What’s happening with dangerous dogs? We answer your biggest questions on attacks and laws

Every year, Ohioans are attacked by dangerous dogs, suffering serious injuries and even death.

Just this year, a family dog killed a 7-month-old girl on Columbus’ Far South Side, a North Linden resident fended off two dogs with a shovel after they attacked an 8-year-old boy, causing severe injuries, and a mother and son were sentenced to more than a decade in prison for the fatal dog attack on their neighbor in Pickaway County.

Last month The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and Canton Repository published an investigation into dog attacks and how Ohio’s law fails the victims. This week, in the wake of the Columbus attack, we connected with community members on the Columbus subreddit to find out what questions they had about Ohio’s dog laws.

Here’s what they asked — and how we answered.

How many people are seriously injured in dog attacks?

Statewide, about 17,000 dog bites are reported each year to local public health agencies, which then send the stats to the Ohio Department of Health.

Those bites are serious enough to merit medical attention and or a call to law enforcement. Experts agree that thousands more bites go unreported.

It’s unclear how many of the 17,000 result in serious injuries. The bite report forms don’t ask for descriptions of the severity of the injury.

What breeds or types of dogs bite the most?

While some bite reports contain specifics such as the dog’s name, breed, address and more, many reports fail to give the details. Often, dogs are listed on the reports as mixed or pit bull-like.

The reports are taken by more than 85 different public health agencies.

Are dog wardens culpable if they fail to act?

Each of Ohio’s 88 counties have a dog warden, who works under the sheriff or the county commissioners. Generally, they’re funded through dog licensing fees.

Some wardens operate like police forces, carrying guns and wearing vests. All wardens enforce a specific section of Ohio law dealing with dogs, impounding loose dogs, investigating bites and presenting evidence to designate a dog as dangerous or vicious after an attack.

In some instances, wardens and their counties face civil lawsuits that allege a failure to act.

Dayton resident Klonda Richey had complained multiple times to the Montgomery County warden about her neighbor’s dogs. After she was mauled to death in February 2014, her family won a $3.2 million settlement from the county.

The family of Jo Ann Echelbarger filed a civil lawsuit in March against the Pickaway County dog warden and others. Echelbarger, 73, died a gruesome death in October 2024 while gardening outside her condo in Ashville. Her neighbors, Susan Withers and her son Adam Withers, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and violations of the dog laws. They were sentenced to at least 14 years in prison.

Should I report an aggressive dog before it bites?

Dogs that act aggressive by growling, snarling or chasing should be reported to the county warden. That kind of nuisance behavior can be a red flag, warden say.

Reporting nuisance behavior and all bites, even if they’re minor, is important because it helps document the history. That’s helpful in the event that there is a more serious attack down the line, wardens say.

How can owners prevent attacks?

Pediatricians, dog wardens and shelter officials agree that dog owners can play an active role in preventing attacks.

Owners should invest the time and energy needed to socialize and train their dogs to be around other people and other animals, the experts say.

And a key piece of advice for owners is to remove their dogs from stressful situations such as large crowds, pay attention to the pets’ behaviors and tell people it’s not OK to pet the dog.

State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@gannett.com or @lbischoff on X.

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