COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio lawmakers are advocating for changes to the state’s dog attack laws with the introduction of House Bill 240, known as Avery’s Law.
The legislation is named after Avery Russell, a 12-year-old girl from Reynoldsburg who was brutally attacked by two pit bulls last summer.
The bill’s sponsors said it aims to establish clear regulations and penalties for dog owners whose pets attack people or other animals. It also seeks to provide families affected by such tragedies with the best legal resources available.
Proposed measures in the bill include increased jail times and fines for dog owners, a requirement for dog owners, veterinarians, or healthcare providers to report a bite or attack within 24 hours, and a mandate for owners of dangerous dogs to have liability insurance. Additionally, it would make commercial dog breeding in residential areas a misdemeanor.
During a committee hearing, one of the bill’s sponsors, Meredith Lawson-Rowe, D-Reynoldsburg, recounted the harrowing details of Russell’s attack.
“Before police could intervene, the dogs chewed off most of Avery’s ears, ripped off her nose, gouged her left eye and punctured her forehead and shoulder,” she said.
Russell, who was 11 years old at the time, survived the attack and has since undergone four facial reconstruction surgeries. Lawson-Rowe said Russell continues to recover but the physical, emotional and mental scars will last a lifetime.
The push for Avery’s Law comes amid a series of high-profile dog attacks in central Ohio over the past year. In October, a 73-year-old woman was killed by two dogs in Pickaway County. The dog’s owners in that case are facing up to 16 years in prison.
In March, an 8-year-old boy was attacked by two dogs in North Linden. The little boy survived the attack. The dog’s owner faces multiple charges.
In April, a baby girl was killed after being attacked by her family’s dogs in Columbus.
Tuesday’s hearing was the first for Avery’s Law.
