Ohio has no statute using the word 'hoarding,' but ORC 959.13 and 959.131 make it illegal to confine animals without adequate food, water, and shelter. Canton's five-animal household cap (505.14) also limits accumulation; the Dog Warden and Humane Society investigate.
Animal hoarding is addressed through Ohio's cruelty and neglect laws rather than a dedicated hoarding statute. ORC 959.13 prohibits impounding or confining an animal without access to shelter and without supplying good, wholesome food and water when the animal would otherwise suffer, and ORC 959.131 (Goddard's Law) makes serious neglect of a companion animal a felony. Locally, Canton limits a household to five dogs or cats (Cod. Ord. 505.14), which caps unpermitted accumulation. Complaints are investigated by the Stark County Dog Warden, the Stark County Humane Society, and local police, who can seize neglected animals.
Cruelty and neglect range from a second-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony under ORC 959.99; courts may order forfeiture of the animals and bar future ownership.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Stark County does not ban backyard composting; the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District encourages it. Keep piles managed so they don't become a nuisanc...
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Stark County sets no countywide weed code. Canton Ordinance 551.01 bans noxious weeds, using the state's official list in Ohio Administrative Code 901:5-37. ...
See how Stark County's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
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