colerain Township, dogs attacked Emily Rentschler in front of her children.
“‘Cause I almost died. I can’t believe I didn’t die,” Rentschler said.
Now, state representatives are looking to change Ohio’s dog attack laws, specifically how the dog warden responds.
Cincinnati-area Rep. Cecil Thomas introduced a bill to the House.
“I can very easily see a child being injured and the parents are saying, ‘Hey, we’ll get that dog out of the neighborhood,’ and the dog warden would say, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am, all we can tell the owner to confine the dog.’ Well, that caused some concerns,” Thomas said.
The bill would require dog wardens to quarantine dogs that attack people for 10 days. After a warden evaluates, a judge would make a final ruling on what happens with the dog next.
Something Schmidt feels it will help.
“Cause if it would have got a kid it would have been bad,” Schmidt said. “I think they ought to give the dog warden more power because he actually, when he was here, he seemed very powerless.”
WLWT reached out to the Hamilton and Butler county dog wardens for a comment on the newly introduced legislation. We have not heard back from them yet.
Thomas says his bill on dog attacks should be getting several public hearings in May where supporters and opponents can comment in Columbus.
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