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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio Senate Bill 185 revises dog laws, dangerous dog registrations, and animal control penalties
Last action · April 30, 2025: Referred to JudiciarySponsor: Louis W. Blessing, III
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 185 reorganizes and amends Ohio dog laws, establishing specific registration requirements, restraint rules, and penalty structures for owners of nuisance, dangerous, and s, while updating procedures for county auditors and dog wardens.
Dog owners across Ohio face modified registration schedules, updated restraint obligations, and altered penalties for failing to control animals, while county auditors and wardens assume new enforcement and administrative duties.
- The Ohio Revised Code governs state and local administrative procedures, criminal offenses, and animal control mandates enacted by the General Assembly. context
- Senate Bill 185 was introduced during the 136th General Assembly of Ohio under the sponsorship of Senator Louis W. Blessing, III. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Dog owners
Dog owners must comply with updated registration procedures, fee structures, containment mandates, and strict notification rules when relocating with dangerous or vicious dogs.
County auditors
County auditors are responsible for collecting registration applications, issuing tags and certificates, assessing late penalties, and maintaining dog and kennel registers.
County dog wardens
County dog wardens handle the seizure and impoundment of dogs running at large, issue dangerous dog registrations, and investigate complaints regarding violations.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the registration requirements for a dangerous or vicious dog?
How much does a standard dog registration cost under the bill?
Are assistance dogs subject to registration fees?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Apr 30, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Judiciary
- Apr 29, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Dual Registration Requirement for Dangerous Dogs
The bill centralizes and tightens oversight by explicitly requiring dangerous and vicious dogs to maintain dual registration with both the county auditor and the county dog warden.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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