Ohio dog attack project took 9 months to write and report

Nine months ago, we set out to find out how often dangerous dogs attack and injure Ohioans, whether the owners are held accountable and what weaknesses in state law exist.

The Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal and Canton Repository reviewed police reports, body camera and dash-camera footage, witness statements, lawsuits and injury photos in dozens of cases.

We interviewed nearly 60 victims, family members, lawyers, pediatricians, dog wardens, lawmakers and others and submitted more than 50 public records requests to agencies across the state. Our legal team sued the Village of Ashville in the Ohio Court of Claims to press the police department to release footage of officers responding to a fatal attack.

The interviews and records revealed shocking details: state law doesn’t mandate euthanasia of an aggressive dog until it kills a second human; even after serious injuries occur, dog owners pay a fine that is little more than a traffic ticket; children are more likely to be attacked; victims often face crushing medical bills, multiple surgeries and long-lasting psychological trauma.

A decade ago, a string of lawmakers tried − and failed − to strengthen Ohio’s dangerous dog laws. No legislators have broached the topic in the past five years.

Who worked on the project?

USA TODAY Network Ohio bureau reporter Laura Bischoff anchored the reporting and writing. Bureau chief Anthony Shoemaker, project director, and Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Dan Horn edited the stories.

Akron Beacon Journal investigative reporter Stephanie Warsmith and photographer Lisa Scalaro told the story of Michael Palmer, a local man who lost his thumbs, an index finger and both ears in a devastating attack. Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell edited the Palmer story.

Cincinnati Enquirer Director of Photography Cara Owsley, Enquirer photographers Albert Cesare and Phil Didion and Columbus Dispatch photographer Courtney Hergesheimer and former photographer Barbara Perenic took and edited photos and videos. Enquirer visual journalist Mike Nygeres produced graphics and an animated video. Keely Brown and Andrea Brunty managed the digital presentation.

Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

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