Ohio dog owners are about to face some of the strictest rules the state has ever put on the books. Avery’s Law, a wide‑ranging overhaul of how the state handles dangerous animals, kicks in next Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The package, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in December, was pushed through after a brutal 2024 mauling in Reynoldsburg and is designed to close what lawmakers called serious gaps in the old code.
What the law does
Under Avery’s Law, local dog wardens get clear authority to seize dogs right at the scene of an attack that causes serious injury or death, instead of waiting days for a court order. Courts will have a faster process to decide whether a dog should be labeled “dangerous” or “vicious,” and they can order euthanasia for animals that kill or severely injure a person.
The statute spells out the types of injuries that can trigger mandatory termination, while also carving out protections for dogs that were defending people or reacted after being provoked. Reporting from WCPO details how those standards are expected to work on the ground.
Stronger penalties and insurance rules
The law also goes after owners’ wallets and, if necessary, their freedom. Anyone whose dog is designated dangerous or vicious must carry substantial liability insurance. Sponsors say the $100,000 minimum coverage is meant to help pay victims’ medical bills instead of leaving them to fight for compensation out of pocket.
Lawmakers behind the bill have repeatedly described it as a fix for loopholes in the old statute, according to a statement from Rep. Meredith Lawson-Rowe. Committee testimony and bill language also make it a third‑degree felony if an owner fails to prevent a dog from killing or seriously injuring a person. Under Ohio sentencing law, that level of felony can carry up to three years in prison and fines up to $10,000, according to legal summaries that include sentencing guidance compiled by Justia.
The attack that pushed lawmakers
The emotional center of the law is Avery Russell, who was 11 when she was mauled in June 2024 by two American Bully XLs during a playdate in Reynoldsburg. She has undergone multiple surgeries and described the attack in stark terms in her testimony to lawmakers.
“I truly thought I was going to die,” Russell told reporters, as local coverage documented her long physical recovery and the emotional fallout that followed. In the criminal case, the dogs’ owner received four days in jail and a $450 fine. One dog was shot at the scene of the attack, and the other was later euthanized. That outcome, and the severity of the attack itself, became a rallying point for legislators who argued the law badly needed teeth, as reported by WKRC Local 12 and other Cincinnati outlets.
How counties are preparing
Counties are already scrambling to get their systems in line before the law kicks in. Local officials are adjusting licensing and fee structures and warning owners to check county rules instead of assuming the old requirements still apply.
In Clermont County, the auditor’s office has posted guidance flagging the March 18, 2026 effective date and outlining new dangerous‑dog registration fees. Dog‑warden offices across the state say they will need new internal procedures and closer coordination with prosecutors and courts as Ohio works through the day‑to‑day realities of enforcement.
What owners should do now
For dog owners who think their pets might fall under the “dangerous” label, the message from officials is not to wait. Start by checking your county’s dog licensing and animal control pages, and talk with your insurance provider about liability coverage that meets the new minimums. Lawmakers and sponsor offices have pointed to the insurance requirement and stricter confinement rules as the first big compliance hurdles.
Secure confinement, such as locked, top‑covered enclosures or legally compliant tethering where that is allowed, along with updated registration and clear warning signs for visitors, will become standard expectations in many jurisdictions. Local offices say they plan to publish more detailed implementation guidance as the state finalizes how, exactly, enforcement will look city by city and county by county.
Supporters describe Avery’s Law as long overdue accountability, and victims’ advocates say it is a necessary reset in how Ohio balances public safety with pet ownership. At the same time, local officials caution that funding and staffing levels will heavily influence how quickly the new rules move from the statute books to real‑world enforcement.
