CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) - A local veteran says his service dog may no longer be able to help him because it was attacked by another dog. The incident raises questions about the effectiveness of Ohio’s dog laws and how they're being enforced.
"Good boy. C'mon, Ranger!” Kenneth Carroll coaxes his service dog, Ranger, while they walk through the neighborhood.
Carroll, deployed several times to Iraq, up until recently had Ranger to help him deal with his PTSD. But he says, two weeks ago, Ranger was attacked by another dog and may no longer be able to assist him.
"Come runnin' across the street right at us and went right for Ranger's throat," recalled Carroll.
Ranger survived relatively unscathed physically and so did the attacking dog's owner -- charged $35 plus $100 in court costs for the attack.
Most failure to confine or dog nuisance or dog bite cases start and end at the municipal court cashier. But depending upon how severe the violation is or how many violations there are, it could end up in municipal court.
Ohio's revised code spells out very precisely the laws regarding dogs getting loose and/or attacking people or other dogs. A first citation is usually a minor misdemeanor, like Ranger's attack. Additional citations could mean jail time for the owner and bigger fines, plus designating the dog as dangerous, which could mean the owner may need to carry insurance for the dog and have it muzzled, caged and neutered. Carroll's case is tough; he says Ranger may no longer be able to act as his service dog following the attack.
"I don't want him having the PTSD to where I have to worry about the safety of someone else's service dog,” said Carroll.
Carroll says it could cost thousands to have his dog re-evaluated -- money he doesn't have. Clermont County's chief municipal court prosecutor says it's difficult for him to say whether the current laws are sufficient to keep people and pets safe from attacking pets.
"Some dog owners are better than other dog owners,” explained Assistant Prosecutor David Gast. “They're going to get the message early. They're going to remedy the situation. They're going to take good steps. Bad dog owners...” Gast shook his head.
Carroll says without legal recourse, he can only hope Ranger can continue helping him. There is a statute for service dogs getting attacked, but for it to apply, the owner of the attacking dog would need to know the victim dog was a service dog.