As we bid farewell to the Dog Days of Summer and transition into a new season, we’re excited to share the latest updates and news from the world of animal welfare in Ohio. This quarter has been busy as we continued to advance our mission of promoting the well-being and humane treatment of domestic animals throughout Ohio through education, advocacy, and professional resources. |
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To our members: thank you for your ongoing support. Here’s to making a difference, one paw at a time!
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Sub HB 277 stalls in House before summer break; Ohio Supreme Court hears oral arguments in State of Ohio v. Alonzo Kyles |
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Sub HB 277, the Pet Friendly Rental Act, was voted out of
the House Ways & Means Committee in the Spring, but it did not get a vote
on the full House floor before summer break. As a reminder, the Pet
Friendly Rental Act would provide participating landlords with a tax
credit in return for allowing dogs and cats to live in their rental units
without imposing breed or size restrictions and without charging additional nonrefundable
monthly rent or deposits.
Ohio Fed will continue to advocate for the passage
of this important piece of legislation once the legislature is back in
session.
STATE OF OHIO v. ALONZO KYLES
On July 23, the justices of the Ohio Supreme Court heard
oral arguments in the case of State of Ohio v. Alonzo Kyles (watch here). This case involves the definition of a companion
animal, which under ORC 959.131 is "any animal that is kept inside a
residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept,
including a pet store."
At issue in this case is whether a stray kitten
found in an apartment building’s basement should be considered a companion
animal and whether a man who used bleach as a repellent can be convicted of a
felony since the animal was not "kept". The Eighth District Court of
Appeals reversed Alonzo Kyles' felony-level conviction, stating he
could be convicted of only the misdemeanor-level cruelty applied to
non-companion animals under ORC 959.13 as the prosecution failed to prove that
the kitten was “kept.” The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office
appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Ohio, which agreed to hear the
case. Ohio Fed (including many of our members) was one of several
national and statewide organizations that submitted an amicus brief in
this case in support of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.
The Court is expected to return its decision in 3-6 months.
In the meantime, Ohio Fed will be involved in seeking a legislative fix for
this issue that would clarify the definition of companion animal as being "any
animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat,"
which was the intent of the original definition and would still protect dogs
and cats wherever they are including in pet stores.
We will continue to keep our members updated on this case,
as well as Sub HB 277.
Member Benefit: If members would like to receive legislative updates as they happen, please email ohiofedhs@gmail.com and ask to be added to the list for advocacy alerts. |
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We recently added many new links to our Resources page. To see them, click here and scroll down to the Law Enforcement and the Shelter Operations & Animal Care sections. Some are only available to Ohio Fed members, so make sure you're logged in. Up next: a new design to make things easier to find. Stay tuned! |
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OHIO FED CAREER CENTER
Looking to hire? Check out Ohio Fed's online job board, powered by YM Careers. Job seekers can search this nationwide job board by keyword and location.
Member Benefit: Get 50% off your first post using coupon code: 95214282 |
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
The following shelters and organizations joined Ohio Fed during the third quarter of 2024: |
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- SICSA Pet Adoption & Wellness Center
- Erie County Dog Shelter
Click here for a list of all organizational members. |
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE FED
- We are thrilled to announce that the Kenneth Scott Charitable Trust recently approved Ohio Fed's annual grant request to help create an effective statewide federation for the animal welfare community in Ohio. We couldn't do what we do without their generous support!
- Thanks to SICSA Pet Adoption & Wellness Center, Humane Society of Greater Dayton and the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center for hosting Ohio Fed Executive Director Colleen Evans on August 22. She enjoyed the tours, the discussions and putting faces to names.
- Animal Friends Humane Society in Butler County recently celebrated a dog wedding! They used Facebook Live to share the event with their supporters, who were encouraged to purchase items from the happy couple's registry including a DNA test, treats, toys, puzzle feeders, collars, dog food, and so much more. They also collected monetary donations through Amazon donations. The fundraiser was promoted using Facebook and Instagram posts. Want to learn more? Email their intake coordinator Megan!
- Welcome two new CEOs! Erich Hunker joined Columbus Humane in June and Nick Browning joined the Humane Society of Summit County in July. Congratulations on your new roles. We look forward to your involvement in Ohio Fed!
- SICSA Pet Adoption and Wellness Center is celebrating wins in five Best of Dayton categories, including Best Animal Clinic, Best Pet Adoption Center, Best Pet Store, Best Social Media Follow, and Best Place to Work. Way to go, SICSA!
- Congratulations to these 14 people who completed Euthanasia by Injection Certification in August:
Cara Bosley, Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County
Rachel Boyd, Athens County Humane Society
Danielle Breeden, Ashtabula County APL
Sophia Castro, Clinton County Humane Society
Olivia Compton, Montgomery County Animal Resource Center
Taylor Craft, Humane Society Serving Crawford County
Morgan Estes, Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County
Dylan Hayes, Miami County Animal Shelter
Molly Jones, Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County
Anastasia Kisha, One of a Kind Pet Rescue
Anna McNulty, One of a Kind Pet Rescue
Rebecca Shope, Montgomery County Animal Resource Center
Stephanie Stanley, Erie County Dog Warden
Sarah Underwood, Columbiana County Humane Society
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Our EBI Certification instructor, Dr. Cathy Anderson, DVM, MS, demonstrates humane restraint techniques during the required in-person practical. |
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Kelly Fuller, LVT, Medical Program Manager, Adopt-A-Pet Fenton (right) demonstrates injection techniques. |
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To complete their certification, participants practice IV injections on models. NO animals are euthanized during this training. |
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Other upcoming programs (details and registration coming soon):
October 17, 2024 - Report Writing
October 31, November 7, 14 & 21, 2024 - Euthanasia by Injection Certification
November, 2024 - Dropping the Dog Catcher and the Pound(s)/community outreach
Member Benefit: Ohio Fed members receive discounted registration fees on all of our educational programs. |
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THANK YOU!
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We wish to thank Petco Love for their continued sponsorship of our webinar program!
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