What Is Avery's Law — and What Does It Mean for Ohio Dog Owners?

Ohio just overhauled its dangerous dog statutes for the first time in decades. Here's what every dog guardian needs to know.

Status: Now Law — Signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on December 19, 2025 · Takes effect March 2026

In June 2024, a 12-year-old girl named Avery Russell was visiting a friend's home in Reynoldsburg, Ohio when two pit bulls attacked her in the backyard. She spent a month at Nationwide Children's Hospital and has undergone six surgeries. Her testimony — delivered by Avery herself at the Ohio Statehouse — became the catalyst for the most significant overhaul of Ohio's dog laws in a generation.

House Bill 247, now officially known as Avery's Law, was passed unanimously by both the Ohio House and Senate and signed into law by Governor DeWine on December 19, 2025. It takes effect in March 2026.

If you share your home with a dog in Ohio, this law affects you. Here's what's changed — and what it means for you and your pup.

"I truly thought I was going to die. I remember the fear — how it felt like the world had stopped. I was in excruciating pain, unable to move, and I just kept thinking, 'I want my mom.'" — Avery Russell, survivor and namesake of the law

Why Did Ohio Need a New Law?

Before Avery's Law, Ohio's dangerous dog statutes had a significant gap problem. Under the old framework, courts could only order a dog to be euthanized after it had killed a second person. Yes — a second person. A single fatal or catastrophic attack was often not enough to compel the strongest consequences. Meanwhile, dog wardens had limited tools to investigate complaints or intervene proactively, and penalties for negligent owners were too weak to deter irresponsible behavior.

The attack on Avery Russell exposed exactly how those gaps played out in real life. The dog owner was sentenced to just $450 in fines and 30 days in jail — with 26 of those days suspended. That outcome galvanized bipartisan support for change.

The Big Changes: A Plain-Language Breakdown

A clearer two-tier classification system Dogs that attack a person or another animal without causing serious injury are classified as dangerous. Dogs that cause serious injury or death are classified as vicious. This distinction now drives what happens next.

Mandatory euthanasia after a serious attack If a dog kills or seriously injures a person in an unprovoked attack, the court is now required to order the dog's humane euthanasia — not just permitted to, but required. Due process protections remain, but the previous loophole that allowed dogs to survive multiple severe incidents is closed.

Criminal penalties for negligent owners Owners can now face criminal consequences if they negligently fail to prevent an unprovoked attack by a dog already classified as nuisance, dangerous, or vicious. Accountability is now a legal expectation, not just a moral one.

Mandatory $100,000 liability insurance for vicious dog owners If your dog is designated vicious, you must carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance. This ensures that victims have a realistic path to compensation for medical costs, lost income, and emotional harm.

Registration fees for dangerous and vicious dogs Owners of dogs carrying a dangerous or vicious designation must pay $100 to register those animals, creating a formal record and making oversight easier for local animal control authorities.

Stronger enforcement tools for dog wardens The law revises investigation and enforcement procedures so that dog wardens have clearer authority and defined steps when a complaint is filed — closing procedural gaps that previously let aggressive dogs and negligent owners slip through the system.

Protections for dogs acting in self-defense The law is not a blanket crackdown on all biting. It explicitly protects dogs that are defending themselves, their owners, or their property from abuse or threat.

What This Means If You Own Any Dog

Even if your dog has never shown an ounce of aggression, Avery's Law is a good reminder to think carefully about your responsibilities as a guardian. Under the new law, if your dog is ever involved in an incident and designated as dangerous, you'll need to register that designation and comply with stricter confinement requirements. A second serious incident could result in criminal charges.

The law also increases penalties for dogs found running at large — so basic containment is more important than ever. A secure fence, reliable leash, and proper ID tags are not just good practices; under this framework, lapses can have real legal consequences.

What This Means If Your Dog Is Already Designated

If your dog already carries a dangerous or vicious designation in Ohio, take steps now — before the law takes full effect — to ensure you're in compliance. That means reviewing your registration status, confirming your liability insurance coverage meets the $100,000 threshold if your dog is vicious, and ensuring your confinement setup meets current standards.

Consulting with an attorney familiar with Ohio dog law may also be worthwhile, particularly if your dog has a prior incident on record.

