Westerville, OH Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 955.22 | Vicious, dangerous, and nuisance dog acts. (A)(1) "Vicious dog act" means one of the following actions committed by a dog without provocation, other than by a police dog that is being used to assist one or more law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties: (a) The killing of any person; (b) Causing serious injury to any person by physical contact; (c) Engaging in a dangerous dog act after the dog has been designated as a dangerous dog under section 955.23 of the Revised Code. (2) "Dangerous dog act" means one of the following actions committed by a dog without provocation...: (a) Causing injury by physical contact, other than killing or serious injury, to any person in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack; (b) Causing serious injury to any person without making physical contact in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack; (c) The killing of another dog; (d) Causing serious injury to another dog that results in euthanasia of the dog by a person authorized to perform euthanasia under Ohio law. (3) "Nuisance dog act" means one of the following actions committed by a dog without provocation and while off the premises of its owner, keeper, or harborer...: (a) Chasing or approaching a person in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack; (b) Attempting to bite or otherwise endanger any person in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack; (c) Causing injury to any person without making physical contact in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack; (d) Chasing, threatening, harassing, or injuring another dog or livestock in either a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack. (B)(1) No owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog that is not an animal shelter for dogs shall negligently, and no animal shelter for dogs that keeps or harbors a dog shall recklessly, fail to prevent the dog from committing a vicious dog act. Whoever violates this division is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the second degree on each subsequent offense.