"Ralphie," a "pit bull" dog, is a certified member of Ohio's Lake Metroparks Volunteer Companion Dog Patrol, promoting safety and acting as a good-will ambassador.

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Old Harvey was a white Bulldog who "served with honor at the Battle of Franklin" alongside the soldiers of the 104th Ohio during the Civil War. 

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A new day for "pit bull" dogs in Ohio

The State of Ohio, recognizing the value of all dogs and the ineffectiveness of breed-specific legislation, removed the state’s designation of “pit bull” dogs as “vicious” by signing HB 14 into law on February 21, 2012. The 25-year old state law, which had led to discrimination and the needless killing of “pit bull” dogs in Ohio shelters, was overturned with Governor Kasich’s signature and will take effect on May 20, 2012. The former breed-specific law had no proven effect on increasing public safety. This action was historic because Ohio had been the only state to ever have breed-specific terminology written into state law. On the contrary, eleven states have laws that prohibit the use of breed-specific legislation as a means to regulate dangerous dogs.

While serious incidents involving dogs are rare, the intense media coverage that may accompany such events can mislead the public and/or lawmakers into imagining that dogs pose a significant threat to the community. Sensationalized publicity, combined with a lack of understanding of the infrequency of serious dog-related injuries, and of the factors that contribute to them, has resulted in reactive and uniformed policies directed against certain types of dogs. Although the State of Ohio has overturned its breed-specific legislation, over twenty cities and towns in Ohio continue to ban or restrict ownership of certain types of dogs.

For example, in Akron, a "pit bull" dog has to wear a green fluorescent collar. The owner must post on his or her premises at least one city-issued warning sign, which can be read from the street. Any dog identified as a "pit bull" must be tattooed with a code number provided by the city. The owner must either keep the dog in the house, or, if outside of the house, "in a locked enclosure which has a top, and has a concrete base with the fencing securely attached or anchored to the concrete perimeter to a depth of six inches." The owner can only walk the dog, "muzzled and on a chain-link leash that is not more than six feet in length which is held in the hand of a person who is of suitable age and discretion and is outside with the dog."

Other Ohio municipalities have their own breed-specific regulations as well, but it is our hope that those municipalities follow the enlightened example of the state and remove breed-specific stipulations from their dog ordinances. 

The relevant statutes from the City of Akron and other municipalities can be accessed over the Internet. NCRC suggests that dog owners, in the interests of the safety of their dogs, familiarize themselves with the animal control ordinances of any jurisdiction before they move there.

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Smoky in a field blanket
Copyright (c) William A. Wynne

Smoky, a young adult Yorkie, was found in an abandoned foxhole in New Guinea in February of 1944.

The GI who had discovered Smoky, to finance himself in a card game, sold her to Corporal William Wynne of Cleveland for two Australian pounds. Smoky served with Wynne from then until the end of the war. She flew photo reconnaissance missions, weathered a typhoon, survived kamikaze attacks, even made a parachute jump. She entertained troops in Special Service shows and in hospitals.

Her most noteworthy military accomplishment was in helping engineers construct at airbase in the Philippines. Responding to the commands and calls of Corporal Wynne, Smoky “snaked” vital phone wires through a 70-foot buried pipe only eight inches in diameter. Her feat averted the need to dig up the taxi strip to gain access to the pipe, a job estimated to take  three days. The intrepid Smoky ran the crucial wiring in only two minutes.

Two memorials honoring Smoky can be seen in the Cleveland area.

Source: http://www.SmokyWarDog.com

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National Canine Research Council

What is a dog bite?

While the question seems simple enough, the answer is often not what we imagine.

Over the past three decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.

There is no evidence that cities or counties that have enacted breed bans or restrictions have had a greater reduction in the number of reported bites when compared to cities or counties without breed bans or restrictions.

National Canine Research Council

Over the past 45 years (1965 - present) there have been 20 dog bite-related fatalities in Ohio, an average of one (1) fatality every 2+ years.

NCRC's 2011 Preliminary Report on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities illustrates the challenge of accurately reporting on these extremely rare, tragic events. Our mission of preserving the human-canine bond obligates us to be as accurate about these emotionally charged incidents as we can, so that they are calmly, correctly and, therefore, usefully understood. Accuracy takes time.

At least eleven (11) different breeds/types of dogs have been reported in these incidents.*

The victims were 7 adults and 13 children.

Nearly half (5 out of 12) of the children were killed when they approached chained or penned dogs. Five (5) of the other children were infants (< 2 months old) who had been left unsupervised with unfamiliar dogs.

None of the dogs involved in fatalities in Ohio had been spayed or neutered by their owners.

At least five (5) Ohio dog owners were criminally charged in connection with a dog-bite related fatality, two of which resulted in a murder or involuntary manslaugther conviction:

On September 3, 1992, Angela Kaplan, 28, was murdered by her boyfriend Jeffrey Mann as her held her down and repeatedly ordered his dog to attack her. Mann was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. (Cleveland)

On Feb. 1, 2003, Matthew Crawley's loose roaming dogs critically mauled Vivian Anthony. Anthony was on life support for 53 days before succumbing to her injuries. During this time Crawley's dogs escaped again, and mauled another woman, who survived with the aide of two men who beat the dogs off. Crawley was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 6 months in jail. (Columbus, 2003).

Two other Ohio dog owners were charged with involuntary manslaughter (both in 1987), but not convicted, though prosecutors were satisfied that criminal negligence in maintaining and controlling their dogs appeared to contribute directly to the deaths of the victims.

In 1988, Carrie and Greg Vergara's dog killed their 6-month-old daughter. The couple was charged with misdemeanor failure to obtain liability insurance and pleaded no contest. Greg Vergara also pleaded guilty to drug abuse and received a $40 fine in connection with the incident, when investigators responded to the attack and found drugs in the home. (Canton)

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In February 2010, it was reported that Carolyn Baker, 63 from Cleveland Heights was killed by her dog. See NCRC Investigative Report on this case of a mistakenly reported "fatal dog attack:" NCRC FDA 2010 OH Cuyahoga (2)

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On June 15, 2010, Mychael Wynters, of New Russia Township, was killed by a large pack of dogs he and his father kept on their property.

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*Note: In recent years, scientists have established that visual identification of dogs of unknown origin is extremely unreliable; therefore, while we can be sure these listed incidents involved varied types of dogs, we cannot be certain of the accuracy of most breed identifications.

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In spite of the recklessness, even malice, of some owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality in Ohio:

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

In 2007, ninety (90) Ohio children died as the result of maltreatment (abuse, neglect).

In the single year 2007, more than five times as many Ohio children died from maltreatment than the total of all children killed by dogs in the state over the past 45 years.

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Fact is, people in Ohio routinely accept far greater risks from swimming pools, ATVs and bicycles than any that are associated with companion animals.

National Canine Research Council