February 10, 2012
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
A bill passed by the Ohio House and Senate would change state laws to remove the automatic "vicious" animal label placed on all pit bulls.
Current state law says an animal is vicious when it has killed another animal, killed or seriously hurt a person or is part of the pit bull breed.
"If I had a pit bull, I would be very unhappy that my dog is being labeled in that way," Massillon Animal Control Officer Vicki Davis told The Independent. "A lot of pit bulls will lick you to death. You can take any dog and make them mean."
Under the new rules, dogs of any kind would be labeled a nuisance if they have chased or tried to bite other people. If a dog receives three nuisance violations or is involved in a more serious incident, it would be labeled as "dangerous."
Owners of a dangerous animal would be required to add at least $100,000 in liability coverage to their home insurance policy, and be able to show proof of that coverage to local officials. They would also need to register the animal and implant a identifying microchip.
The Toledo Blade says the breed-specific legislation was originally passed in 1987, and adds no other states have similar laws on the books.
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