The Best Defense Is a Proactive Offense

Here's the uncomfortable truth: most dogs don't become dangerous overnight. Fear, anxiety, reactivity, and aggression typically develop gradually — and they're almost always preceded by warning signs that owners either miss or misread. Avery's Law raises the stakes for what happens when those warning signs are ignored. The smartest thing any dog guardian can do right now is take behavior seriously before there's ever an incident to report.

That's where working with a qualified, evidence-based dog behavior consultant becomes not just helpful, but genuinely protective — for your dog, for the people around them, and for you legally.

Sits 'n Wiggles Dog Training & Behavior Consulting Founded by Certified Dog Behavior Consultant Valarie Ross, Sits 'n Wiggles is Cuyahoga County's premier force-free behavior consulting practice. Valarie specializes in exactly the kinds of challenges that put dogs at legal risk under Avery's Law — fear, anxiety, reactivity, and aggression — using compassionate, science-backed methods with no pain, no force, and no shortcuts. Whether you're dealing with a dog who lunges on leash, reacts to strangers, or has a history that makes you nervous, Sits 'n Wiggles offers private one-on-one consulting, Done-For-You Day Training, and a Behavior Helpline for owners who just need a starting point. sitsnwigglescle.com

Smart Management Strategies Every Dog Guardian Should Know

Whether or not your dog has ever shown concerning behavior, Avery's Law is a timely reminder that management isn't just kindness — it's responsibility.

🔬 Get a professional behavior assessment If your dog has ever growled, snapped, lunged, or bitten — even once — have a certified behavior consultant evaluate the context and triggers. Early intervention is far easier (and less costly) than crisis response after an incident.

📚 Choose force-free, science-backed training Punishment-based methods (shock collars, prong collars, intimidation) suppress behavior without addressing its root cause — and research shows they can increase fear and aggression over time. Look for trainers certified through the IAABC or CCPDT who rely on positive reinforcement.

🏠 Invest in physical management at home Baby gates, exercise pens, crates, and door protocols aren't punishments — they're tools that prevent accidents while behavior work is in progress. A dog who cannot access a triggering situation cannot bite anyone in that situation.

🦺 Use the right gear on walks A well-fitted front-clip harness or head halter gives you physical control without discomfort. Avoid retractable leashes, which provide almost no real control and give dogs the slack to reach trouble before you can react.

📋 Know your dog's warning signs Yawning, lip-licking, whale eye, stiffening, a low growl — these are your dog communicating discomfort. A dog whose early signals are respected is far less likely to escalate. Never punish growling; it removes your early warning system.

🏷️ Keep ID, registration, and insurance current Under Avery's Law, a licensed, registered, insured dog belonging to a responsible owner tells a very different story than an unlicensed dog belonging to someone who's been ignoring warnings. Documentation matters when authorities are involved.

🩺 Rule out medical causes Pain, thyroid disorders, neurological issues, and other health conditions can trigger sudden behavior changes. Any dog who becomes aggressive without a clear behavioral explanation should see a vet — ideally a veterinary behaviorist — before assuming the problem is purely training-related.

🤝 Communicate with neighbors and guests Let neighbors know if your dog is in behavior modification. Brief visitors on how to greet your dog safely. Have a plan for scenarios like trick-or-treating, maintenance workers, and houseguests. Most incidents happen in predictable situations that can be managed in advance.

The goal isn't to live in fear — it's to be the kind of informed, proactive guardian who builds a life with their dog rather than responding to crises. Avery's Law gives you every reason to start that work now.

The Bigger Picture

Avery's Law is not an attack on dogs or dog owners — it's an acknowledgment that Ohio's old framework was failing everyone. Responsible owners were operating under the same rules as negligent ones. Victims had limited recourse. And dog wardens were enforcing laws that didn't give them the tools to act before tragedy struck.

For the vast majority of Ohio's dog guardians — people who keep their dogs properly confined, licensed, and socialized — this law changes very little day to day. But for the small minority of owners who treat dangerous behavior as someone else's problem, the era of minimal accountability is over.

Avery Russell is still recovering. She was 12 years old when she gave public testimony for the bill that bears her name. Whatever you think of any particular provision in House Bill 247, that fact alone says something remarkable about the kind of law this is — and the people it was built to protect.

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have specific questions about how Avery's Law applies to you or your dog, consult a licensed Ohio attorney.