Is it legal to own pitbulls in Ohio?

maybe this will help:

Big Changes in Ohio's Vicious Dog Laws

TOLEDO -- Ohio's law requiring restraint of dangerous and vicious dogs is unconstitutional. That's the latest from the Ohio Supreme Court which ruled, such a law does not allow the owners to prove in court that their dog poses no threat.

The high court in 1991 upheld the Ohio Law defining pit bulls as vicious. But in a 4-3 decision Wednesday, the court ruled it is unfair to deny the dog owner a hearing to contest the vicious dog declaration before threatening the owner with prosecution. And that means, there is no way of enforcing any constraint laws or insurance requirements for vicious dogs.

Some say the decision reopens the debate between public safety and individual property rights. Joe Boyd has owned all kinds of pitbulls since he was twelve years old. "I've never been bitten by one," Boyd said.

Boyd owns a pitbull named Poncho. "He goes with me wherever I go. He sits in my van, he rides with me. If I have an ice cream, he has one," said Boyd. Boyd thinks the Ohio Supreme Court took a step in the right direction when it declared the vicious dog law unconstitutional. He says pit bulls are basically good dogs.

Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon is not happy about the court ruling. He says it puts dogs above people. "In this case, they're putting the rights of property owners, above the safety of people," said Skeldon.

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http://www.dogexpert.com/Popular%20Press/Stories/O...

maybe this will too:

http://www.pitbullpress.com/ARTICLES/BSL.LETTER.ht...

hope this helps!

This is an Ohio bill:

Under current law, any dog is deemed "dangerous" if, without provocation, it has chased, threatened, or attempted to bite or endanger someone while off its owner's property.

It's deemed "vicious" if it has killed or seriously injured a person or another dog that was not trespassing at the time. This category automatically includes the pit bull.

Especially now that the dog has bitten someone, it's vicious, but pit bulls are automatically classified as such due to their history of unprovoked violence.

It's a city by city thing. Pitbulls are NOT legal in the city of Detroit in Michigan, but I could own one if I lived in royal oak. I'd say find out what the laws are in the city where your sister was attacked

You should report this attack to the police. They will know if the dog itself is legal. If your sister has any real damage to her body, you may consider sueing the owner, because, it is in all reality the owner's fault. Many of my friends own pit bulls and I am sad to say that they are being banned in many places, when it is the owner who should be punished. My neighbor had Dachshund that one day randomly turned around and ripped her mother's lip off. ANY dog can be aggressive if not trained and handled properly. There are reports of golden retrievers attacking children. I hope that this incident will not make you close-minded about this wonderful and diverse breed.

""The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a breed of dog in the terrier group, one of several breeds loosely classified as pit bulls. Dogs of this breed are known for their strength, loyalty, and “gameness” (tenacity).

Ownership of APBTs is controversial, due to a well publicized series of dog attacks by dogs considered to be of this breed over the last few decades. These attacks have led to the ownership of APBTs and "pit bulls" in general being restricted or banned in many parts of the world. Many owners of APBTs claim that well-bred APBTs are not human aggressive, and suggest that the problem is due to the breed's appeal to irresponsible segments of society who may breed or train the dogs to guard and fight. APBT owners are also concerned that many of the dog attacks attributed to "pit bulls" are not perpetrated by actual registered American Pit Bull Terriers, but merely by poorly bred dogs that "look like" APBTs.

APBT and APBT-looking dogs are often associated with the urban and hip hop culture, and many young (predominantly male) people purchase them on the grounds of wanting a 'tough dog' — sadly, dogs acquired for such purposes (of any breed) often end up maltrained and in poor health.""

-Wikipedia

They have to be on a leash outside, other then that they are legal to have.

And to everyone saying they are horrible animals, it is not the animal. A pit bull can be as loveable as any other dog, it is the owners fault for not training them correctly. Yes, they can be mean, but if you take the time to train the pit bull correctly it will be as kind as say, a golden retriever.

Good luck to your sister.

Yes it is legal. Moral to own a dangerous dog, likely not. Not sure how pit bull comment relates. However, I would never own one and as I said am committed to change. please note personal issues are not for public forums or scrutiny as this was started as a private and solo project.

What city do you live in?

"For example, the state of Ohio has labeled all pit bulls or "pit-bull types" as "vicious," and many cities in Ohio have banned the breed."

I'm sure if you file a report, since it attacked her, it will be put down.

Most likely though the owners will stash the dog out of town. that's what my neighbors did when it attacked and killed another's cat.

http://www.canismajor.com/orgs/ovdo/HB189.html

its legal but owners are accountable for their actions. Contact a lawyer and sue. I do not care that they are friends. Friends are never forever. But the injuries your sister has are.

I hope they put the mutt to sleep and owner in jail. When will you people learn not to buy and breed this type of dog. Its like a status symbol to own one, it has nothing to do with love, its a selfish act to own a pitbull unless your able to train them, and no, most of you are not ABLE.